Download or read book Like A Thunderbolt The Lafayette Escadrille And The Advent Of American Pursuit In World War I Illustrated Edition written by Roger G. Miller and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes 29 Illustrations The advent of an American squadron, or “escadrille,” within the French air force, the Service Aeronautique, had been far from a simple process. French leaders initially held the belief, common at the time, that the war begun in 1914 would be a short one. The potential value of American volunteers fighting for France both for propaganda purposes and for helping bring the power of the New World into the war on the side of the Allies was thus irrelevant at first. By early 1915, however, the French began to accept American volunteers and assign them to escadrilles. In early 1916, the Service Aeronautique united several of these men in an elite chasse unit, which quickly earned an enviable reputation for audacity, bravery, and élan. Success of this unit, the Lafayette Escadrille, had three consequences. First, its existence encouraged a large number of Americans, far more than needed in one escadrille, to volunteer for French aviation. These individuals, identified unofficially as members of a “Lafayette Flying Corps,” served in numerous French air units. Second, the publicity surrounding the Lafayette Escadrille contributed favorable press for the Allied cause, strengthened ties between France and the U.S., and ultimately helped prepare the U.S. to participate on the Allied side of the conflict. Third, the existence of a large body of experienced American pilots provided combat veterans for the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in France when the U.S. ultimately entered the war. These veterans helped instill in the U.S. Air Service the attitudes and practices of the Service Aeronautique, an infusion especially reflected in two U.S. pursuit squadrons, the 103rd Aero Squadron, made up of Lafayette Escadrille pilots, and the 94th Aero Squadron, the most famous American combat squadron of the war.
Download or read book Like a Thunderbolt written by Roger Gene Miller and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Like a Thunderbolt the Lafayette Escadrille and the Advent of American Pursuit in World War I written by Roger Miller and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2012-06-08 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the morning of May 18, 1916, a German LVG appeared in the sky over Thann in the Vosges region, near the ancient French city of Nancy. The LVG was a well-armed, two-seat observation airplane and the Vosges a quiet sector of the Western Front, in stark contrast to the merciless slaughter taking place to the north at Verdun. Normally the two airmen could expect to do their reconnaissance with little interruption, but on this day they had left luck behind. A speck appeared in the sky to the west and rapidly grew into an enemy pursuit aircraft, an avion de chasse, an agile, single-seat Nieuport. The Germans, busy at their trade, failed to see the enemy draw near. A veteran hunter or more cautious pilot might have seized the opportunity to surprise the LVG and launch an attack out of the sun or from behind a cloud, but this one approached directly, without guile. Suddenly aware of the danger, the observer seized his machine gun and began firing while the pilot turned the airplane toward the safety of the German lines. The chasse pilot closed to point blank range and, just as a collision appeared imminent, fired a quick burst, then swerved away. The encounter was over that quickly. Both the observer and pilot collapsed; the LVG rolled and plunged to earth; the Nieuport banked away leaving a plume of smoke to mark the scene of combat. French troops witnessed the brief fight and by the time the Nieuport reached its field at Luxeuil-les-Bains had confirmed the kill. It was an auspicious event. Everything about the victorious aircraft said "France" except the pilot's name. Kiffen Yates Rockwell was an American citizen assigned to Escadrille N 124, known unofficially as l'Escadrille Americaine, and his victory was the unit's first. It was quick and impressive by contemporary standards of air combat. Rockwell had engaged at incredibly close range, almost sticking his gun into the enemy cockpit, but his daring attack allowed the LVG's observer to put a hole in the Nieuport's top wing main spar. Rockwell, in turn, killed the two men with only four bullets, a marvelous feat of marksmanship. Cheering comrades lifted him from the cockpit and began a wild celebration. Atradition began with N 124's first victory. Rockwell's brother Paul, serving elsewhere in the French Army, provided a bottle of eighty-year-old bourbon. Kiffen Rockwell took the first drink, but the Escadrille set aside the rest. From then on, credit for downing an enemy aircraft earned the victorious pilot a shot from "The Bottle of Death."
