Map of the patrol for the United States 94th Squadron for September 3 to 26, 1918. The period covered the St. Mihiel Offensive and the beginning of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. From Fighting the Flying Circus by Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker who took command of the Squadron — the Hat in Ring Squadron — on September 24.
94 Squadron's patrol from Watronville to St. Mihiel, September 3 to 26, 1918
"On our trip up this same road the following day Reed Chambers and I saw the retreat of the Huns and the advance of our doughboys in full swing. The Huns were falling back northward with an unusually strong rearguard protecting their retreat. Already they were out of reach of our guns' accurate aim, for the day was again cloudy, with occasional rains and no airplanes were able to regulate the gun fire.But closely pressing them from behind came our eager doughboys fighting along like Indians. They scurried from cover to cover, always crouching low as they ran. Throwing themselves flat they would get their rifles into action and spray the Boches with more bullets until they withdrew from sight. Then another running advance and another furious pumping of lead from the Yanks. . . .Coasting along some eight or ten miles farther I saw the whole country was swarming with the retreating Huns. I noted the progress of our own troops below and marked down their positions on my map. . . ."
Eddie Rickenbacker, America's leading ace of World War I, writing of his flight over the battlefield on September 13, 1918, the second day of the St. Mihiel Offensive. He and Reed Chambers were part of the 94th Aero Squadron.
Fighting the Flying Circus by Eddie Rickenbacker, page 186, copyright © 1965 by Doubleday & Company, Inc., publisher: Doubleday & Company, Inc., publication date: 1965 (1919)
1918-09-13, 1918, September, St. Mihiel Offensive, St. Mihiel, 94th Squadron St Mihiel
