| 1st Corps Observation Group | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1918–1919 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army Air Service |
| Type | World War I Command/Control organization |
| Role | Observation/Reconnaissance |
The 1st Corps Observation Group is an inactive United States Army unit. It was last assigned to the I Corps, United States Army Air Service, during World War I in France. The organization was inactivated in early 1919 as part of the United States withdrawal of forces from Europe after World War I and the demobilization afterwards.
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Organized in April 1918 as 1st Corps Observation Group. The assigned 1st Aero Squadron was the first American air unit to ever see action in France, being the same unit which served under General John J. Pershing as part of the Pancho Villa Expedition while chasing Pancho Villa into Mexico in 1916.
Assigned to the I Corps, United States Army Air Service, First United States Army. Commenced active operations over the front occupied by the 26th Division, United States Army, between Flirey and Apremont on that portion of the front known as the Toul sector.
The pilots of these squadrons, with one or two exceptions, had never before flown in combat. The group and squadron commanders were in every case men of long experience in training work but had never flown to an appreciable extent under war conditions.
The mission of the group was primarily to keep the friendly command informed of the general situation within the enemy lines by means of visual and photographic reconnaissances. It was called upon to effect, whenever necessary, the adjustment of our own artillery fire. In addition, it expected that the group would serve to complete the schooling of pilots and observers and render them more competent to undertake intensive operations elsewhere on a larger and more complete scale.
Was briefly part of the occupation forces in the Rhineland, 1918/1919.
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Toul, Alsane-Marne, Veale, Toul-Verdun, Baccarat (Luneville)
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.