''Escadrille Spa.154'' (originally ''Escadrille N.154'') was a French fighter squadron active from July 1917 through the 11 November 1918 Armistice. It spent most of 1918 as a constituent of larger offensive units. At war's end, it was credited with 63 aerial victories, including at least 19

observation balloon An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for gathering intelligence and spotting artillery. The use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World ...

History

Founded as ''Escadrille N.154'' on 11 July 1917 because it was originally equipped with

Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...

fighters at

Matigny Matigny () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Matigny is situated on the D937 road, some west of Saint-Quentin. Population See also *Communes of the Somme department The following is a l ...

, France, the squadron originally served ''III Armee''. It was temporarily subsumed into a makeshift ''Groupe de Combat''. On 1 August, this ad hoc unit was dissolved, and the constituent squadrons moved into another ''Groupe'' supporting ''III Armee''. In December, the squadron was refitted with SPADs and renamed ''Escadrille Spa.154''.''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'', p. 106 On 22 January 1918, the ''escadrille'' was shifted to ''V Armee''; then it was merged into ''

Groupe de Combat 11 ''Groupe de Combat 11'' of the French Air Force was founded on 1 November 1916, being formed by consolidating '' Escadrilles 12'', '' 31'', '' 48'', and '' 57''. The ''groupe'' was equipped with a melange of SPADs, Nieuports, Sopwiths, and Moran ...

'' as a replacement for '' Escadrille SPA.48''. On 27 February, ''Groupe de Combat 11'' was one of the units concentrated into ''Escadre de Combat No. 2''. ''Escadrille Spa.154'' would operate as part of a larger force for the remainder of the war. ''Groupe de Combat 11'' would be shifted to support of several different French field armies during the fighting leading up to the Armistice. On 20 August 1918, ''Escadrille Spa.154'' was

Mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

for having downed 17 German airplanes and 19

s. By war's end on 11 November 1918, the squadron was credited with a score of 63 aerial victories.

Commanding officers

* Lieutenant

Raoul Augereau Raoul Jean Eugene Augereau (4 October 1889 – 18 May 1940) was a French general who served in World War I and World War II. Pre-military career Augereau was born in October 1889 in Chavagné, a village in La Crèche. A teacher like his father, ...

: 11 July 1917 - 25 March 1918 * Lieutenant

Auguste Lahoulle Général Auguste Joseph Marie Lahoulle was a French military officer who began his career as a World War I flying ace. He was a double ace during the war, credited with ten confirmed aerial victories. Service before and during World War I Grou ...

: 25 March 1918 - wounded in action 5 July 1918''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'', p. 181 * '' Sous lieutenant''

Michel Coiffard Michel Joseph Callixte Marie Coiffard (16 July 1892 – 29 October 1918) was one of the leading French flying aces of World War I. He was notable for his success as a balloon buster shooting down enemy observation balloons, which were usually hea ...

: 15 July 1918 - died of wounds 28 October 1918 * Lieutenant Charles Nuville: 6 November 1918''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'', p. 200

Notable members

* Lieutenant

* '' Sous lieutenant'' (later Lieutenant colonel) Théophile Henri Condemine * ''Sous lieutenant'' Paul Barbreau: * ''Sous lieutenant''

* ''Sous lieutenant''

Jacques Ehrlich Sous Lieutenant Jacques Louis Ehrlich (1893-1953) was a French World War I flying ace credited with 19 aerial victories; he was one of the leading balloon busters of the war. Biography Jacques Louis Ehrlich was born in Paris on 25 October 1893.' ...

* ''Sous Lieutenant'' Robert Waddington *

Adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

Paul Petit * ''

Maréchal des logis is a sub-officer rank used by some units of the French Armed Forces. It is traditionally a cavalry unit rank. There are three distinct ranks of ''maréchal des logis'', which are generally the equivalents of sergeant ranks (although they genera ...

Xavier Moissinac Maréchal-des-logis Xavier Jean-Marie Louis Moissinac was a French World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.The Aerodrome website on MoissinaRetrieved 22 August 2020. Biography Xavier Jean-Marie Louis Moissinac was born in Br ...

The Aerodrome website page on Moissina

Retrieved 22 August 2020

Aircraft

fighters: 11 July 1917 - December 1917 * SPAD fighters: December 1917 onwards

End notes

References

* Norman Franks, Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank (1993). ''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'' London, UK: Grub Street Publishing. . {{wwi-air Fighter squadrons of the French Air and Space Force Military units and formations established in 1917 Military units and formations disestablished in 1918 Military units and formations of France in World War I Military aviation units and formations in World War I