Download or read book Like a Thunderbolt written by Roger Gene Miller and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Like a Thunderbolt written by Office of Air Force History and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-02-24 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The advent of an American squadron, or “escadrille,” within the French air force, the Service Aéronautique, had been far from a simple process. French leaders initially held the belief, common at the time, that the war begun in 1914 would be a short one. The potential value of American volunteers fighting for France both for propaganda purposes and for helping bring the power of the New World into the war on the side of the Allies was thus irrelevant at first. By early 1915, however, the French began to accept American volunteers and assign them toescadrilles. In early 1916, the Service Aéronautique united several of these men in an elite chasse unit, which quickly earned an enviable reputation for audacity, bravery, and élan.Success of this unit, the Lafayette Escadrille, had three consequences. First, its existence encouraged a large number of Americans, far more than needed in one escadrille, to volunteer for French aviation. These individuals, identified unofficially as members of a “Lafayette Flying Corps,” served in numerous French air units. Second, the publicity surrounding the Lafayette Escadrille contributed favorable press for the Allied cause, strengthened ties between France and the U.S., and ultimately helped prepare the U.S. to participate on the Allied side of the conflict. Third, the existence of a large body of experienced American pilots provided combat veterans for the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in France when the U.S. ultimately entered the war. These veterans helped instill in the U.S. Air Service the attitudes and practices of the Service Aéronautique, an infusion especially reflected in two U.S. pursuit squadrons, the 103rd Aero Squadron, made up of Lafayette Escadrille pilots, and the 94th AeroSquadron, the most famous American combat squadron of the war. Further, this body of veterans influenced all U.S. pursuit units as Lafayette personnel spread throughout the Air Service.This was not the whole story, though. In early 1918, two pursuit units, the 27th and 147th Aero Squadrons, joined with the 94th and 95th Aero Squadrons to form the 1st Pursuit Group, the U.S. Air Service's first and most famous combat groupand forerunner of the U.S. Air Force's present-day wings. These, however, were British-trained squadrons commanded by Royal Flying Corps (RFC) veterans, and they contributed a British ethos to the American pursuit force, an ethos characterized by emphasis on the offensive at all hazards. Finally, and perhaps most important,the U.S. Army officers who created and commanded the U.S. Air Service had their own shared identity and sense of professionalism, that of the regular U.S. Army and of the Military Academy at West Point.By late 1918, the Air Service in France had begun to develop its own leaders who, whether imbued with the attributes of the French, British, or American systems, or a combination thereof, brought their own standards and practices toAmerican pursuit. Perhaps no one epitomized this contribution more than the eventual U.S. ace-of aces, Edward V. “Eddie” Rickenbacker. The final result in the early 1920s was a distinctly American fighter force with a special sense of identity.
