Activities of US 96th Aero Squadron at the First Air Depot in Colombey-les-Belles, France during World War I. Hangars of the First Aero Depot and mechanics working on French Spad XIII biplane fighters, Spad XVI, and Sopwith 1-1/2-Strutter biplane reconnaissance aircraft parked on a ramp at a French air base. Large canvas-covered maintenance hangars in the background. Two Spad XIIIs, a Spad VII and four British Sopwith 1-1/2-Strutter biplanes parked in front of the canvas-covered hangars. Sopwith 1-1/2-Strutter in a flight line at the air base. Mechanics push a Spad VII. A group of officers get in cockpits and looks over a group of Spad XIIIs at the air base.
Activities of US 96th Aero Squadron at the First Air Depot in Colombey-les-Belles, France during World War I. Mechanics turn the propeller on a French Spad XIII biplane fighter in front of a hangar and get the engine started. A group of mechanics and soldiers push a Spad XIII up to and into a canvas-covered hangar.
Activities of US 96th Aero Squadron at the First Air Depot in Colombey-les-Belles, France during World War I. Mechanics and soldiers push a US Army Air Service Airco DH-4 biplane bomber out of a canvas-covered hangar and onto an airfield. Five DH-4s parked along an airstrip. The mechanics and the soldiers push the DH-4 aircraft into a line at an air base.
Activities of US 96th Aero Squadron at the First Air Depot in Colombey-les-Belles, France during World War I. Chief of Air Service, American Expeditionary Force Brigadier General Benjamin D. Foulois and other officers look over US Army Air Service Airco DH-4 biplane bombers parked at the air base. Brigadier General Foulois gets into the cockpit of one of the aircraft. US officers walk at the air base.
Activities of US 96th Aero Squadron at the First Air Depot in Colombey-les-Belles, France during World War I. US soldiers check out and fire a double Lewis machine gun on a test bench before mounting it into an aircraft.
Activities of US 96th Aero Squadron at the First Air Depot in Colombey-les-Belles, France during World War I. A gunner checking out a gun mount in the rear cockpit of a United States Army Air Service Airco DH-4 bomber aircraft. A pilot approaches the aircraft and gets in the cockpit. The gunner shakes hands with a soldier on the ground and then sits down in the cockpit. Three men with linked hands pull propellers and start the aircraft. They move away from the aircraft. The propellers rotate. Mechanics near the aircraft. The pull chocks from in front of the wheels and the aircraft taxis on an airfield