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168th Aero Squadron
The 168th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.
The squadron was assigned as a Corps Observation Squadron, performing short-range, tactical reconnaissance over the IV Corps, United States Second Army sector of the Western Front in France, providing battlefield intelligence.
The squadron saw limited combat, and with Second Army's planned offensive drive on Metz cancelled due to the 1918 Armistice with Germany, the squadron was assigned to the United States Third Army as part of the Occupation of the Rhineland in Germany. The squadron returned to the United States in July 1919 and was demobilized.
The squadron was never reactivated and there is no current United States Air Force or Air National Guard successor unit.
The 168th Aero Squadron was organized on 12 December 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas, with 154 recruits being assigned to the squadron on the 19th. The squadron began a program of drill and indoctrination into the Air Service. On 18 December, the squadron was ordered to report to the Aviation Concentration Center, Hazelhurst Field, Long Island, and arrived on 26 December for overseas duty. There, about 60 members of the squadron were placed in training schools for three weeks while the remainder performed guard duty and camp maintenance duty.
On 31 January 1918, the squadron was ordered to report to the United States Port of Entry, Hoboken, New Jersey and boarded HMS Adriatic. The crossing of the Atlantic was uneventful, Adriatic being in a convoy of 14 ships, arriving at Liverpool, England on 16 Funerary. From Liverpool, the squadron traveled by train to the Ramsey Rest Camp, Winchester.
After spending 11 days at Ramsey, the 168th was assigned to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) for training. The squadron was divided into four flights, A, B, C, and D. A and B Flights were sent to RFC Tedcester in Yorkshire and C and D Flights were sent to RFC Doncester, also in Yorkshire to be trained by the British in aircraft assembly, engine repair, motor vehicles and other aspects of operating a combat squadron on the front. After five months of training, the squadron was re-assembled at Flower Down Rest Camp, Winchester on 7 August 1918. A final inspection there was made, and preparations were made for the squadron to be sent into combat in France.
On 11 August, orders were received for the 168th to proceed to the Air Service Replacement Concentration Center, St. Maixent Replacement Barracks in France. The squadron first went to Southampton for the cross-channel trip to Le Havre, reaching St. Maixent on 14 August where the 168th was classified as a Corps Observation squadron. From there, the squadron proceeded to the Air Service Production Center No. 2., Romorantin Aerodrome, on 19 August where the squadron received Dayton-Wright DH-4 aircraft. The next stop on the journey to the front lines was to the 1st Air Depot at Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome on 26 August where the men of the squadron were fully equipped and given gas mask training. Next, on 2 September, a move was made to Autreville Airdrome where for the next five weeks, the squadron trained on the DH-4s and performed camp duties.
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168th Aero Squadron
The 168th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.
The squadron was assigned as a Corps Observation Squadron, performing short-range, tactical reconnaissance over the IV Corps, United States Second Army sector of the Western Front in France, providing battlefield intelligence.
The squadron saw limited combat, and with Second Army's planned offensive drive on Metz cancelled due to the 1918 Armistice with Germany, the squadron was assigned to the United States Third Army as part of the Occupation of the Rhineland in Germany. The squadron returned to the United States in July 1919 and was demobilized.
The squadron was never reactivated and there is no current United States Air Force or Air National Guard successor unit.
The 168th Aero Squadron was organized on 12 December 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas, with 154 recruits being assigned to the squadron on the 19th. The squadron began a program of drill and indoctrination into the Air Service. On 18 December, the squadron was ordered to report to the Aviation Concentration Center, Hazelhurst Field, Long Island, and arrived on 26 December for overseas duty. There, about 60 members of the squadron were placed in training schools for three weeks while the remainder performed guard duty and camp maintenance duty.
On 31 January 1918, the squadron was ordered to report to the United States Port of Entry, Hoboken, New Jersey and boarded HMS Adriatic. The crossing of the Atlantic was uneventful, Adriatic being in a convoy of 14 ships, arriving at Liverpool, England on 16 Funerary. From Liverpool, the squadron traveled by train to the Ramsey Rest Camp, Winchester.
After spending 11 days at Ramsey, the 168th was assigned to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) for training. The squadron was divided into four flights, A, B, C, and D. A and B Flights were sent to RFC Tedcester in Yorkshire and C and D Flights were sent to RFC Doncester, also in Yorkshire to be trained by the British in aircraft assembly, engine repair, motor vehicles and other aspects of operating a combat squadron on the front. After five months of training, the squadron was re-assembled at Flower Down Rest Camp, Winchester on 7 August 1918. A final inspection there was made, and preparations were made for the squadron to be sent into combat in France.
On 11 August, orders were received for the 168th to proceed to the Air Service Replacement Concentration Center, St. Maixent Replacement Barracks in France. The squadron first went to Southampton for the cross-channel trip to Le Havre, reaching St. Maixent on 14 August where the 168th was classified as a Corps Observation squadron. From there, the squadron proceeded to the Air Service Production Center No. 2., Romorantin Aerodrome, on 19 August where the squadron received Dayton-Wright DH-4 aircraft. The next stop on the journey to the front lines was to the 1st Air Depot at Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome on 26 August where the men of the squadron were fully equipped and given gas mask training. Next, on 2 September, a move was made to Autreville Airdrome where for the next five weeks, the squadron trained on the DH-4s and performed camp duties.
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