93d Aero Squadron The 93d 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 3d 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 March 1919 and was demobilized . The current United States Air Force unit which holds its lineage and history is the 93d Bomb Squadron , assigned to the 2d Operations Group , Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana . History . Origins . The squadron was initially formed in early August 1917 at Jefferson Barracks , Missouri , where 150 civilians were sworn into the United States Army as soldiers . The newly - sworn in men were sent to Kelly Field , Texas , where they arrived on 19 August and were organized as the 95th Aero Squadron . Initially , the squadron was trained in close order drill and other basic training into the Army . After six weeks of indoctrination , the squadron was ordered for overseas duty , moving to Hazelhurst Field # 2 , Garden City , Long Island on 13 October . Training . On 15 October the troops were boarded onto the former British Cunard liner RMS Pannonia , and after an uneventful voyage embarked at the port of Liverpool , England on 29 October . From there , the squadron was moved to Camp Sorden and placed under the control of the British Royal Flying Corps ( RFC ) for training . At Sorden , the squadron was divided into flights for instruction in the technical aspects of maintaining aircraft and operating a squadron . Over the next several months they trained diligently , and on 1 May , the squadron was re - assembled at RFC Beaulier for organization as a trained unit . After several more weeks of final training by the RFC , the squadron was ordered to France on 1 June , and moved to the Flower Down Rest Camp , Winchester . The squadron arrived at Le Harve , France on 7 June and after a few days of waiting orders at the British Rest Camp , the squadron was ordered to report to the Air Service Production Center No . 2 . , Romorantin Aerodrome on 14 June . There , the squadron was put to work assembling newly arrived DH - 4 Liberty airplanes . After two weeks at the Production Center , further orders were received and the squadron reported to the 3d Air Instructional Center at Issoudun Aerodrome , arriving on 7 July . There , the mechanics were put to work on the Nieuport and SPAD airplanes , while the pilots were instructed in combat flying . Combat in France . On 26 July the squadron was designated as a Pursuit squadron and assigned to the Toul Sector , being stationed at Vaucouleurs Aerodrome . There the 93d was assigned to the 3d Pursuit Group , also known as the " Lafayette Group " . The squadron began to receive SPAD VII pursuit planes and began receiving trained pilots . Although very under - equipped , the 93d Aero Squadron ( Pursuit ) , began flying familiarization patrols beginning on 11 August . On 12 August , Lieutenants Meyer , Wright and Rummell went over the lines into enemy territory for the first time , flying from Apermont to Pont - a - Mousson , however no enemy planes were found . Additional patrols were flown during the next few days , all returned with " nothing to report " . On 17 August 1918 the 93d Squadron was reminded that there was a war in progress when Lieutenants Meyer , Rummell and Wright met five enemy Albatross aircraft north of Pont - a - Mousson in a heavy mist . Squadron pilots attacked the enemy at some distance , and the enemy , believing our planes were part of a larger patrol , retired towards their airdrome at Metz . On the 19th , Lt Thaw of the 135th Aero Squadron took off for Orly Field in a Dayton - Wright DH - 4 with Flight Commander Meyer from the squadron as a passenger . During the trip , something went wrong with the DH - 4 ' s controls and the plane went into a spin , crashing , killing Thaw and breaking both of Meyer ' s legs . The beginning of September brought increasing activity to the squadron , as the First Army was organized and concentrated in the St . Mihiel Sector for its first independent operation . During the buildup period , in not to call attention of the enemy , the squadron was ordered to avoid crossing the lines and to fly in small formations . The idea was to strike hard when everything was ready . On 11 September all was in readiness and a three - hour artillery bombardment was made the next morning . All planes that could be made serviceable were readied on the line with engines running at 04 : 45 , with pilots being ready to take off at 05 : 00 . Orders were given for the squadron to fly with a patrol of 6 aircraft to attack with machine guns a column of German infantry on the road between Chambley and Waverly . The planes took off in low clouds and in spite of Anti - Aircraft Artillery fired by the Germans , the squadron carried out its mission and completely demoralized the Germans . They had no expectation of an air attack so far behind their lines . The squadron continued its attacks on a daily basis during the offensive , and on 13 September at about 17 : 00 , after escorting an observation mission behind German lines , the squadron became someone split up . Lt . D ' Olive met a patrol from the 103d Aero Squadron , just as the latter was about to attack some enemy aircraft . D ' Olive attacked one Fokker with Lt Furlow of the 103d , and last saw the German aircraft spinning out of control . They both then climbed quickly and attacked a second Fokker , with the enemy aircraft crashing near St . Benoit . Lt . D ' Olive then attacked a third German aircraft and followed his adversary down until he saw it crash near the second plane . With three planes to his credit that day , he returned to Vaucouleurs , where his actions led to his recommendation for the Distinguished Service Cross . That same day , the 93d shot down an additional four enemy aircraft . The squadron also strafed enemy infantry forces in Vegneuvilles , St . Renois , Dampvitoux as well as Chambley . Columns of infantry and vehicles were attacked on roads as well as troop concentrations that were observed . With the end of the offensive on 19 August , air activity slowed down , while First Army re - equipped and re - armed for a new offensive , and also partly because of bad weather . On the 21st the 3d Pursuit Group moved to Lisle - en - Barrois Aerodrome , where it made ready for a new offensive on the Verdun front . There the squadron was re - equipped with more powerful and capable SPAD XIII s , that also had a bombing capability . On the 25th , the 93d carried out its first bombing patrol , however dense fog near the lines forced it to turn back . Lt Wright , started back and over Verdun wanted to see his bombs explode . Him and Lts . Rummer and Mertz were met by heavy enemy machine gun fire from the ground , but Lt Wright was able to drop his bombs and safely turned back . However , Lt . Merz was hit in the leg , and spent the rest of the war in hospital . On 26 September First Army began its great offensive near Verdun , and in response the German Air Service responded , very much reinforced . The squadron saw enemy aircraft patrolling and escorting reconnaissance planes in the region of Etain , and the patrol had a narrow escape . During the offensive , squadron pilots inflicted heavy losses upon enemy aircraft and balloons . As its pilots gained domination of the air , their responsibilities were expanded to include protection of ground forces , strafing of enemy troops and bombing of targets that could be observed within enemy lines . The 93d Aero Squadron moved on 5 November to Foucaucourt Aerodrome , however weather conditions limited its operations to below the clouds and to attacks on enemy infantry forces on the ground . Combat operations continued until the Armistice with Germany was signed and combat ended on 11 November 1918 . 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 Foucaucourt until 15 December when it was ordered to the 1st Air Depot at Colombey - les - Belles Airdrome and turned in all of its aircraft and equipment . The squadron was then ordered to report to Air Service Production Center No . 2 at Romorantin Aerodrome at the beginning of February 1919 . There the men were involved in the dis - assembly of aircraft and other camp duties as part of the return of American forces to the United States . 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 4 Mar 1919 , the squadron was moved to 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 . The 93d Aero Squadron arrived in New York Harbor on 12 March . The men were sent to Garden City , Long Island , where they were demobilized and returned to civilian life . The squadron itself was demobilized on 31 March 1919 .