page_title: Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome
section_title: Operations
hierarchical_section_title: Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome / History / Operations
caption_attribution_description: English: Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome - 1st Air Depot SPAD Aircraft Source: Series 1, Paris Headquarters and Supply Section, Volume 30 History of the 1st Air Depot at Colombey-led-Belles, Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
context_page_description: Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome, was a temporary World War I airfield in France used by the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force. It was located near Colombey-les-Belles, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.
  Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome was the location of the 1st Air Depot. It was the largest American facility in the combat zone of the Western Front and arguably, the most important, as the 1st Air Depot supplied and equipped every Air Service unit after their arrival at the front and entered combat.
context_section_description: To function properly, six principal departments were established at the Depot:  Transportation; Advance Supply; Quartermaster; Machine Shops; Aircraft Repair and Aircraft Acceptance and Replacement. Other departments of secondary importance were Construction; Post Supply; Air Service Dispursing and Medical.
  Transportation Department
  This consisted of Railway and Motor Transportation.   The Rail Transportation mission was the receipt of supplies arriving at the Depot and keeping records of items received and other particulars; unloading the cars and also loading the cars for outgoing shipments. The mission of the Motor Transportation unit was to deliver supplies and equipment from the Depot to the combat squadrons at the front, and other services as demands required, such as the movement of troops. All this transportation was kept in repair by the Depot by Air Service Personnel by men trained in the United States for special duty with transportation and logistics.   Truck convoys to the front were operated in groups of 10 trucks each, this was found to be the best and most efficient use of the vehicles.
  The work performed by the Transportation Department varied widely. Supply trains were constantly traveling between depots in the rear and Colombey, bringing up supplies. Trains were also constantly arriving with gasoline and oil for delivery to the front. Pre-manufactured Hangars and barracks were being shipped along with supplies of all kinds. Also officers from Headquarters would arrive on trains and from Colombey would proceed to advance airfields in automobiles, demanded special cars to be provided.
  Advance Supply
  This department received and issued all supplies except airplanes. It primarily handled aircraft engines, propellers, spare parts of all kinds, the hardware fasteners, mechanics tools, aircraft instruments, aviation clothing, photographic supplies, radio supplies and equipment and all kinds of oils and gasoline. Due to the wide variety of aircraft flown at the front, a great amount of spare parts were required to be kept in stock. In addition to the requirements of the combat squadrons, the Department had to take care of the various Departments of the 1st Air Depot.
  During the Meuse Argonne Campaign, this department was supplying twenty-three Headquarters Groups, sixteen Observation Squadrons; four Bombardment Squadrons; twenty Pursuit Squadrons; twelve Air Park Squadrons; eight Photo Sections, and 22 Balloon Companies.  On the first day of the offensive, for example, one Pursuit Group called for, and received, 26 replacement propellers.
  Quartermaster
  The Quartermaster Department was responsible for property administration, food provisioning, finance, local purchasing and salvage. It supported 168 Air Service Units and attached organizations, such as communications battalions, anti-aircraft batteries, ordinance and medical detachments. Basically, if the item needed by the squadrons was not related to aircraft support, it was provided by the Quartermaster Department. Food rations were provided only to squadrons located in the immediate territory of the 1st Air Depot. Approximately 60,000 rations were issued on a ten-day average.  Arrangements were made with the bakery company for bread and the refrigerator company at Toul for fresh frozen beef.
  The Quartermaster Department also operated a Sales Commissary that attempted to carry a full line of personnel items, along with recreational items, cigarettes, newspapers and magazines.   However at various times, the stock was found to be quite low due to the fact that the Depot was close to the front lines and this type of supplies carried a lower priority than items necessary to support the combat units.
  Aircraft Repair
  The function of this department was to salvage, reclaim and repair crashed airplanes retrieved from the front.  All aircraft engine installation was done by this department, however engines salvaged from crashed aircraft were turned over to the Engine Overhaul Shop,  The 675th Aero Squadron (Repair) was organized at this department.  When a plane was
caption: Various SPAD aircraft on the flying field
exif: {}