Phelps CollinsAlpena’s WWI Ace

Alpena during WWI

Though the United States did not enter WWI until April 6th, 1917, the effects of the war in Europe began to be noticed in

Alpena sometime before. For instance Company D of the State Militia was called to duty in 1916 to guard the locks at Sault Ste. Marie in case war should develop…and the young

men, many in high school at the time, who belonged to Company D were mustered into service.

(William Henry) Phelps Collins• Born October 17th, 1893 in Alpena, Michigan.• His parents were Mr. Richard H. Collins & Lottie A. Collins. • Lottie Collins was daughter of early Alpena pioneer & Civil War veteran

William H. Phelps. William H. Phelps passed away in August, 1890. • Just three years later Phelps was born and named after his maternal

grandfather. • In the spring of 1900, at the age of seven Phelps’ mother, Lottie, passed

away.

December 17, 1903: The First FlightPhelps would have been a young lad, only 10 years of age

• The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur were two American brothers, inventors, and aviation pioneers who made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft on December 17, 1903, four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

• In 1904–05 the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible. Orville takes off with Wilbur running beside,

December 17, 1903

Phelps Collins riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle in an Alpena Homecoming parade held on August 2-7th in 1915. Phelps’ would have been 21 when this photo was taken.

Aerial Combat At the start of the war, there was some debate over the usefulness of aircraft in warfare. The initial campaigns of 1914 proved that cavalry could no longer provide the reconnaissance expected by their generals, in the face of the greatly increased firepower of twentieth century armies, and it was quickly realized that aircraft could at least locate the enemy, even if early air reconnaissance was hampered by the newness of the techniques involved.

The first aircraft brought down by another was an Austrian reconnaissance aircraft rammed on 8 September 1914 by Russian pilot Pyotr Nesterov in Galicia in the Eastern Front. Both planes crashed as the result of the attack killing all occupants.

On October 5, 1914, French pilot Louis Quenault opened fire on a German aircraft with a machine gun for the first time and the era of air combat was under way as more and more aircraft were fitted with machine guns.

Orville demonstrating the flyer to the U.S. Army, Fort Myer, Virginia September 1908. Photo: by C.H. Claudy.

Getting to FranceThe following is taken from the New York Times article on Phelps Collins.

“It was learned today that he was a resident of Alpena, Mich., when Congress declared a state of war with Germany. He left home the next day in search of an opportunity to fight for his country. Action with the least possible delay was his aim. He first went to Buffalo to enlist in the American flying corps, but finding that organization incomplete he realized that it would be a long time before he could get to France as a member of it. A friend told him that he knew a man in Chicago who had gotten into the French flying corps, but he did not know how this was accomplished. Phelps boarded a train for Chicago, learned that the former French flier had crossed as a member of the American Red Cross, and then had little trouble in getting a transfer to the flying service.”"Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918. Retrieved 13 November 2016.

Getting to France“Collins came to Washington and enlisted the help of Representative Frank Scott of Alpena, who took him to the Red Cross Headquarters. “Is he willing to sail day after tomorrow morning?” asked a Red Cross official. “I’ll sail tonight if you can get me to a boat,” said the youth.Collins enlisted in the Ambulance Unit and sailed promptly for France. That was late in May. Collins arrived in France shortly after June 1 and drove an ambulance, carrying wounded men from the front to a first-aid hospital for just ten days. Then he got his chance to enter a French aviation training school.”

"Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918. Retrieved 13 November 2016.

Phelps’ Collins Aviators Certificate

Excerpt from Phelps’ Aviation Certificate.

Collins enlisted in the French Service Aéronautique in May 1917 and transferred to the U.S. Air Army Service in January 1918.

He completed his three months preliminary training and was making one of his first flights on his own account when he saw a fight, several miles away, in which several French and German airplanes were engaged. Dashing toward the scene, his first shot killed a German aviator and sent the airplane reeling toward the earth. Collins’ entrance in the encounter proved just the aid his comrades needed. The Germans were driven off and the French airplanes returned safely.

"Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918. Retrieved 13 November 2016.

In October, 1917, while flying with the French in Flanders, Phelps Collins wrote the following letter to Major Gros, of the Lafayette Corps:

“Dear Major,- I brought down my first German this afternoon [one of an enemy patrol of five]. I am feeling in good spirits, the reason being that I can now leave the French Service without having cost the Government anything. I have never broken a stick while flying with the French and have knocked down an enemy machine for them.“I have given up my permission in order to further prepare myself here before being taken over by the American Army.”

