The United States Marine Corps in the World WarUnited States. Marine Corps
History
The United States Marine Corps in the World War
United States. Marine Corps
United States. Marine Corps -- History -- World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- United States
On July 13, 1918, the first Marine aviation force, consisting of
Squadrons A, B, C, and Headquarters Company, left Miami, Fla., and
embarked on board the _De Kalb_ at New York City for France, July 18,
1918. This organization consisted of 107 officers and 654 enlisted
men, and when Squadron D joined in October, 1918, it consisted of
149 officers and 842 enlisted men. On July 30, 1918, the Day Wing
disembarked at Brest, France, and proceeded to its aerodromes between
Calais and Dunkirk, where they established camp and prepared the
aerodromes for use. The personnel of the Day Wing was completely
organized and ready for service two weeks after their arrival in
France. Part of the planes and equipment of this organization arrived
at Pauillac, France, before the organization reached France on July
30, 1918. On September 28, 1918, one plane was delivered to the
Marine Day Wing. On October 5, 1918, Squadron D of the Day Wing,
consisting of 42 officers and 188 enlisted men, arrived at Le Franc
aerodrome, completing the four squadrons of the Day Wing. During the
month of October additional planes were delivered to the Day Wing.
In order to prevent the personnel, who were completely trained
and ready for action when they reached the front, August 2, 1918,
from getting badly out of practice, the commanding officer, Day
Wing, requested permission from the British aviation forces in the
vicinity to be allowed to assign certain Marine pilots to operate
with their squadrons until the Marine planes were delivered. As many
Marine pilots as could be accommodated were operating with British
squadrons until the end of the war, and were highly complimented by
the British officers. The Day Wing, carried out 14 independent raids
far behind the enemy lines, did considerable damage, and brought
back valuable information. The organization participated actively
and creditably in both offensives on the Flanders front. It was
learned after the armistice that one raid resulted in the death of
60 enemy officers and 300 enlisted men. A feat worthy of mention was
performed by Marine Corps pilots. A French regiment was cut off by
the enemy near Stadenburg. It was decided to attempt to feed them
by aeroplane. Marine Corps pilots loaded up with food and flew low
over this isolated regiment and successfully dropped 2,600 pounds
of food to them in the face of heavy fire from artillery, machine
guns, and rifles. This process was continued for two days until the
regiment was extricated. The number of enemy planes brought down by
Marine pilots, bombs dropped, food dropped, and other facts of a
statistical nature are given elsewhere. Three pilots were killed or
died of wounds received in action, two of them being shot down over
the enemy’s lines.
Maj. Alfred A. Cunningham commanded the Day Wing from the date of its
organization to December 7, 1918, except the period August 1 to 7,
1918, during which time Maj. Roy D. Geiger was in command.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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