page_title: First Army Air Service
section_title: Tactical Reconnaissance
hierarchical_section_title: First Army Air Service / History / St. Mihiel offensive / Operations / Tactical Reconnaissance
caption_attribution_description: English: 12th Aero Squadron Salmson 2A2, Julvecourt Airdrome, France, November 1918
context_page_description: The First Army Air Service was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, First United States Army. The First Army Air Service was the largest and most diverse Air Service combat organization of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, and most American Air Service combat units were assigned to it when assigned to the front.
  The organization was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919 with the demobilization of the United States First Army. There is no modern United States Air Force unit that shares its lineage and history.
context_section_description: On the morning of 12 September, when the attack was launched, a heavy mist, low-lying cloud banks, and intermittent rain combined to make all aerial observation extremely difficult. Notwithstanding this fact, command airplanes for the corps and divisions, infantry contact patrols, and artillery surveillance airplanes performed their respective missions throughout the hours of daylight. The command was thus kept informed of the general progress of the battle and at periodic intervals was given the first line of our advancing troops located by observers executing the missions of infantry contact. Missions operating in cooperation with the artillery were unable, on account of atmospheric conditions, to accomplish much work of value in the regulation of artillery fire on fugitive targets, but, taking advantage of momentary gaps in the clouds and mist, they were able to observe and report upon the location of such targets from time to time and to furnish other information of considerable value to the artillery. The work accomplished on 13 September was virtually a repetition of that of the 12th, for the same unfavorable weather conditions continued.
  14 September was the one day during the offensive which was favorable for the conduct of aerial operations by the Corps Air Service. Missions of every type were dispatched, throughout the hours of daylight. Command airplanes, infantry contact patrols, and visual reconnaissance missions kept the command well informed as to the progress of the attacking troops and of the situation within the enemy lines to a depth of 8 kilometers. Photographic missions were executed and resulted in a large number of successful photographs of the enemy's front-line positions. Artillery surveillance airplanes secured much valuable information which was immediately sent by radio to the artillery posts of command and later confirmed by both dropped messages and telephonic reports upon the return of the observer to the aerodrome. Some successful adjustments of the fire of designated batteries upon fugitive targets located in the enemy lines were accomplished. From early morning of the 14th there was a very noticeable increase of hostile pursuit aviation. Some of the best enemy flights operated along the sector and observation airplanes were repeatedly attacked, but in the majority of cases successfully defended themselves and accomplished their assigned missions. On 15 September, unfavorable weather again greatly hindered aerial operations; the work done was similar to that accomplished during the first two days of the offensive.
caption: 12th Aero Squadron Salmson 2.A2, Julvecourt Aerodrome, France, November 1918
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