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Have joined flight:
On september 27th, 1917: Caporal PUISTIENNE.
Late 1917: Lieutenant TOURTAY, Sergent PAUMIER, Caporaux GANDRY,
JOUBERT, GUY and PRAGOU.
On february 10th, 1918: Lieutenant PELISSIER.
Then on april 1st, 1919: Lieutenants or Sous-Lieutenants: RONDOT, DE
LEVAQUE, LENERT, GAULLIER. Adjudants: LETOMBE and AUBAILLY. Sergents or Mal des
Logis: PATRY, DELESTRE, CHAMPAVIE, TRAMINI, WINNAERT, CORDIER, POUCHOL, FREVEL,
BAZIN, CHATELET, ROY. Brigadier: RESTAUX.
NOTICE: incomplete lists...
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Operations : Affected at IV Army
(General GOURAUD), the N 155 settled on july 14th at La Noblette base
(Marne), where it is enroled in the "Groupe des Escadrille de Chasse
d'Armée", led by Capitaine COURRET DE VILLENEUVE, already composed
of escadrilles N 48 and N 94.
The N 155 stays at La Noblette for a short time; it moves on august 6th
to Melette base (Marne), where it stays until end of january 1918.
On Champagne front line, his fighters operate, for the benefit of the
Army, missions of enemy air force destruction, bombing protections, in the
limit of the (yet quite short) range of Nieuport airplane, and reconnaissances
deep in the enemy lines.
The first escadrille pilot killed by enemy is the caporal VILMART, shot
down in dog fight on november 1st, 1917.
On this same november month, the flight exchanges his Nieuport 24
bis against Nieuport 27, faster and more manoeuvrable.
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NIEUPORT
27 –
-brought
in service: 1917
-engine
the Rhone 9Jb, 9 cylinders, air cooling, 120 hp
-maximum
speed: 187 km/h
-range:
1H30
-armament:
2 machine-guns
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At the end of january 1918, the flight 155 which name is now SPA 155
since his transformation in late december 1917 on Spad X and XIII, is
incorporated to the Fighting Group 18 created at the same time by the Capitaine
SABATIER, on Plessis-Belleville base. The others flights of this squadron are
SPA 48, 94 and 153.
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SPAD XIII
-
brought
in service
septembre 1917
-
engine Hispano-Suiza 8Bec, 8 cylindres in V, liquid
cooled,
235 hp
-
maximum speed: 207 km/h
-
range:
2H00
-
armament: 2 machine-guns |
On february 10th, 1918, the Fighting Group 18 incorporates the Escadre
de Combat N°1, itself incorporated in the MENARD Group, itself incorporated in
the Escadre de Bombardement 12 (Groups 5, 6 and 9, led by the Commandant
VUILLEMIN).
The escadrille SPA 155 is engaged in the battles that enable our armies
to stop the great german thrusts on the Somme and the Avre (march 21th-april
7th), on the Aisne and the Marne (may 27th-june 4th), on the Matz (june
9th-12th), on the Marne and in Champagne (july 15th-18th).
In the meantime of this missions, the flights ensure lots of
reconnaissance missions, or protection of, or bombing missions of the
differents rear enemy front lines.
The SPA 155 grows, his pilots gain more and more victories, but the enemy also
takes heavy toll of it. The enemy makes huge effort to increase the number and
the quality of his air force units, so that the encounters are more and more
deadly.
In april, Lieutenant BECHON, Maréchal des Logis PAUMIER and Brigadier JOUBERT
are killed in action. In may it is Caporal KIRIFOFF and Brigadier LAPICOTIERE
turns, and on may 20th Lieutenant CASTAIGNET is missing in patrol.
Starting on july 10th 1918, the flight SPA 155 is involved with the
Fighting Group 18 (led by Capitaine LAURENT and boosted by Lieutenant GEORGE,
and then by Lieutenant LABITTE) in the victorious counter-offensive known as
the second Marne victory (Xth Army of General MANGIN), and then with the IIIth
Army (General HUMBERT) to the battle of Santerre (april 8th-30th) which lead to
the fall of the Saint-Gobain forest.
It is engaged from 12th to 30th of september on the IIth Army front line
(General HIRSHAUER), to the battle of Saint-Mihiel which gives to American Army
the salient of the same name, deeply penetrated into French territory as a
redoubtable wedge.
On september, the flight loses 2 of his pilots, the Brigadier BOULARD and
the Sergent GRIMAUD, killed in mission, and on the 3th of october the Brigadier
TALLET, is missing in patrol.
Finally it is also involved, in the area range of the IVth Army (General
GOURAUD), into offensive operations of the last weeks of the war which lead the
vanguards of this army to the Meuse, where november 11th, 1918 armistice stops
them...
Settled on april 1st 1919 on the plateau of Malzéville, in Lorraine, the
flight is transfered at the beginning of july on the base of Bron, near
Lyon.
Here, it is dissolved late july, his members being posted to the 1st Compagnie
of the 2nd Groupe d'Aviation.
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