World War I US Army 17th Aviation Combat Squadron History Book & Roster Roll

Description

This reprinted 8 1/2 x 11 staple bound book, with 200 pages, has loads of details on the complete service history of the 17th Aero Squadron during World War I. It covers in detail the organization and training the unit for preparation of their deployment to France.
They participated in much aerial combat from the Dunkirk front to the Cambrai sectors with British forces.
This books over 60 pages dedicated to the casualties and rosters of the unit. More significantly there are 50 pages worth low bombing and machine gun strafing after action reports.
The 17th Aero Squadron was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.
As a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron. its mission was to engage and clear enemy aircraft from the skies and provide escort to reconnaissance and bombardment squadrons over enemy territory. It also attacked enemy observation balloons, and perform close air support and tactical bombing attacks of enemy forces along the front lines.
The unit achieved a number of "firsts". It was the first United States Aero Squadron sent to Canada to be trained by the British; the first squadron to be completely trained prior to be sent overseas with its complete quota of trained pilots; the first squadron to be attached to British Royal Air Force squadrons and the first to be sent into combat.
In October 1918, the squadron was transferred to the United States Second Army 4th Pursuit Group. However, with Second Army's planned offensive drive on Metz cancelled due to the 1918 Armistice with Germany, the squadron saw no combat with Second Army. It returned to the United States and was demobilized on 1 April 1919 as part of the demobilization of the Air Service after the war.