213th Aero Squadron

213th Aero Squadron
Lt. Charles Grey (Center) and pilots of the 213th Aero Squadron, and a SPAD XIII, Foucaucourt Aerodrome, France, November 1918
Active	1 December 1917 – 30 June 1919
Country	United States
Branch	Air Service, United States Army
Type	Squadron
Role	Pursuit
Part of	American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)
Fuselage Code	"Indian Head"
Engagements	World War I
Commanders
Notable commanders	Capt. John A. Hambleton
Insignia
213th Aero Squadron Emblem
Aircraft flown
Fighter	SPAD VII, 1918 SPAD XIII, 1918

3d Pursuit Group
Western Front, France: 14 August-11 November 1918

Air Aces: 1

The 213th Aero Squadron was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron as part of the 3d Pursuit Group, First United States Army. Its mission was to engage and clear enemy aircraft from the skies and provide escort to reconnaissance and bombardment squadrons over enemy territory. It also attacked enemy observation balloons, and perform close air support and tactical bombing attacks of enemy forces along the front lines. After the 1918 Armistice with Germany, the squadron returned to the United States in June 1919 and was demobilized.

The squadron was never reactivated and there is no current United States Air Force or Air National Guard successor unit.

The 213th Aero Squadron was formed from a cadres of men from the 15th, 23d, and 100th Aero Squadrons that were organized at Kelly Field, Texas on 1 December 1917. The men, already having been indoctrinated into basic soldiering, were transferred to the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, Long Island, on 7 January 1918 for overseas duty. boarded the HMS Tuscania on 24 January 1918, bound for duty in Europe.

After an initially unremarkable voyage, On the morning of 5 February the Tuscania turned south for the North Channel en route to Liverpool. Most of those aboard, in sight of the Irish coast to starboard and the Scottish coast to port, surely believed the worst part of their journey was behind them. Spotted by German submarine UB-77 earlier in the day, however, their convoy was stalked until early evening and the cover of darkness. Then, at about 6:40 pm, submarine captain Lt. Cdr. Wilhelm Meyer ordered two torpedoes fired at the Tuscania. The second of these struck home, sending the ship – within about four hours – to the bottom of the Channel.