96th Aero Squadron The 96th 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 Bombardment Squadron , performing long - range bombing attacks on roads and railroads ; destruction of materiel and massed troop formations behind enemy lines . It also performed strategic reconnaissance over enemy controlled territory , and tactical bombing attacks on enemy forces in support of Army offensive operations . After the 1918 Armistice with Germany , the squadron returned to the United States in May 1919 and became part of the permanent United States Army Air Service in 1921 , being re - designated as the 96th Squadron ( Bombardment ) . The current United States Air Force unit which holds its lineage and history is the 96th Bomb Squadron , assigned to the 2d Operations Group , Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana . History . Formation and training . The 96th Bomb Squadron ' s origins begin in August 1917 at Kelly Field , Texas as the 96th Aero Squadron . Like most other units being formed by the Air Service in the summer of 1917 , the men of the unit had no definite conception of what lay in store , whether it would be among the units deployed to France for combat , or be used in the United States for other duties . It consisted of 80 men , largely college graduates or college dropouts , volunteers all , and something of an elite group , since their aeronautical qualifications were the highest in the U . S . Army Air Service . At Kelly Field , the squadron was thoroughly drilled every day in the lessons of soldiering , and given considerable fatigue duty to indoctrinate the men into Army service . Unfortunately , the squadron was threatened by a severe attack of ptomaine poisoning , which put half of the personnel in the Hospital , but which did not result in any deaths . On 9 October , the Squadron was ordered to the Aviation Concentration and Supply Depot at Mineola , New York , to be outfitted for overseas duty . The squadron was allowed to embark on 27 October at New York Haber pier 61 on the former White Star Liner RMS Adriatic . After an uneventful trans - Atlantic voyage , it arrived in Liverpool , England on 10 November . After disembarking , the squadron was marched from the docks to the Liverpool railway station where it boarded a London and North Western Railway train which took them to Winchester , Hampshire , near the south coast of England . Arriving in the late afternoon the squadron was moved to the Romsey Rest Camp . Initially the squadron was ordered for six month ' s training in England under the tutelage of the Royal Flying Corps , however a change in orders caused immediate departure for France . Moved to Southampton , the squdron embarked on a cross - channel ferry to Le Harve , Upper Normandy , France . From there it was moved to the 7th Aviation Instruction Center , Clermont - en - Argonne Airdrome , where it arrived on 16 November 1917 . As a pioneer Squadron in the new school of bombardment instruction , the 96th was given complete control of the hangars , transportation and armament , and assisted in organizing the systems of management still in force . The mechanics of the squadron acquired a complete knowledge of the Breguet 14B . 2 day bombardment plane and of the Renault motor , by daily visits to the nearby Michelin factory where the planes were made . The experience thus gained by assisting in the construction of the planes , and assembling the Renault motors in the factory , proved of immense value when the Squadron was sent to the Zone of Advance . On 18 May 1918 ten bombing teams ( A Pilot and Observer ) were assigned to the Squadron to fly the planes to the combat front . Toul Sector Combat Operations . The 96th Aero Squadron was ordered to Amanty Airdrome in the Toul Sector and became established as a bombing unit in active service against the enemy . The flying equipment of the Squadron consisted of ten Breguet 14B . 2 aircraft , which had been transferred by the 7th Aviation Instruction Center . The planes were in very poor condition , having been used for instruction since December , 1917 , and were in constant need of major repairs even before used as bomb carriers . At Amanty ten more teams , who had come there a month before , were assigned to the squadron to complete its organization . Just before embarking upon its first aerial warfare , the squadron decided upon its insignia , a black triangle outlined by a white strip enclosing the profile of a red devil thumbing his nose at the ground with his right hand . In his left , he held a white bomb . This distinctive emblem was designed by the squadron ' s talented graphic artist , Harry O . Lawson . > Initial operations consisted of several practice patrols covering the rear area of the sector and giving the Pilots the opportunity of flying together . The 96th saw combat supporting the U . S . First Army and the French Eighth Army from June 12 until the end of the war , becoming part of the 1st Day Bombardment Group with the 11th and 20th Aero Squadron s on September 10 . The first bombing mission undertaken by the 96th was an event which excited great interest in the sector . Late afternoon of 12 June found eight planes loaded with bombs and ready for the long anticipated raid to a hostile objective . The squadron was practically without precedent for guidance , as it was isolated from other flying squadrons and had only two pilots on the rolls who had ever crossed the lines . At 16 : 30 , the flight took off . Owing to the worn out condition of the motors , considerable time was spent in attaining a bombing altitude of 4000 meters . The objective was reached without mishap , save that two planes were forced to return because of motor trouble . The Squadron ' s baptism of anti - aircraft fire was received over Etain . The " Archies " ( anti - aircraft fire ) were particularly active and accurate over the objective . Lt . Rath bombed into the wind , and scored a good hit . Bursts were observed in the railroad yards , and the trail of bombs , 640 kilos in all , extended to the warehouses beyond the tracks . No photographs were obtained . The formation was attacked on the return flight by two enemy scout planes and one biplane fighter . The pilots closed