The Lafayette Escadrille was a legendary fighter squadron of the French Air Service in World War I. It was founded in 1916 as the Escadrille Américaine, around a core group of brave young American pilots who had volunteered to fight for France. Their well-publicized exploits helped tip American public opinion towards joining the Great War, and have been the subject of many subsequent books and films. These are the original memoirs of the squadron commander, and run from its founding, through the great battles of Verdun and the Somme, until its formal incorporation into the fledgling U.S. Air Service at the start of 1918. The author describes all aspects of the war, from the horrors of life in the trenches to the joy of being a “Knight of the Air,” and does so with a lyrical quality rare in contemporary accounts. This ebook edition includes an active table of contents, reflowable text, and 60 photographs of the pilots and machines of the Lafayette Escadrille.Table of Contents • I: Origin of the Escadrille – The Foreign Legion – How the idea of creating an American Escadrille arose • II: Luxeuil – Captain Happe – Alsace – First flights – First successes • III: Verdun – A Great Battle at its height – Chapman – The Escadrille distinguishes itself • IV: Paris – Life on leave – Return to Luxeuil – Kiffin Rockwell – Norman Prince • V: The Somme – Cachy Wood – Amiens – Winter • VI: Spring and renewed activity – General advance – Losses – Ham – Chaudun – Battle of the Aisne • VII: Battle of Flanders – Return to Verdun – Lufbery – Beauties of life in the air • VIII: Return to Chaudun – Trip to Champagne – Transfer of the Escadrille to the American Army – Farewell • Appendix
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