Escadrille Spa.87 Explained

Unit Name:	Escadrille Spa.87
Dates:	1917–1918
Country:	France
Branch:	French Air Service
Type:	Fighter Squadron
Garrison Label:	Home station
Colors Label:	Branch color

Escadrille Spa.87 (also known as Escadrille N.87) was a French fighter squadron active during the First World War, from March 1917 to the Armistice. They were credited with 28 confirmed victories over enemy aircraft,

History

Escadrille Spa.87 was founded at Lyon-Bron, France on 8 March 1917 as a Nieuport fighter squadron called Escadrille N.87. It was attached to a French field army, VIII Armee, until 1 July 1918.^[1]

The squadron re-equipped with SPAD S.7 and SPAD S.13 fighters on 4 May 1918, and was renamed Escadrille Spa.87. By the Armistice, the fighter squadron had been credited with destroying 28 enemy aircraft.^[1]

Commanding officers

• Unknown: 8 March 1917 - 1 January 1918
• Capitaine Pierre Azire: 1 January 1918 - 30 June 1918
• Lieutenant Joseph Jochaud du Plessis: 30 June 1918 - war's end^[1]

Notable members

• Adjutant Laurent B. Ruamps
• Adjutant Lucien Gasser^[1]
• Maréchal des logis William A. Wellman^{[2] [3]}

Aircraft

• March 1918 inventory:
  • Four Nieuport 24s
  • Three Nieuport 27s
  • Two SPAD S.7s^[1]
• 4 May 1918 refitting:
  • SPAD S.7^[4]
  • SPAD S.13^[5]

References

• Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank (1993). Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918 London, UK: Grub Street Publishing. .

Notes and References

1. Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918, p. 99
2. http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/bodhidharma/flying_corps.html "Lafayette Flying Corps."
3. http://pagesperso-orange.fr/rdisa/html/Frames/lafayette.html "The Foundation."
4. The Aerodrome website page on the SPAD S.7 http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/france/spad_vii.php Retrieved 1 September 2020
5. The Aerodrome website page on the SPAD S.13 http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/france/spad_xiii.php Retrieved 1 September 2020