in and held a tight formation , however , and the observers were able to beat off the attack after crossing our lines . One of the planes , received two explosive bullets in the motor , but was able to reach the airdrome . Three planes were forced to land with nearly empty gasoline tanks , but all landed safely . The other three arrived at the airdrome at 20 : 00 . that night , the entire squadron joined in a camp jubilee to celebrate the unqualified success of the first American bombing raid . The first big loss to the 96th came on 10 July when a formation of six planes was forced to land in hostile territory . All day the weather had been extremely unfavorable , but the clouds seemed to lift in the late afternoon . The formation left the airdrome at 18 : 05 PM , and was almost immediately swallowed up by the descending clouds . A strong southwest wind swept the planes northward , but the sky did not completely close until an hour after the take off . It is supposed that the leader was unable to find the objective on account of the storm and unable to recross the lines against the wind before the gasoline gave out . A wireless message was intercepted that night , stating that five American bombing planes attempting a raid on Koblenz , had been captured . The next day the sixth plane was heard from , also in German hands . All the pilots and observers were reported safe . During the third week of July , eleven new Breguets , including two Corps d ' Armee type , with photographic equipment , were delivered to the squadron as replacements . Many practice formations and bomb tests were held on flying days , while the Engineering Department prepared the planes for over the lines duty . Replacements of pilots and observers had arrived so that the squadron had 16 teams available for duty . The first raid with the new equipment was carried out 1 August when eight planes , in a double V formation , bombed the warehouses and the railroad yards at Conflans . 960 kilos Of bombs were dropped ; the exposure , although unsuccessful on this raid , valuable information regarding railroad activities was brought back by the observers . The burst were well bunched in the yards . Adverse weather , high winds and formidable low clouds prevented extensive flying until 11 August 11 , when Captain Cecil G . Sellers led a formation to Montmedy and dropped 1120 kilos of bombs , cutting the railroad track at the outskirts . On 12 August , the first successful photographs were obtained of bombs bursting in the railroad yards at Conflans . On 23 August a raid was made on a marshaling yard at Dommary - Baroncourt , where good hits were made on the tracks with 880 kilos of bombs . 14 August was the first day on which the squadron was able to carry out two distinct missions , one to Longuyon in the morning and a second to Dommary - Baroncourtt in the afternoon . On the return from Longuyon , the squadron had its first " Close In " combat with enemy scout planes . The formation had dwindled down to five planes , which were seen by members of the German pursuit squadron stationed near Longuyon . Upon approaching the objective , the pilots and observers flew the enemy planes taking off from their field , and watched them gain altitude in remarkable short time . The enemy planes , numbering four , attacked from the sun , opening fire at 400 yards distance . The enemy planes followed the Breguet formation to the lines . Two planes were hit by anti - aircraft fire , but all returned safely to the airdrome . 1440 kilos of bombs were dropped that day . Two raids were carried out the following day , one to Dommary - Baroncourt , on which good hits were scored , and the second to Conflans which was hotly attacked by 11 enemy scouts after releasing the bombs . Dommary - Baroncourt was hit again on the 16th of the month , Longuyon on the 20th and 21st , Audun - le - Roman on the 21 and Conflans once on the 22d and twice on the 23d , again on the 26th and Longuyon on the 25th . August 30 was a banner day for raids ; Conflans was bombed at daylight ; Longuyon at noon and Conflans again in the early evening . During the 14 flying days of August , the 96th carried out 20 successful raids , dropping 19 , 480 kilos of bombs . Precision bombing attained a high efficiency among the leading observers so that perfect hits were the rule . The average number of planes available was ten ; the loss in planes was two . The Squadron continued to operate from the Amaty Field , dropping propaganda as well as bombs , until 23 September , when the squadron was moved to Maulan Aerodrome , near Ligny - en - Barrois , to prepare for the Argonne Drive . Battle of Saint - Mihiel . 12 September opened the great Battle of Saint - Mihiel , was , on all counts the worst flying day in many months . A terrific southwest wind made formation flying extremely dangerous , and the low fast moving clouds made it impossible to see more than two or three kilometers . In the morning the cloud ceiling was very low , but the afternoon brought clear spaces with no decrease in the violence of the wind . The end of the first day found the squadron badly crippled having lost three of the personnel , killed , and eight planes wrecked or put out of commission . The first mission undertaken was a solo raid that left the airdrome at 10 : 45 AM . The objective was Buxières - lès - Clefmont , where hostile troops were concentrating . The plane did not return , and was later reported to have come down in flames south of Commercy . The pilot jumped ; his body was found at some distance from the wreck . The observer was burned to death . As no bombs were found in the wreckage , it was presumed that the mission had been accomplished . At 13 : 30 PM , eight planes bombed the troop center at Buxières . A perfect hit was made , the bombs cutting a trail through the town . The third mission of the day , a formation of five planes was to bomb the troops at Vigneulles . Owing to the lateness of starting , 18 : 35 PM , the objective was not reached until after dark . The bombs were released over the town , but observation of the hits was impossible . The formation returned to the airdrome in the darkness , the pilots guiding on the exhaust fires from the