DOCSLIB.ORG

PAUL FRANK BAER January 29, 1895 – December 9, 1930

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
PAUL FRANK BAER January 29, 1895 – December 9, 1930 PAUL FRANK BAER January 29, 1895 – December 9, 1930 Paul Frank Baer was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and became America’s first fighter ace. Having traveled to Europe during World War I to “join the fight” months before America declared war, he signed up with the French Aviation Service and was trained by the Esqadrille Lafayette (F.A.S. N124). In February, 1917, he was assigned to Spa80 until being reassigned back to N124 in January, 1918. During his year of service with the French Air Service he shot down 7 German planes and was decorated by the French with the Legion of Honor and Croix-de-Guerre (France’s premier order). In February 1918, the airplanes, equipment and officer and pilot personnel of the Escadrille Lafayette were merged into the 103d Aero Squadron, Air Service, American Expeditionary Force and immediately assigned the 21st Combat Group, 4th French Army. On 11 March, Baer scored his first (American) victory, and the first victory over enemy aircraft scored by any American squadron. He was later awarded the U.S. Distinguished Service Cross and Oak Leaf cluster for action near Rheims on 11 and 16 March, 5, 12, and 23 April and 8 and 21 May. His commendation reads: “On 11 March 1918, alone attacked a group of seven enemy pursuit machines, destroying one which crashed to the ground near the French lines northeast of Rheims. On 16 March, he attacked two enemy two-seaters, one of which fell in flames, striking the ground in approximately the same region.” DSC Citation By 10 April, the 103rd was transferred to the 6th French Army in Bonn-Maison. On 23 April 1918, at 23 years of age, he scored his fifth victory to become the first American Ace of the United States Air Service. On the morning of 22 May 1918, Baer scored his ninth American victory. Eddie Rickenbacker, in Chapter 25 of his book “Fighting the Flying Circus,” wrote “Upon the tragic death of Major Lufbery, who at the time was the leading American Ace with 18 victories, the title of American Ace of Aces fell to Paul Frank Baer of Fort Wayne, Ind., a member of the Lafayette Escadrille 103. Baer then had nine victories and had never been wounded. Baer is a particularly modest and lovable boy, and curiously enough is one of the few fighting pilots I have met who felt a real repugnance in his task of shooting down enemy aviators. When Lufbery fell, Baer’s Commanding Officer, Major William Thaw, called him into the office and talked seriously with him regarding the opportunity before him as America’s leading Ace. He advised Baer to be cautious and he would go far. Two days later he was shot down [by a member of Jasta 18] and slightly wounded behind German lines.” Badly injured when his SPAD S.XIII crashed near Armentieres, Baer was captured by the Germans and served out the remaining months of the war as a prisoner. He ranks 24th (9 confirmed victories; 7+ previous not counted while in French Air Service) among 110+ Aces (at least 5 confirmed) in the American WW I class led by Eddie Rickenbacker (26 confirmed). Returning home to Fort Wayne on 28 February 1919 to a rapturous local welcome, Baer took a post as a test pilot doing research for aeronautical laboratories located in Detroit. Sometime after 1925, he served as an inspector in the Aeronautics Branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Finally, he returned to the life of aviation adventure by pioneering airmail service in South America and the orient. Since Baer was reluctant to participate in the dedication festivities honoring him, Captain Charles Nungesser (3rd highest ranking French Ace of World War I) attended the dedication of Paul Baer Municipal Airport in 1925 and an accompanying parade as the guest of honor. Prior to 1950 2005 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fighting the Flying Circus
    Fighting the Flying Circus by Captain Eddie V. Rickenbacker, 1890-1973 Edited by Arch Whitehouse Published: 1965 J J J J J I I I I I Table of Contents Foreword & Chapter I … Introducing „Archie”. Chapter II … The Aerodrome. Chapter III … Our First Sorties. Chapter IV … Downing My First Hun. Chapter V … Jimmy Meissner Strips His Wings. Chapter VI … Jimmy Hall’s Last Fight. Chapter VII … New Responsibilities. Chapter VIII … A Victory and a Narrow Escape. Chapter IX … Down in Flames. Chapter X … Lufbery is Killed. Chapter XI … Squadron Festivities. Chapter XII … Jimmy Meissner Again. Chapter XIII … Americas First Ace. Chapter XIV … Rumpler Number 16. Chapter XV … Campbell’s Last Flight. Chapter XVI … Becoming an Ace. Chapter XVII … A Perplexing Bank of Fog. Chapter XVIII … Strafing the Drachen. Chapter XIX … The Chateau-Thierry Salient. Chapter XX … The Death of Quentin Roosevelt. Chapter XXI … The Flying Circus Scores Heavily. Chapter XXII … Our Spads Arrive. Chapter XXIII … Back Close to Verdun. Chapter XXIV … The Saint-Mihiel Drive. Chapter XXV … American Ace of Aces. Chapter XXVI … Captain of the Hat-in-the-Ring Squadron. Chapter XXVII … An Eventful „D” Day. Chapter XXVIII … Frank Luke Strafes His Last Balloon. Chapter XXIX … A Night Mission. Chapter XXX … A Day’s Work—Six Victories. Chapter XXXI … „Seeing the War.” Chapter XXXII … A Regular Dogfight. Chapter XXXIII … An Airplane Movie Show. Chapter XXXIV … An Overzealous Ally. Chapter XXXV … The End Draws Near. Chapter XXXVI … Last Victory of the Great War. Official Victories of the