Collins landed amid a mighty ovation from his fellow students, but the cheering ended suddenly when the commander of the school appeared. Collins was placed under arrest for disobedience of orders to avoid fighting until he was in the regular service. He was court-martialed and sent to Paris a prisoner.He was in Paris two weeks, when he was suddenly ordered back to the front. Much to his delight, he was commissioned a Lieutenant, his further period of probation was waived, and he received a fighting airplane alongside of “aces” of the Lafayette Escadrille.

"Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918. Retrieved 13 November 2016.

The SPAD XII was a single seat biplane fighter, developed by the French aircraft manufacturer Société de Production des Aéroplanes Deperdussin. It was used in World War I.

The SPAD XII was inspired by the ideas of French flying ace Georges Guynemer, who proposed that a maneuverable single-seat aircraft be designed to carry a 37 mm cannon, a weapon which had previously been mounted only in large two-seat "pusher" aircraft such as the Voisin III.

General characteristics of Spad XII

Crew: 1Length: 6.40 m (21 ft 0 in)Wingspan: 8.00 m (26 ft 3 in)Height: 2.55 m (8 ft 4½ in)Wing area: 20.2 m² (217 sq ft)Empty weight: 587 kg (1,295 lb)Loaded weight: 883 kg (1,947 lb)Max. takeoff weight: 834 kg (1,840 lb)Power plant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 8Cb V-8 water-cooled engine, 164 kW (220 hp)

PerformanceMaximum speed: 203 km/h (110 knots, 126 mph)Endurance: 1¾ hService ceiling: 6,850 m [5] (22,470 ft)Climb to 2,000 m (6.560 ft): 6 min 3 s

ArmamentGuns: 1 x 37 mm Puteaux single shot cannon, 1 x 7.7 mm Vickers machine gun

Over the course of the war the countries involved in the fighting produced more than 200,000 aircraft and even more engines. French industry alone accounted for a third of these.

From the day Collins returned to the front his career was largely hidden by the censorship. Scraps of information contained in letters to Congressman Scott indicated that he was in the fighting fury frequently.

One day in December [1917] came word that he had been promoted to Captaincy. Incidentally he stated then that he was flying the fourth fighting machine that had been given to him since he became a Lieutenant. Apparently the three others had been disabled in action.

"Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918. Retrieved 13 November 2016.

Phelps Collins in front of Spad XII at Beauzée-sur-Aire before leaving the French Escadrille 103 on January 7th, 1918. He was assigned to the American 103rd Aero Squadron with a rank of captain.

A memorial shadowbox created for Phelps Collins by Norman G. Boutin, donated to the Besser Museum by the Alpena branch of the American Legion in 1970.

The Lafayette Flying Corps (also known as the Franco-American Flying Corps) was never a unit per se, instead it is a name used to describe all of the American pilots, to include the Lafayette Escadrille pilots, who flew for the French during World War I. There has been a great deal of confusion over the years attributed to the two names the Lafayette Escadrille and the Lafayette Flying Corps. The Lafayette Escadrille is the unit itself, originally established on April 16, 1916, and disestablished on February 18, 1918. Its members are made up solely of the 38 Americans and the 4 French who flew with the Escadrille during this period. The Escadrille was disbanded and reestablished as the U. S. 103rd Aero Pursuit Squadron. This badge was not worn by the Escadrille. It was a later awarded to those who were part of the squadron.

Escadrille pilots were largely, but not entirely, expat Americans, and wore a pin like this one.

Escadrille 3 Les Cigognes ('The Storks') Pilots from Groupe de Combat 12 adopted the name and placed images of storks in different phases of flying on their planes. It was often referred to as the 'Stork Escadrille N3' due to its insignia. The pin featured on the left is specific to Les Cigognes SPA 103

The image of a stork in flight painted on Phelps’ plane and can be seen in the insignia pin above.

1914–1918 Croix de guerre with two citations: 2 bronze palms

Croix de guerre, it was created to recognize French and allied soldiers who were cited for valorous service during World War I, similar to the British mentioned in dispatches but with multiple degrees equivalent to other nation's decorations for courage. Accompanied by the Fourragère of the Croix de guerre, a braided cord worn usually around the left shoulder; especially : such a cord awarded as a decoration to a military unit.

Fourragère of the Croix de guerre 1914-1918

Ribbon bar: Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 (France)

Ribbon bar: Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 (France)

Ribbon bar: Escadrille Screaming Sioux

As the winter of 1917-18 wore on, Collins was wearing out. His letters home took on a less jaunty attitude. He began to write of being tired. On March 11, 1918, Collins' best friend in the unit, pilot Ted DeGriff was killed in an accident when his plane crashed in the dreaded "No Man's Land" between the lines of the opposing forces. By this point, Collins had been flying daily, sometimes two and three times a day, for almost seven months.

