25th Aero Squadron

25th Aero Squadron
25th Aero Squadron British SE-5a with 180HP Wright-Martin Hispano-Suiza engine, Gengault Aerodrome, Toul, France, November 1918
Active	7 May 1917-17 June 1919
Country	United States
Branch	Air Service, United States Army
Type	Squadron
Role	Night Observation
Part of	American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)
Engagements	World War I
Insignia
25th Aero Squadron Emblem

The 25th Aero Squadron was a Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I. After the 1918 Armistice with Germany, the squadron returned to the United States in June 1919 and was demobilized .

The current United States Air Force unit which holds its lineage and history is the 25th Space Range Squadron, assigned to the 595th Space Group, Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.

History

Origins

A detail of men from the 3d Aero Squadron at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, was assigned to the new Kelly Field on 7 May 1917 to erect tents for the First Provisional Recruit Regiment. The next day, after a sufficient number of tents were put up, what became the 25th Aero Squadron began being quartered in Row "G". On 10 May, the first formation of men was held. Between 11 May and 13 June, the men of Row G went though the usual recruit training, a minute allowance of drill and a large portion of fatigue, such as digging ditches, latrines, excavation for road-building, erection of wooden barracks and performing guard duty on what became Kelly Field #1. Quite a few of the buildings erected on the field were the handiwork of the squadron. On 13 June, the unit was formally organized and given the designation of "20th Aero Squadron", however, due to a clerical error, the designation had been allocated to another unit, the squadron was re-designated as the "25th Aero Squadron" on 22 June.

On 1 July, equipment of all kinds was issued to the men, including uniforms, rifles, ammunition belts, but no rifles. On the 15th, an old Curtiss RE-2 aircraft was parked in front of the squadron. Training was held on repair and rigging this aircraft, and on the 26th, the squadron was moved from their row of tents into one of the new wooden barracks which they had helped to erect. Further instruction on aircraft maintenance continued, and on 15 September, several crews from the squadron were sent over to the airfield to take charge of some Curtiss JN-4As and LWS, which were flying daily from Kelly Field #1.

Training continued though the months of October and November at Kelly Field. On 9 December, the squadron was ready to be sent overseas and was ordered to proceed to the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, Long Island. The squadron, however, did not depart Kelly Field until 28 December, arriving in New York on 3 January 1918. The time spent in Garden City was short, as on 9 January, the squadron took a short train trip to Hoboken, New Jersey and boarded the RMS Carmania, bound for Liverpool, England. The voyage across the Atlantic was uneventful, the squadron arriving in Liverpool on 24 January. A train was taken south to Winchester, where the 25th Aero Squadron was assigned to the Romsey Rest Camp.

Training in England

At Winchester, it was learned that the squadron would be assigned to the British Royal Flying Corps for advanced training before being sent to the front in France. It boarded a train, first proceeding to London, then changing there, took another train to Scotland, arriving at RFC Ayr at 9:00am on 31 January. At Ayr, the squadron was assigned to the #1 School of Aerial Fighting. After several weeks of intense training by the RFC, the British trainers determined that the squadron was perfectly capable of doing the work they were assigned. The men were divided into different flights, and were given the assignments of maintaining Sopwith Pups, Camels, SE-5s, Dolphins, French SPADS, Arvos, Bristol Fighters and Bristol monoplanes. Also a captured German Albatross was sent there for instructional purposes. On 23 April, the squadron was ordered to proceed to the #2 School of Aerial Fighting, RFC Marske-by-the-Sea, England for further training. There, given the scarcity of British aircraft mechanics, a large majority of the men of the 25th were pressed into service to support the station's operations. Finally, in early August, the squadron, being eager to get to the front, was ordered to proceed to France, leaving on 7 August for the Romney Rest Camp at Winchester. However, due to delays, the 25th did not reach the port of Le Harve until the afternoon of 16 August.

Western Front

After several days at Rest Camp #4, the 25th Aero Squadron boarded a French troop train bound for the Replacement Concentration Center, AEF, St. Maixent Replacement Barracks on 18 August for equipping, and personnel processing. Then on the 27th, it moved again to the Air Service Production Center No. 2. at Romorantin Aerodrome, arriving on the 29th. There, the squadron went back to performing the same work it was doing at Kelly Field, that of ten hours of fatigue work each day, unloading steel from cars and placing it in piles. It continued this until 16 September when they departed for the 1st Air Depot at Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome.

