Lieutenant Jacques Michael Swaab (21 April 1894 – 7 July 1963) was an American World War I
flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...
with the
22nd Aero Squadron
The 22nd Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I.
The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron as part of the 2nd Pursuit Group, ...
who was credited with ten victories. He later worked in the Hollywood film industry.
World War I service
Swaab reported to the 22nd Aero Squadron on 27 August 1918 and, flying a
SPAD XIII
The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII.
During early 1917, the French designer Louis Bé ...
, participated in air operations during the battles at
Toul
Toul () is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France.
It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department.
Geography
Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, Fra ...
,
Saint-Mihiel
Saint-Mihiel () is a commune in the Meuse department in the Grand Est region in Northeastern France.
Geography
Saint-Mihiel lies on the banks of the river Meuse.
History
A Benedictine abbey was established here in 708 or 709 by Count Wulfoalde ...
, and the
Argonne.
His first combat patrol was on 8 September when he downed a German observation plane and two
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the '' Fokker-Flugzeugwerke''. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...
s, although Swaab was slightly wounded. Twenty days later, he and Lt.
James Beane shot down another D.VII, garnering a victory for both of them. On 23 October, Swaab became an ace by downing a Fokker D.VII in flames at 1140 hours that had just destroyed an American balloon. This was probably flown by German ace
Max Näther
''Leutnant'' Max Näther (24 August 18998 January 1919) Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, HOH, Iron Cross, IC, was a German World War I Flying ace, ace fighter pilot who destroyed 26 enemy aircraft. He shot down ten observation balloons and six ...
of
Jasta 62. Half an hour later, he knocked down a
Rumpler
Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, Rumpler-Werke, usually known simply as Rumpler was a German aircraft and automobile manufacturer.
History
Founded in Berlin by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler in 1909 as Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau.Gunston 1993, p. ...
two-seater for his sixth victory. On 27 October, he shot down a D.VII solo and shared a victory over a
DFW with
Clinton Jones. Two days later, he once again shared a victory claim over a D.VII with Beane. On the last day of October, he shot down an
LVG
Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. (L.V.G. or LVG) was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin-Johannisthal (Berlin), Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman Aviation Works, Farman-type aircraft. The company c ...
observation aircraft.
The ten confirmed victories made him the top scoring ace of the 22nd Aero; his seven unconfirmed claims, if verified, would have made him one of the leading American aces of the war.
Later life
In 1938, Swaab served as technical advisor on the film ''
The Dawn Patrol'', starring
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...
and
David Niven
James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...
.
[
Swaab died in Los Angeles on 7 July 1963 and is buried in ]Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia.
...
.[
]
Citation
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Jacques M. Swaab, First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...
(Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Montfaucon, France, September 28, 1918, and in the region of Champignuelle, October 27, 1918. On September 28 Lieutenant Swaab, although himself pursued by two enemy planes, perceiving one of his comrades in distress and in danger of being shot down, dived upon the enemy plane which was directly behind that of his comrade and shot the enemy plane out of control, forcing it to withdraw. His prompt act in going to the assistance of his comrade enabled the latter to escape. On October 27 Lieutenant Swaab and another member of his group engaged in combat with seven enemy planes. In this encounter, although outnumbered, Lieutenant Swaab continued in his attack and succeeded in shooting down an enemy D. F. W. observation plane.[General Orders No. 53, W.D., 1920m as quoted a]
theaerodrome.com
Retrieved on 26 June 2010.
See also
* List of World War I flying aces from the United States
The following is a list of flying aces from the United States of America who served in World War I.
Overview
Even before the United States entry into World War I in April 1917, many Americans volunteered to serve in the armed forces of Great B ...
References
Bibliography
* ''American Aces of World War I.'' Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. , .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swaab, Jacques
American World War I flying aces
Aviators from Pennsylvania
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
1894 births
1963 deaths