Download or read book Like a Thunderbolt written by U. S. Military and published by . This book was released on 2017-05-08 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Air Force publication documents the advent of an American squadron, or "escadrille" within the French Air Force during World War I. French leaders initially held the belief, common at the time, that the war begun in 1914 would be a short one. The potential value of American volunteers fighting for France both for propaganda purposes and for helping bring the power of the New World into the war on the side of the Allies was thus irrelevant at first. By early 1915, however, the French began to accept American volunteers and assign them to escadrilles. In early 1916, the Service Aeronautique united several of these men in an elite chasse unit, which quickly earned an enviable reputation for audacity, bravery, and elan. Success of this unit, the Lafayette Escadrille, had three consequences. First, its existence encouraged a large number of Americans, far more than needed in one escadrille, to volunteer for French aviation. These individuals, identified unofficially as members of a "Lafayette Flying Corps," served in numerous French air units. Second, the publicity surrounding the Lafayette Escadrille contributed favorable press for the Allied cause, strengthened ties between France and the U.S., and ultimately helped prepare the U.S. to participate on the Allied side of the conflict. Third, the existence of a large body of experienced American pilots provided combat veterans for the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in France when the U.S. ultimately entered the war. These veterans helped instill in the U.S. Air Service the attitudes and practices of the Service Aeronautique, an infusion especially reflected in two U.S. pursuit squadrons, the 103rd Aero Squadron, made up of Lafayette Escadrille pilots, and the 94th Aero Squadron, the most famous American combat squadron of the war. Further, this body of veterans influenced all U.S. pursuit units as Lafayette personnel spread throughout the Air Service. This was not the whole story, though. In early 1918, two pursuit units, the 27th and 147th Aero Squadrons, joined with the 94th and 95th Aero Squadrons to form the 1st Pursuit Group, the U.S. Air Service's first and most famous combat group and forerunner of the U.S. Air Force's present-day wings. These, however, were British-trained squadrons commanded by Royal Flying Corps (RFC) veterans, and they contributed a British ethos to the American pursuit force, an ethos characterized by emphasis on the offensive at all hazards. Finally, and perhaps most important, the U.S. Army officers who created and commanded the U.S. Air Service had their own shared identity and sense of professionalism, that of the regular U.S. Army and of the Military Academy at West Point. Introduction * The Air War * Origin of the Lafayette Escadrille * N 124 Goes to War * Lafayette Pilots Transfer to the U.S. Air Service * The 1st Pursuit Group * Conclusion * Epilogue * Notes * Recommended Readings * Appendixes * I. American Pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille * II. Aces of the Lafayette Escadrille * III. Air Fields of the Lafayette Escadrille and 103rd Aero Squadron * IV. Lafayette Escadrille Memorial * V. Lafayette Flying Corps Personnel Interred in the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial * VI. The French Lafayette Escadrilles
Download or read book The Lafayette Escadrille written by Steven A. Ruffin and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2016-05-19 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A fresh look at the 38 Americans in the Escadrille Américaine . . . a finely-researched, well-written and well-illustrated book. It is recommended highly” (Over the Front). The Lafayette Escadrille was an all-volunteer squadron of Americans who flew for France during World War I, arguably the best-known fighter squadron ever to take to the skies. In this work, the entire history of these gallant volunteers—who named themselves after the Marquis de Lafayette, who came to America’s aid during its revolution—is laid out in both text and pictorial form. Along with archival photographs and documents, current snapshots of existing markers and memorials honoring the Lafayette Escadrille were taken by the author in France. In several cases, he was able to match his present-day color photos with older images of the same scene, thus creating a jaw-dropping then-and-now comparison. To add even more color, the author included artwork and aircraft profiles by recognized illustrators, along with numerous full-color photographs of artifacts relating to the squadron’s men and airplanes, as they are displayed today in various museums in the United States and France. The result is undoubtedly the finest photographic collection of the Lafayette Escadrille to appear in print. Along with expert text revealing air-combat experiences, as well as life at the front during the Great War, it is a never-before-seen visual history that both World War I aviation aficionados and those with a passing interest in history will appreciate. “This magnificent book probably provides everything needed by someone wishing to learn about this famous fighting unit.” —Cross and Cockade “When it comes to describing aerial combat in all its bloody fury, [Ruffin] excels.” —Air and Space Magazine
Download or read book First to Fly written by Charles Bracelen Flood and published by Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. This book was released on 2015-06-02 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The compelling story of the squadron of adventurous young American pilots who were among the first to engage in air combat.” —Tampa Bay Times In First to Fly, lauded historian Charles Bracelen Flood draws on rarely seen primary sources to tell the story of the daredevil Americans of the Lafayette Escadrille, who flew in French planes, wore French uniforms, and showed the world an American brand of heroism before the United States entered the Great War. As citizens of a neutral nation from 1914 to early 1917, Americans were prohibited from serving in a foreign army, but many brave young souls soon made their way into European battle zones. It was partly from the ranks of the French Foreign Legion, and with the sponsorship of an expat American surgeon and a Vanderbilt, that the Lafayette Escadrille was formed in 1916 as the first and only all-American squadron in the French Air Service. Flying rudimentary planes, against one-in-three odds of being killed, these fearless young men gathered reconnaissance and shot down enemy aircraft, participated in the Battle of Verdun and faced off with the Red Baron, dueling across the war-torn skies like modern knights on horseback. “First to Fly shows us that there was something noble and honorable about the Escadrille, men who did not turn against their own country but put their lives up to fight for a cause, not because they had to but because it was the right thing to do.” —The Wall Street Journal
Download or read book The Story of the Lafayette Escadrille written by Georges Thenault and published by Red and Black Publishers. This book was released on 2014-10-18 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the First World War broke out in August 1914, the United States declared its neutrality. But a handful of American citizens nevertheless went to Europe and volunteered to fight for France against the Germans. Using French aircraft, they formed a squadron that became known as the "Lafayette Escadrille." This is the story of the Lafayette Squadron, as told by its French Commander, Captain Georges Thenault. Illustrated, and with new Introduction.