At Colombey the squadron was finally classified as a Pursuit Squadron, and also began to receive pursuit pilots. Many of the pilots had been trained in England and had been attached to British squadrons, flying Royal Aircraft Factory SE-5s over the lines. During its time in England, the 25th had gained much experience in maintaining SE-5s, and it was delighted to learn it would be the first American Squadron to be equipped with the British Aircraft. However, the SE-5s which it would be equipped would be fitted with United States built Hispano-Suize engines manufactured by Wright. The planes were being assembled in Birmingham and Coventry, England and several flying officers were sent to England to ferry the planes to the front. However, this did not proceed as quickly as was hoped, as delays in the delivery of the aircraft in England and with one aircraft being flown to the American Air Acceptance Park #1 at Orly Field, it was held for an engine overhaul, a thorough examination and it needed to be equipped with armament.

On 24 October, the squadron was moved to Gengault Aerodrome, near Toul, where the squadron was assigned to the Second Army Air Service, 4th Pursuit Group. The 141st Aero Squadron of the group was already operating over the lines with SPAD XIIIs, but the 25th was still awaiting aircraft. The next ten days were spent on camp duty awaiting the problems with its aircraft being sorted out. Finally on 1 November, the first SE-5 was delivered to the squadron, with the second aircraft being delivered the next day. Deliveries of the planes continued, although at a slow pace though the month of November until the full compliment of twenty-one planes were received by the end of the month.

On 10 November, the 25th Aero Squadron made its first flight over the lines, joining with the 4th Pursuit Group in a hunting expedition in front of Metz. No enemy aircraft were seen, but this patrol qualified the squadron as an aerial pursuit unit operating on the front. The morning of the 11th saw another patrol being made over the front, being in the air at the time of the Armistice with Germany. However, again no enemy aircraft were seen, no bombs dropped and no rounds were fired by the squadron.

Demobilization

After the signing of the Armistice and the conclusion of the war, flying continued on a limited basis to keep the pilots proficient in their skills. However, the main endeavors of the squadron were infantry drill guard duty, and Army administrative paperwork. Although the squadron did not destroy any enemy aircraft, it was granted the priviledge of placing the squadron emblem on its aircraft in view of the fact that the pilots that made up the squadron had shot down over thirty enemy aircraft with their service in with the British.

Owing that the squadron had come late to the front, it remained at Toul until 15 April 1919 when, with the demobilization of the Second Army Air Service, it was ordered to proceed to the 1st Air Depot at 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. It then moved to a staging camp in France for the return crossing of the Atlantic back to the United States.

In June, the 25th Aero Squadron returned to Mitchell Field, New York where its men were demobilized and returned to civilian life.

Lineage

• Organized as 20th Aero Squadron on 13 June 1917

Re-designated 25th Aero Squadron on 22 June 1917

Re-designated 25th Aero Squadron (Pursuit) on 10 September 1918

Demobilized on 17 Jun 1919

Assignments

• Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 13 June 1917
• Aviation Concentration Center, 3 January 1918
• Air Service Headquarters, AEF, British Isles

Attached to the Royal Flying Corps for training, 31 January-16 August 1918

• Replacement Concentration Center, AEF, 18 August 1918

• Air Service Production Center No. 2, 29 August 1918
• 1st Air Depot, 16 September 1918
• 4th Pursuit Group, 24 October 1918
• 1st Air Depot, 15 April 1919
• Advanced Section Services of Supply, April 1919
• Post Headquarters, Mitchell Field, June 1919

Stations

• Kelly Field, Texas, 13 Jun-28 Dec 1917
• Camp Mills, New York, 3 January 1918
• Port of Entry, Hoboken, New Jersey, 9 January 1918

Overseas transport: RMS Carmania, 9-24 January 1918

• Liverpool, England, 24 January 1918
• Romsey Rest Camp, Winchester, England, 25 January 1918
• RFC Ayr, Scotland, 31 January 1918
• RFC Marske-by-the-Sea, England, 23 April 1918
• Romsey Rest Camp, Winchester, England, 7 August 1918

• Rest Camp #4, Le Harve, France, 16 August 1918
• St. Maixent Replacement Barracks, France, 18 August 1918
• Romorantin Aerodrome, France, 29 August 1918
• Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France, 16 September 1918
• Gengault Aerodrome, Toul, France, 24 October 1918
• Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France, 19 April 1919
• France, April-June 1919
• Mitchell Field, New York, 6-17 June 1919.

Aircraft

• Royal Aircraft Factory SE-5A, 1918-1919

Combat sectors and campaigns

Streamer	Sector/Campaign	Dates	Notes
	Meuse-Argonne Offensive Campaign	24 October-11 November 1918

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency