27th Aero Squadron The 27th Aero Squadron was a Air Service , United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I . The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit ( Fighter ) Squadron as part of the 1st Pursuit Group , First United States Army . Its mission was to engage and clear enemy aircraft from the skies and provide escort to reconnaissance and bombardment squadrons over enemy territory . It also attacked enemy observation balloons , and perform close air support and tactical bombing attacks of enemy forces along the front lines . After the 1918 Armistice with Germany , the squadron returned to the United States in June 1919 and became part of the permanent United States Army Air Service in 1921 , being re - designated as the 27th Squadron ( Pursuit ) . The current United States Air Force unit which holds its lineage and history is the 27th Fighter Squadron , assigned to the 1st Operations Group , Joint Base Langley – Eustis , Virginia . History . Origins . The 27th was initially formed as Company K , 3d Provisional Aero Squadron on 8 May 1917 at Kelly Field , Texas . On 15 June , Company K was re - designated as the 21st Aero Squadron . However , another 21st had been organized at Rockwell Field , California and on 23 June , the squadron was re - chartered as the 27th Aero Squadron . As Company " K " , and later as the 27th , the squadron was initiated into the Army with close order drill , along with the labor of clearing cactus from the grounds of Kelly Field # 2 , and erecting a tent city , enduring the hazards of snakes and inclement weather according to the squadron historian at the time . On 19 August , the 27th was sent by train from San Antonio , Texas to Toronto , Canada , where the squadron would receive training under the auspices of the Royal Flying Corps . Arriving at Leaside , initially the squadron continued basic indoctrination training until 5 September when it was separated into training Flights . The flights were classified by skills and ability . Training continued at various locations in the Toronto area until the end of October , when the squadron was sent to Fort Worth , Texas , and assigned to Hicks Field on the 22d where it received flight training on the Curtiss JN - 4 D trainer . It relieved orders for overseas service and departed Hicks Field on 23 January 1918 , arriving at the Aviation Concentration Depot , Garden City , New York on the 26th . Unfortunately , a rash of Scarlet Fever infected many squadron personnel , and about 60 men were transferred out of the squadron to be medically quarantined . After being delayed for about a month , the 27th boarded a troop ship and departed from New York Harbor on 26 February , arriving at Liverpool , England on 5 March . A train took the squadron to a Rest Camp at Winchester the same day . The squadron waited until 17 March before crossing the English Channel and arriving in Le Harve , France on the 18th . Arrival in France . After a train journey in French " Cattle Cars " , the squadron arrived at Air Service Headquarters , AEF , at Tours Aerodrome on 20 March . There for the next week , the men received their barracks bags , which they had not had since arriving in Liverpool on the 5th . Also , they were quartered in wooden barracks and were able to relax for about a week . During this time , the 27th Aero Squadron was classified as a Pursuit squadron , and was ordered to the 3d Air Instructional Center at Issoudun Aerodrome , at which they arrived on 29 March . There , the squadron was separated into air and ground flights , the pilots receiving advanced combat training Sopwith F - 1 Camel s and on the Nieuport 28 aircraft the squadron was to be assigned . Also the men were assigned to aircraft mechanics and other support duties . Remaining at Issoudun until 24 April , the squadron moved up into the " Zone of Advance " , or the Western Front , at Epiez Aerodrome . There , the squadron joined with the 94th , 95th and 147th squadrons , and received Nieuport 28s that were ferried from Orly Field , near Paris . At Epiz , being near the front lines , the squadron continued with practice formations and an occasional alert when enemy aircraft were seen or rumored to be in the vicinity . On 31 May , the 27th and the 147th squadrons moved to the Gengault Aerodrome , near Toul . There the squadrons re - joined with the 94th and 95th which were already operating over the front along with part of the French 122d Escadrille . There , the four AEF squadrons were formally organized into the 1st Pursuit Group on 1 June . Toul Sector operations . On 2 June 1918 , the 27th Aero Squadron entered into combat operations . The first patrol was uneventful , and it accomplished its objective . Many in the squadron were rather surprised as there has been nothing exciting , that the pock - marked lines seemed so quiet , and no Germans were in the air . The fact was that we failed to realize the danger , but that was soon to change . Over the next several days the squadron began a routine of three scheduled patrols , lasting about an hour each , and then three or four voluntary patrols each day . On 4 June , the squadron performed seven patrols with the object of keeping enemy observation photographers from coming over . The squadron engaged in combat with the German Air Force on several patrols , and on 13 June , Lt Plyer was reported missing after being shot down in a combat with German planes , and later was reported to be a prisoner . In the days that followed , saw a continence of these same types of patrols . On 25 June , orders came to be ready to move to the Chateau Thierry Sector . Chateau Thierry Sector operations . The squadron moved to Touquin Aerodrome on 28 June , and on the 30th began flying reconnaissance patrols along the sector to familiarize themselves