Download or read book The Writers Directory written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 608 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Story Of The Lafayette Escadrille Told By Its Commander written by Captain Georges Thenault and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-13 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Aces over the Western Front The Lafayette Escadrille is now a legend of early aeronautics and warfare in the air. Originally titled the Escadrille Americaine, this squadron of the French Air Force of the Great War was formed in 1916 and as it name suggests was piloted mainly by Americans who came to the Western Front to fight the battle of the skies for the Allies out of conviction—in the hope of encouraging the United States to join the fray—or simply in the spirit of adventure. The élan of this crack squadron has survived it and today its Indian chief insignia is instantly recognisable. There have been several books concerning the Lafayette Escadrille, but this one has unimpeachable credentials since its author was none other than the unit’s commander. Few readers interested in the subject of this book will need explanation as to its contents.”-Leonaur Print Version
Download or read book The Story of the Lafayette Escadrille written by Georges Thenault and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-01-29 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a concise but comprehensive history about the Lafayette Escadrille, a celebrated unit of the French airforce that was manned by American volunteers during World War I. From the preface: "You have told this story of heroism with a sincere simplicity which recommends it not only to literary critics but to all young people who take delight in noble deeds. To obtain this result all you needed was to tell what you had done and what you had seen. The first American volunteers of your escadrille began their service in the Foreign Legion. They wished to fight to defend Liberty, which France incarnated and protected. Some months later, as aviation developed, they were able to begin their training as pilots. In April, 1916, the creation of the American escadrille was decided, and from that moment this escadrille took part in every great action. During twenty-one months it was to be seen over every important battlefield. First came Verdun, where you won your earliest glorious laurels with 146 fights and 13 enemy planes defeated. Then the Vosges, and the Somme-a period when the supremacy of allied aviation became manifest, a period of heroic combats, in which the Sioux, which you took as your emblem, won a terrible reputation in the enemy's ranks. It was then that you became the "Lafayette Escadrille." In the United States the exploits of your escadrille had-I could see that for myself-a great moral influence, and the example of your volunteers was an inspiration to many of their countrymen. We never doubted what America's decision would be; but since your pilots were the forerunners theirs will be the glory. The war dragged on and you never rested. . . . After the Somme came the battle of the Aisne, then Flanders, then the return to Verdun where you collaborated in the recapture of the Mort-Homme and the Hill 304. A magnificent citation was the reward of your splendid efforts. I desire to reproduce it here: Escadrille formed of American volunteers come to fight for France in the purest spirit of sacrifice, carried on without truce under the command of Captain Thenault a burning struggle against our enemies."
