4th Pursuit Group

4th Pursuit Group
4th Pursuit Group
	141st Aero Squadron, November 1918 Gengault Aerodrome (Toul), France
Active	1918–19
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Service
Type	Group
Role	Command and control
Part of	American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)
Engagements	; World War I
Insignia
17th Aero Squadron Emblem
25th Aero Squadron Emblem
141st Aero Squadron Emblem
148th Aero Squadron Emblem

Last updated February 13, 2024

The 4th Pursuit Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, Second United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919. There is no modern United States Air Force unit that shares its lineage and history.

History

The group was organized on 26 October 1918 at Croix de Metz Aerodrome (Toul), France. On 27 October the 141st and 25th Aero Squadrons (Pursuit) were assigned to the unit. Both were new units, recently deployed to France and equipped with SPAD XIIIs. The Sixth Air Park was assigned to the Group on 30 October, it was equipped with trucks, cars, motorcycles and side-cars for the use of the Group.^[1]

The sector to be patrolled by the 4th PG was bounded on the west by Manheulles and Meilly-sur-Rouvres, and on the east by Custines, Landremont and Clémery. Operations began on 28 October when Captain Hobie Baker, 141st Squadron, engaged six enemy Fokkers near Prény and shot down one of them. Ten more enemy aircraft attacked the patrol from a higher altitude and the squadron managed to return to Allied lines without loss. Given the limited number of aircraft and pilots assigned to the Group, as many combat patrols as possible were flown each day.^[1]

On 4 November, the 17th and 148th Aero Squadrons were assigned to the Group, which brought the unit up to full strength. These two squadrons had previously been assigned to the British Royal Flying Corps and had been transferred to the Second Army and equipped with new SPAD XIII aircraft. On 5 November, a patrol of the 141st Squadron destroyed an enemy Halberstadt D.II aircraft near Hagéville. The enemy aircraft was returning from an aerial leaflet drop when attacked. Several days of bad weather kept the group grounded until the armistice on 11 November, after which no aircraft was permitted to cross into enemy territory.^[1]

After the Armistice with Germany and the conclusion of the war, squadron flying continued on a limited basis to keep the pilots proficient in their skills. However, the main endeavors of the Group was Army administrative paperwork. The 17th Aero Squadron left Toul for the 1st Air Depot at Colombey-les-Belles on 12 December. When the Second Army was ordered demobilized on 15 April 1919, the 25th and 148th Squadrons in their turn were ordered to proceed to the 1st Air Depot, to turn in all of their supplies and equipment and were relieved from duty with the AEF. Planes were delivered to the Air Service Production Center No. 2. at Romorantin Aerodrome. The 141st was transferred to the 5th Pursuit Group, Third Army for occupation duty in the Rhineland, Germany.^[2]

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.^[2]

Lineage

Organized in France as: 4th Pursuit Group on 26 October 1918

Demobilized in France on 15 April 1919^[1]

Assignments

Second Army Air Service, 26 October 1918 – 15 April 1919^[1]

Components

17th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 4 November 1918 – 12 December 1918
25th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 27 October 1918 – 15 April 1919
141st Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 27 October 1918 – 15 April 1919
148th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 4 November 1918 – 15 April 1919^[1]

Stations

Croix de Metz Aerodrome (Toul), France, 26 October-15 April 1919^[1]

Related Research Articles

The 94th Aero Squadron was the United States Army Air Service designation for the current 94th Fighter Squadron that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">95th Aero Squadron</span> Military unit

The 95th Aero Squadron was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I. It was the first American pursuit (fighter) squadron to fly in combat on the Western Front, beginning on 8 March 1918.

The 12th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The 13th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The 141st Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard 108th Wing located at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. The 141st is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker.

The 25th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The 49th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The 28th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The 148th Aero Squadron was a unit of the United States Army Air Service that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The 93d Aero Squadron was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The 139th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The 147th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The 22nd Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The Second Army Air Service was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, Second United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919 with the demobilization of the United States Second Army. There is no modern United States Air Force unit that shares its lineage and history.

The IV Corps Observation Group was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I. It was demobilized on 12 May 1919. There is no modern United States Air Force unit that shares its lineage and history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force</span> Military unit

The Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force on November 11, 1918, represents its maximum strength in World War I. Units of the Air Service are listed as assigned to the order of battle for that date, which was that of the Armistice with Germany. The first air unit arrived in France in September 1917, while the final air unit reaching the front did so on November 9, 1918. Unit operations began in April 1918. At the armistice, 57,508 officers and men served in the Air Service of the AEF, 24,512 in the Zone of Advance, and 32,996 in the Services of Supply. Of its 6,861 officers, 4,088 were on flying status and 219 were qualified observation balloon aviators. 1,724 of those on flying status and approximately 100 of the balloonists served in combat units.

The 2nd Pursuit Group was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, First United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 10 April 1919. There is no modern United States Air Force unit that shares its lineage and history.

The 213th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The 5th Pursuit Group was an Air Service, United States Army unit that was assigned to the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. It was demobilized in Germany after serving with the Third Army Air Service as part of the American Occupation of the Rhineland in May, 1919. There is no modern United States Air Force unit that shares its lineage and history.

The First Army Air Service was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, First United States Army. The First Army Air Service was the largest and most diverse Air Service combat organization of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, and most American Air Service combat units were assigned to it when assigned to the front.

References

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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Series "C"; Volume 11, History of the 3d-5th Pursuit Groups, Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. via http://www.fold3.com
1 2 Series "D", Weekly Statistical Reports of Air Service Activities, October 1918 – May 1919. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Gorrell-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Series "C"; Volume 11, History of the 3d-5th Pursuit Groups, Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. via http://www.fold3.com

[Demob-2] 1 2 Series "D", Weekly Statistical Reports of Air Service Activities, October 1918 – May 1919. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

[1]

[2]

v t e Aviation in World War I
People and aircraft	Commanders Aces Aircraft of the Entente Powers Aircraft of the Central Powers Zeppelins
Campaigns and battles	Strategic bombing German Cuxhaven Bombing of cities Aerial reconnaissance Fokker Scourge Flight over Vienna Bloody April Battles
Entente Powers air services	British air services Royal Flying Corps Royal Naval Air Service Royal Air Force Australian Flying Corps Canadian Air Force (1918–1920) French Air Service Imperial Russian Air Service Royal Italian Air Corps Romanian Air Corps United States Army Air Service Greek air services Army Air Service Naval Air Service
Central Powers air services	Imperial German Air Service Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops Ottoman Aviation Squadrons Bulgarian Army Aeroplane Section