with the new sector . These patrols were staggered throughout the day , each one going deeper into enemy territory . The squadron did not encounter any enemy aircraft , however anti - aircraft artillery fire was accurate and active . On 2 July , the squadron engaged in aerial combat with Jagdgeschwader 1 , the famous " Richthofen Circus " and eight squadron aircraft were in combat for thirty - five minutes . Four enemy Fokker D . VIII were shot down , with two squadron pilots being reported as missing . Through mid - July , the squadron carried out escort patrols for photographic observation aircraft , primarily from the 91st and 88th Aero Squadrons . On 9 July , a group of Royal Air Force planes joined the Air Service in the sector . With the addition of the RAF planes , Allied aircraft were concentrated on attacking German infantry formations whenever they tried to make an advance . On the 15th , the full Allied offensive in the sector began , with operations ongoing from dawn until nightfall . The 27th encountered German formations as large as 30 aircraft . On the 16th the Germans crossed the Marne River at Dormans , however the American infantry outflanked the Germans and were able to hold the line . During the offensive , the 27th continued escort flights of photo - reconnaissance planes so headquarters would be able to know the locations and strength of the enemy forces . By the 29th the Nieuport 28s began to be replaced with Spad XIII s . St . Mihiel Offensive . By 1 September , the front had moved considerably and preparations were being made to move up closer to the line . A move to Rembercourt Aerodrome was made on 3 September and operations began the next day . In order to keep the squadron operations secret from the Germans , it was necessary to keep aircraft in the air in the vicinity of Rembercourt to guard against their photographic planes . The American offensive began on 12 September after an intense artillery barrage , and the 27th was ordered to conduct close air support for the infantry and machine - gun enemy infantry on the ground ; protect observation aircraft and take the offensive to enemy pursuit planes spotted in the sector . In addition , all enemy observation balloons were to be attacked . However , on account of weather conditions , flights were limited to about 200 meters in altitude , with patrols primarily supporting the infantry advance and to attack enemy convoys and troop concentrations in its rear areas . However , after a few days , the weather improved and the squadron was able to operate from as high as 5 , 500 meters . Meuse - Argonne Offensive . Almost immediately after the completion of the St . Mihiel offensive that the group began preparing for a drive on Verdun . On the night of 25 September , the heaviest American artillery barrage of the war was laid down on the enemy front . Operations orders received stated that all available aircraft would leave the ground before dawn to attack and destroy all enemy observation balloons . After that aircraft would attack enemy troops on the ground and engage any enemy aircraft to prevent them attacking friendly infantry forces . The 27th successfully brought down four enemy balloons , and an advance flight also moved forward to an airdrome west of Verdun . It was at this time , the actions of Lt . Frank Luke were at their height . Each day , he attacked balloons at dawn and dusk and in one instance he shot down three balloons in less than 10 minutes time . In addition to the balloons , he also shot down an enemy biplane and a Fokker . However , on 28 September he was reported missing , and unfortunately was confirmed to be killed about a month later . Operations were mainly at altitudes of less than 600 meters primarily to attack any enemy aircraft flying to attack American ground forces . Fifteen enemy aircraft were shot down by the 27th during this period . During the closing days of the war , reports indicated that enemy activity had dwindled to a great extent . Only a few biplanes and an occasional enemy formation of aircraft were seen . Hostilities ended on 10 November , as unfavorable weather caused the squadron to be grounded on the morning of 11 November . Demobilization . Proficiency flights were conducted after the Armistice with Germany , however , no flights were permitted to be flown over German - controlled territory . The squadron remained at Rembercourt for about a month . On 5 December 1918 orders were received from First Army for the squadron to report to the 1st Air Depot , Colombey - les - Belles Airdrome to turn in all of its supplies and equipment and was relieved from duty with the AEF . The squadron ' s planes were delivered to the Air Service Production Center No . 2 . at Romorantin Aerodrome , and there , practically all of the pilots and observers were detached from the Squadron . During the organization ' s stay at Colombey , the men attended to the usual camp duties . Personnel were subsequently assigned to the Commanding General , Services of Supply and ordered to report to one of several staging camps in France . There , personnel awaited scheduling to report to one of the Base Ports in France for transport to the United States and subsequent demobilization . On 2 February 1919 , the 27th was moved to Base Station # 5 near the port of Brest prior to its return to the United States . Upon arrival the men were caught up on any back pay owed to them , de - loused , a formal military records review was performed and a passenger list was created prior to the men boarding a ship . On 5 March 1919 , the 27th Aero Squadron boarded the USS Charleston and sailed for New York Harbor , arriving approximately 18 March . It proceeded to Garden City where most of the personnel of the squadron were demobilized and returned to civilian life .