An aerial photograph showing opposing trenches and no man's land between, during World War I

<http://www.127wg.ang.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/865926/heritage-series-phelps-collins-american-airman/>.

The next day, the "Paris alerte" was issued and Collins was dispatched to intercept in his SPAD VII. The American pilots never saw the enemy aircraft. Shortly after getting airborne, Collins split off from the group. In those days before radios were installed in aircraft, no one knew why Collins split off.

Aerial photograph of a WWI dogfight in June 1917, France.

Some speculate that he had seen a German artillery position he wanted to attack - possibly even the famed "Paris Gun" aka "Big Bertha," a rail-mounted artillery piece that lobbed massive shells into Paris from miles out. Given his location at the time, such a sighting seems unlikely.

The Paris Gun was a German long-range siege gun used to bombard Paris during World War I. It was in service from March-August 1918.

Later, some soldiers on the ground were to report that they saw what turned out to be Collins' SPAD, flying lazy circles in the sky at an incredibly high altitude before it suddenly fell from the sky. The best theory offered by his commanding officer, Major William Thaw, was that an exhausted Collins had simply flown too high and passed out from a lack of oxygen. His plane crashed when it ran out of fuel.

Crashed airplane circa 1920. Unknown photographer.

Scrambled on a mission to intercept enemy aircraft, Collins is considered the first U.S. pilot to give his life in aerial combat in WWI. As more information has become available and reviewed Collins may not have been the official first loss in WWI aviation combat. The news of Collins’ death was front page news in Alpena and across the nation as America mourned an early aviation hero.

The LaFayette Escadrille Memorial was completed and dedicated on July 4, 1928.The monument is located in the Parc de Saint Cloud, in Marnes-la-Coquette, half-way between Paris and Versailles. The monument is composed of a central monumental arch, half the height of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. This monument is the final work of French architect Alexandre Marcel, 1928.

The Lafayette Escadrille Memorial is a reminder for all of the American pilots of the Escadrille La Fayette and the Lafayette Flying Corps who died during service to the Allies during World War I.On the façade of the monument are the names of the 68 pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille and the Lafayette Flying Corps who died in World War I.

A guided tour of the LaFayette Escadrille Monument.

This photo showing Collins’ grave marker was included in the memorial shadowbox for Collins which was donated to the Besser Museum.

In 1931, when a new airport was opened in Alpena County, the field was named Phelps Collins Field. The field began to be used for military training in the 1930s and was put to increasing use during WWII. The field, managed by the Michigan Air National Guard, has served as a training center since WWII.

In 1991, the site was renamed the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC). This new title was more in line with the base mission of "combat training".

Lafayette Escadrille honored at Centennial Event.U.S. and French military and civic leaders attended the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial event in Marnes-la-Couquette, France, on April 19th, 2016 to commemorate the centennial of the flying squadron’s formation.

• "Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Mar. 2017. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpena_Combat_Readiness_Training_Center

• "Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918. Retrieved 13 November 2016.• Flying High for France! The Lafayette Escadrille. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opTVsrNmR6w.• Heaton, TSgt. Dan, 127th Wing Public Affairs. "HERITAGE SERIES: Phelps Collins: American Airman." Air National

Guard: 127th Wing. Heritage Series: Phelps Collins: American Airman. United States Air Force, 18 July 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. http://www.127wg.ang.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/865926/heritage-series-phelps-collins-american-airman/

• "Lafayette Escadrille Honored at Centennial Event." Warbirds News. N.p., 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/wwi-events/lafayette-escadrille-honored-centennial-event.html.

• "Sous Menu De Cette Section :." Mémoire De René FONCK. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. http://rene.fonck.free.fr/spip/spip.php?rubrique4

• The Lafayette Flying Corps - Volume 1 (WWI Centenary Series) By James Norman Hall.• "The Lafayette Escadrille Memorial." Escadrille Lafayette. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.

http://www.lafayetteescadrille.org/en/the-memorial/.

Bibliography

Bibliography• Unknown Photographer. An Aerial Photograph Showing Opposing Trenches and No Man's Land

Between, during World War I. Digital image. Wikipedia. United Kingdom Government, 22 July 1917. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_man%27s_land#/media/File:Aerial_view_Loos-Hulluch_trench_system_July_1917.jpg.

• “Viewpoint: How WW1 changed aviation forever.” http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29612707.• World War One Aces Falling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T6QldD9Ogw.• Yesterday's Air Force: Lafayette Escadrille. Published on Apr 20, 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3MYRdmA8F0.