planes ahead of them . Landing at the field was attempted with the aid of ground flares , but only one of four planes landed successfully . One plane crashed in the forest back of the hangars , the other two piled up on the field . The fifth plane crashed on a plowed field near Gondrecourt - le - Château . The pilot was killed . The observer was uninjured . On the second day of the battle , the five available planes were ordered out to bomb the roads between Chambley and Mrs - le - Tour . Four planes left the ground , but one was forced to land in a nearby field . The other three continued the mission , and bombed the ammunition dump at Chambley from an altitude of 1000 Meters . The planes were surrounded at the objective by 15 enemy scouts . In the terrible fight which ensued , two planes were shot down , one went down in control , the second in flames . Lt . Gaylord , pilot and Lt . Rath , observer , managed to cut their way to the lines and landed safely at the airdrome . One enemy plane was shot down in the combat . The losses of the first two days in no way disheartened the fliers of the 96th . Ten planes were ready for the first raid on the morning of the 16th . The formation , which left the field continued to the objective despite the fact that the formation had dwindled down to three planes . Conflans was reached , concealed by several layers of clouds . A favorable opening permitted the formation to descend below the clouds and the squadron scored a perfect hit at the neck of the railroad yards . Enemy aircraft began to appear before the objective was reached and a game of hide and seek in the clouds with 20 enemy planes was the program for the next half hour . All three planes landed safely at the home field . Two other missions were carried out that day , bombing successfully the troops on the roads between Vittonville and Armonville , on the Moselle River . The bridge at Arnaville was bombed the next day , and Longuyon and the 15th and 16th . Enemy planes were encountered , but their attacks were not persistent . Meuse - Argonne Offensive . The first raid of the Argonne offensive was a mission to Dun - sur - Meuse , carried out with the usual success . The formation of six planes was attacked by ten Fokker s and Pfalz scouts . Two of the enemy planes were shot down out of control between Clery and Cunel . Etain was bombed just before dark , 27 September , by a formation of 12 , all of which returned safely . A total of 2400 kilos of bombs were dropped on this raid . On September 29 a highly successful raid was carried out with Grandpré as objective . 12 planes reached Grandpré , dropping 1600 kilos of bombs . For the first time since the squadron had been operating the pursuit planes cooperated closely with the bombers . The protection afforded by pursuit planes , though often of an indirect kind , was of immense value for precision bombing . The observers were able to make careful calculations regarding certain of doing their best work if undisturbed by the enemy scouts . The 96th had plenty of planes , but was short of pilots and observers to carry out the operation orders on a large scale . Accordingly flying personnel was borrowed from the 11th and 20th Aero Squadron s . The formations would leave the ground numbering 17 to 20 planes , and allowing for motor trouble and other difficulties due to difference in range of speed , there generally would be a tight formation of 12 to 14 planes when the objective was reached . The success of the big formations was best as when attacked , the planes could form a tighter fighting rear line than in a small formation and often the sight of a well organized large formation was enough to warn enemy scouts of the hot reception to expect should they attack . One of the first successes with a large formation was the bombing of Bantheville , October 1 , with 13 planes in " vol du canard " 1240 kilos of bombs made great havoc in the town , starting three fires with incendiaries . In the fight over Landres - et - St . Georges , against 30 enemy scouts , the 96th did not lose a single plane but brought down two of the enemy . When the fight was at its height , a group of American pursuit planes arrived and mixed with the enemy in what is popularly called a " dog fight " . The Spads claimed eleven of the enemy . October 18 was a record date in the annuls of the Squadron . A formation of 14 planes reached its objective , Sivry , with all its planes , and trailed bombs through the center of the town and to the roads beyond . 1600 kilos of bombs , including 40 of the new incendiaries were dropped . Fifteen Fokkers and Pfaltz scout planes were encountered , but their attack was not well organized . One Fokker attacked the leader from off the right wing , a blind spot on the Breguet , and managed to escape by diving under the right side of the formation line . On 4 November , the last fight of the 96th proved , to be the hottest of its many encounters with enemy airplanes . A formation of five planes bombed Montmédy , where photographs taken show wonderful hits . 15 Pfaltz attacked before a turn could be made at the objective , and continued to harass the formation for 20 minutes . Our observers brought down two enemy planes , one in flames . Bad weather prevented further flying for several days , although the squadron remained on the " alert " . On 11 November , the signing of the armistice put an end to the alert , but the squadron continued to fly on patrol and practice aerial maneuvers while waiting for further orders . Demobilization . With the end of hostilities , the squadron took much liberty in France . On 10 January 1919 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 . Personnel were subsequently assigned to the Commanding General , Services of Supply and ordered to report to one of several staging camps in France . Without aircraft , it traveled by train to Saint - Denis - de - Pile , near Bordeaux , where the squadron spent a pleasant spring awaiting transport home to the United States . Another move to Libourne in mid - April was made before embarking on a ship and returning to the United States , where most of the men returned to civilian life , being discharged at Mitchel Field , New York .