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The Lafayette Escadrille ((フランス語:Escadrille de Lafayette)) was an escadrille of the French Air Service, the ''Aéronautique Militaire'', during World War I composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters. It was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, hero of the American and French revolutions. ==History== Dr. Edmund L. Gros, medical director of the American Field Service (AFC), and Norman Prince, an American expatriate already flying for France, led the efforts to persuade the French government of the value of a volunteer American air unit fighting for France. The aim was to have their efforts recognized by the American public and thus, it was hoped, the resulting publicity would rouse interest in abandoning neutrality and joining the fight. Authorized by the French Air Department on March 21, 1916, the ''Escadrille Américaine'' (Escadrille N.124) was deployed on April 20 in Luxeuil-les-Bains, France.〔Guttman, Jon. ''SPA124 Lafayette Escadrille: American Volunteer Airmen in World War I''. Oxford: Osprey, 2004.〕 Not all American pilots were in Lafayette Escadrille; other American pilots fought for France as part of the Lafayette Flying Corps. The squadron was then moved closer to the front to Bar-le-Duc. A German objection filed with the U.S. government, over the actions of a supposed neutral nation, led to the name change to Lafayette Escadrille in December 1916, as the original name implied that the U.S. was allied to France rather than neutral.〔Duffy, Michael. ("Lafayette Escadrille." ) ''firstworldwar.com.'' Retrieved: 20 May 2013.〕 The unit's aircraft, mechanics, and uniforms were French, as was the commander, Captain Georges Thenault. Five French pilots were also on the roster, serving at various times. Raoul Lufbery, a French-born American citizen, became the squadron's first, and ultimately their highest scoring flying ace with 16 confirmed victories before the pilots of the squadron were inducted into the U.S. Air Service.〔Flammer, Philip M. ''The Vivid Air, the Lafayette Escadrille''. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1981.〕 Two unofficial members of the Escadrille Américaine, the lion cubs named Whiskey and Soda, provided countless moments of relief from battle stress to fliers.〔Janus, Allan. ''(Animals Aloft: Photographs from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum )''. Piermont, NH: Bunker Hill, 2005, p. 35.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lafayette Escadrille」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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