Download or read book I Flew With the Lafayette Escadrille written by Rear Admiral Edwin C. Parsons and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2016-07-26 with total page 572 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Early in 1916, a year before the United States entered World War I, a handful of valiant Americans banded together as the Lafayette Escadrille to forge their mark in history in the skies over France. Be it for fame, adventure or patriotism, they stepped forward to meet the common enemy long before their own nation realized the true extent of the threat to world freedom. During their days with the Escadrille, some of these men met death, while others lived out the war; but each, in his own way, earned immortality for himself and the Escadrille. As long as there remains a man with a love for flying in his heart, or one who has experienced the indescribable thrill of passing along through the tranquil solitude of the firmament, the memory of the Lafayette Escadrille and of those who served it so nobly will endure. This is the chronicle of an elite group of men, written by one of their own who survived the holocaust. The vivid account of battles in the air, the flush of success over a fallen foe, the sorrow from the loss of a comrade—all of these carry the reader back across the decades to that exciting period of so long ago. In essence, one does not read this book—he lives it.
Download or read book The Story of the Lafayette Escadrille written by Georges Thenault and published by . This book was released on 2016-12-06 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In April 1916, the creation of the American escadrille was decided. During the next twenty-one months this aviation squadron was to be seen over every important battlefield, with its men fighting and dying for France. George Thenault's fascinating history of the Lafayette Escadrille covers from its very inception to the end of the war. Many Americans living in France at the outbreak of war in 1914 wanted to fight for the country that they saw as the founder of Liberty, and some of those men were pilots. But with the French army only having 80 planes the Americans were initially rejected from joining the air force and instead had to sign up with the Foreign Legion. It was only after months of persuasion that some of these intrepid Americans were given control of France's planes and later, under Thenault's command, they developed their own squadron. They were immediately thrown into the thick of the fighting above the pockmarked land of the Western Front. Thenault provides vivid descriptions of his brave pilots which included Norman Prince, the Rockwell brothers and the ace Raoul Lufbery. Some of these pilots were rather eccentric, for example William Thaw who when in Paris bought two lions, named Whiskey and Soda, which became the escadrille's mascots. Flying their Nieuports, they were fighting at the very beginning of military aviation and were instrumental in pioneering new battle techniques. Their life expectancy was not long and many who had joined at the inception of the escadrille did not make it through until the end of the war. Thenault's extremely personal account covers all aspects of this squadron in World War One, from their activities on the ground to their dogfights in the air. It is a truly remarkable read. Eventually with the United States joining the war the Lafayette Escadrille was disbanded and a number of its members were inducted into the U.S. Air Service as members of 103 Aero Squadron. George Thenault's The Story of the Lafayette Escadrille was published in 1921. His book gained widespread American public recognition. In May 1922, he accepted an assignment that began an eleven year diplomatic service in the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C.. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1933 following successful completion of duties as Military Attache for Aeronautics at the French Embassy in Washington DC, he returned to France and continued his military services with the French Air Army. He died in 1948.
Download or read book I Flew With the Lafayette Escadrille written by Edwin C. Parsons and published by . This book was released on 2020-04-24 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I Flew with the Lafayette Escadrille, first published in 1937 as The Great Adventure and re-issued under the new title in 1963, is the classic account of young aviators fighting for France in World War I. Author Edwin Parsons would continue to serve his country, retiring as a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy. Included are 64 pages of illustrations.
Download or read book I Flew with the Lafayette Escadrille written by Edwin Parsons and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-02-02 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I Flew with the Lafayette Escadrille, first published in 1937 as The Great Adventure and updated and re-issued under the new title in 1963, is the classic account of young aviators fighting for France in World War I. The book details the pilot's personalities and backgrounds, their training and aircraft, and their harrowing (and too often fatal), combat exploits against the Germans. Author Edwin Parsons would continue to serve his country, retiring as a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy. Parsons passed away in 1968 at age 75 - the last surviving member of the Lafayette Escadrille. Included are 64 pages of illustrations.
Download or read book The Story of the Lafayette Escadrille written by R. Conrad Stein and published by Children's Press(CT). This book was released on 1983-01-01 with total page 31 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the war experiences of a group of American aviators who flew for France in an all-American squadron for several months before the United States entered World War I in 1917.
