1917-1918

The Americans

The American Expeditionary Force had begun arriving at the Front in late 1917. Many surviving volunteer pilots from the original Lafayette Escadrille transferred to the newly-formed United States Air Service. In the field the American squadrons were equipped with French designs – the first being the Nieuport 28 in April 1918. Although speedy and handy in the air, the aeroplane tended to shed its wing fabric under the stress of combat and engine issues caused several mid-air fires. Nevertheless, the fighter proved itself in the early months of 1918 and pilots such as Douglas Campbell and Eddie Rickenbacker achieved a measure of success with them. As the ground battles began to swing in the Allies favour, the war in the air became even more hotly fought – and the aces began to fall…