    [Show full text]
  • Heroes of Aviation (1918)
    IRLF AURENCE LATOURETTE DEIGGS HEROES OF AVIATION Copyright, International Film Service, Inc MAJOR RAOUL LUFBERY "Greatest of American flyers, who was kilbd May 19, 191S, with an official score of 18. HEROES OF AVIATION BY LAURENCE LA TOURETTE DRIGGS ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1919 Copyright, 1918, BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY. All rights reserved NorfcoooU Set up and electrotyped by J. S Gushing Co., Norwood, Mass., U.S.A ) TO OUR HEROES OF AVIATION THIS BOOK IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED 441077 PREFACE THE author is deeply indebted to M. Jacques Mor- tane and La Guerre Aerienne of Paris for portions of the material used herein relating to the French Air Fighters. M. Mortane, himself an airman and the devoted friend of all fliers, has done more for the cause of Aviation in France than any other living man. His researches in war-aviation will for the years to come form a most valuable history of the birth and growth of the Fourth Arm in Warfare. I desire to here express my further obligations to the London periodicals, Flight, Flying, Aeroplane and Aeronautics, for many of the incidents relating to the British pilots. The inborn reluctance of the British youth to speak of his own heroic deeds prevents the world from esti- mating the marvelous part he has played in sweeping Germany from the skies. The Hun pilots flood the world with the information of their victories. It was not until I visited England as the guest of the British Government in the fall of 1918 that I discovered that twenty British airmen have exceeded by over one hundred the number of victories claimed by the best twenty Aces of the Huns.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cult of the Lightweight Fighter: Culture and Technology in the U.S. Air Force, 1964-1991
    The Cult of the Lightweight Fighter: Culture and Technology in the U.S. Air Force, 1964-1991 by Michael Wayne Hankins B.A., University of North Texas, 2007 M.S., University North Texas, 2013 AN ABSTRACT OF A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of History College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2018 Abstract In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, military aviation technology grew expensive and politically divisive, and this is not without precedent. In the 1960s and 1970s, the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Falcon represented a controversial shift both in the cost of development and in tactical doctrine for the United States Air Force (USAF), yet the motivating factors that influenced their design are not fully understood. Most of the literature either has focused on a teleological exploration of technical evolution or has held to a “genius inventor” paradigm, lionizing individual engineers and planners. Other works have focused on these aircraft as factors that changed the Air Force's tactical approach to warfighting or have simply evaluated their combat performance. Although these approaches are valuable, they do not account for the effect that institutional culture and historical memory had on the F-15 and F-16 programs. This dissertation argues that the culture of the fighter pilot community was based on a constructed memory of World War I fighter combat, idealizing a heroic, romanticized image of “Knights of the Air.” This fighter pilot community attempted to influence the F-15 and F-16 programs to conform to their vision of an idealized past.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lafayette Escadrille
    The Lafayette Escadrille By Narayan Sengupta Copyright 2013 Narayan Sengupta All materials contained in this book, including text, photographs, charts, tables, graphics and other images are the property of Narayan Sengupta or the sources credited and are protected by United States and international copyright laws. The compilation of all content in this book is the exclusive property of Narayan Sengupta. You may not reproduce, modify, distribute, e-mail or republish materials con- tained in this book in any form without the author’s prior written permission. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of content. No image in this book may be reproduced without the explicit consent of the source credited. Please send any correspondence, suggestions and corrections to [email protected] . November 2013 Sioux Warrior Insignia: This was the symbol of the Lafayette Es- cadrille both when it flew for the France as well as when it flew for the United States. (Henri Guyot Collection) Front Cover (Top): “Hostile Sky” by artist Russell Smith. Front Cover (Bottom): “Along Came the Cavalry” by artist Rus- sell Smith. Back Cover: Bill Thaw carries the American flag at Chaudun on July 7, 1917. (Photo: Henry Lockhart Jr. Collection) The Lafayette Escadrille 1 Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................ 1 List of Illustrations .......................................................................... 2 The Start of World War I ................................................................
    [Show full text]