103d Aero Squadron The 103d Aero Squadron was an aviation pursuit squadron of the U . S . Air Service that served in combat in France during World War I . Its original complement included pilots from the disbanded Lafayette Escadrille and Lafayette Flying Corps . One of those pilots , Paul F . Baer , became the first ace of an American unit in World War I . The 103d Aero Squadron was the first U . S . pursuit squadron in action during World War I and had the longest combat service , from 19 February to 11 November 1918 . It earned six battle participation credits , flew 470 combat missions , engaged in 327 combats , destroyed 45 German aircraft in aerial combat and claimed an additional 40 as probably destroyed , shot down two balloons , flew 3 , 075 hours over the front lines , and dropped 4 , 620 pounds of bombs . Its casualties were five killed in action , two killed in flying accidents , four prisoners of war , three wounded in action , and one injured in a forced landing . The commander of the 1st Pursuit Wing , in general orders , said of the 103d : " In February last the Lafayette Escadrille of the French Army was transferred to the 103d Aero Squadron , United States Army . It was the first , and for nearly two months it was the only American Air Service organization on the front . Since that time it is not too much to say that pilots who served in this squadron have formed the backbone of American Pursuit Aviation on the front . . . No task was too arduous or too hazardous for it to perform successfully . In the recent decisive operations of the First American Army the 103d Aero Squadron has done its share . " — Lt . Col . Burt M . Atkinson , 16 November 1918 The history and lineage of the 103d Aero Squadron continues as part of the 94th Fighter Squadron of the United States Air Force . History . The 103d Aero Squadron was organized on 31 August 1917 at Kelly Field , Texas , where its enlisted members , drawn from other units , trained until being moved to Garden City , New York for preparation for overseas movement . On 23 November 1917 the unit sailed on board the RMS " Baltic " from its port of embarkation at New York City . The " Baltic " joined a convoy at Halifax , Nova Scotia and arrived at Liverpool 7 December 1917 . Because of a measles outbreak , it was quarantined at Winnall Down Camp outside Winchester until 23 December 1917 , when it proceeded to France through Southampton and Le Havre . The squadron arrived at Issoudun on 28 December 1917 , where it spent the month of January constructing hangars for the instructional school being built there . On 1 February it resumed training for combat at the front . On 11 February 1918 Major William Thaw , formerly with the Lafayette Escadrille , took command of the 103d Squadron at the Ferme de La Noblette , near La Cheppe , followed on 18 February by the assignment of 17 former pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille and Lafayette Flying Corps . Combat operations , using Spad VII fighters and flying with " Groupe de Combat 21 " ( 21st Pursuit Group ) of the " Aéronautique Militaire " in support of the French 4th Army , began immediately and the squadron recorded its first aerial victory on 11 March . From La Noblette the squadron was moved west first to the Reims area , then to the coast of the North Sea at Leffrinckoucke , to support the French 6th and 8th Armies and the Detachment of Army of the North until 29 June . While at Leffrinckoucke its airdrome was subjected to frequent air attacks , and it received a citation 22 October 1918 from the commander in chief of the French Armies of the North and Northeast for its " brilliance " in operations in the face of adversity . The display of its distinctive " Indian Head " insignia from the Lafayette Escadrille was authorized by the Chief of Air Service AEF , Brig . Gen . Benjamin Foulois , on 6 May 1918 . Two days later 1st Lt . Paul F . Baer shot down two German airplanes to become the first ace of an American unit . By mid - May the 103d was the leading American pursuit squadron , with half of the AEF ' s 28 aerial victories . Baer was the sole ace of the AEF , with nearly one - third of all victories , but he was shot down in a fight with eight Albatros D . III fighters of Jasta 18 near Laventie on 22 May and captured . On 4 July 1918 the squadron relocated to Toul and was assigned to an American command , the 2d Pursuit Group . On 29 July Thaw moved up to command of the new 3d Pursuit Group and was replaced by Lafayette Escadrille veteran Capt . Robert L . Rockwell . The 103d relocated to Vaucouleurs in the Meuse department of France for operations with the 3d Pursuit Group . In September the squadron shifted northwest to Lisle - en - Barrois to support the Meuse - Argonne Offensive . On 18 October , Capt . Robert Soubiran , another Escadrille veteran and a former member of the 103d , returned to the squadron to take command . The squadron recorded its last aerial combat on 4 November near Montmédy , claiming three aircraft destroyed . At the hour of the armistice , the squadron had 21 Spad XIIIs and 21 pilots available for operations . Three of the five pursuit groups operational at the end of the war were commanded by former pilots of the 103d Aero Squadron , and ten other pilots were selected to command pursuit squadrons . 14 pilots received 21 awards of the French " Croix de Guerre " , and eight received 17 awards of the Distinguished Service Cross . Seven pilots were recognized as aces with five recording all their kills with the 103d . Beginning 13 September 1918 , 1st Lt . Frank O ' D . Hunter shot down eight German aircraft in six weeks , tying Baer for the lead in squadron victories , for which he received five awards of the DSC and the " Croix de Guerre " with palm . Baer was released at the Armistice by the Germans and returned to the squadron . He submitted a claim for a kill occurring on the morning he was shot down , which was confirmed , and became the leading ace of the 103d with nine victories . After the armistice , the squadron was based at Foucaucourt and assigned to the First Army , alerted for possible occupation service with the Third Army . It received nine new pilots in early December , but was taken off operations on 14 December . Its 18 Spad XIII fighters were flown in formation to the First Air Depot at Colombey - les - Belles on 23 December and turned in . The remainder of the squadron and its equipment followed by truck within a week . All of its pilots except four were transferred out of the squadron by 4 January 1919 , and those four by 24 January . Soubiran turned over command to the squadron adjutant , 1st Lt . John P . Healy , at Colombey - les - Belles on 1 February 1919 . The enlisted personnel of the 103d moved to their port of embarkation at Brest and sailed to New York aboard the armored cruiser USS " Frederick " on 19 February 1919 . The 103d returned to Garden City to muster out its personnel , and became a unit on paper only by 18 March . It officially demobilized on 18 August 1919 . On 8 April 1924 the 103d Aero Squadron was reconstituted and consolidated with the 94th Pursuit Squadron to maintain its history and lineage . Officers assigned during hostilities . < br > < br > Pilots Headquarters