138th Aero Squadron
The 138th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.
| 138th Aero Squadron | |
|---|---|
138th Aero Squadron formation, Lay-Saint-Remy Aerodrome, France, November 1919 | |
| Active | 28 September 1917 – 30 August 1919 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army Air Service |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Pursuit |
| Part of | American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) |
| Engagements | World War I Occupation of the Rhineland |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Capt. Dudley Hill |
| Insignia | |
| 138th Aero Squadron Emblem | |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Sopwith Camel F.1, 1918–1919 |
| Trainer | Curtiss R-4, 1917–1918 |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Operations |
5th Pursuit Group Western Front, France: 28 October-11 November 1918 Not fully equipped at time of armistice, did not see any combat. |
The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron as part of the 5th Pursuit Group, Second United States Army. Its mission was to engage and clear enemy aircraft from the skies and provide escort to reconnaissance and bombardment squadrons over enemy territory.
The squadron was never fully organized, 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. It returned to the United States in August 1919 and was demobilized.
The squadron was never re-activated, and there is no United States Air Force or Air National Guard squadron that carries its lineage and history.