The airfield was first built by the French in the summer of 1917. The French escadrilles left in September 1918, giving way to the American V Corps Observation Group and its two squadrons: •
99th Aero Squadron 20 September 1918 – 4 November 1918 •
104th Aero Squadron 20 September 1918 – 4 November 1918 Arriving at the same time, a detachment from 462nd Aero Squadron (Construction) stayed until 6 October to improve some parts of the airfield's organization. Over a total surface of 89 acres, the Air Service engineers constructed 12 wooden barracks and a mess hall, as well as 5 buildings to be used as warehouses and maintenance shops. A station administration building and a hospital clinic was constructed along with an electrical and a telephone grid. The airfield had four French "Bessonneau" aircraft hangars erected. The observation group provided battlefield reconnaissance and artillery cooperation for the V Corps. Operations from Foucaucourt initially were preparations to help the V Corps in the
Meuse-Argonne offensive. German soldiers opposed the attack from barbed-wire-protected trenches. Also, additional enemy pursuit, observation and bombardment forces meant most of the Kaiser's best aviation units defended the area. When the ground attack began on 26 September, inclement weather restricted flight operations. Since cloud cover severely limited photographic reconnaissance, headquarters confined missions to a few, well-defined and extremely important areas. Aircraft and pilots often stood ready to fly, waiting in vain for any break in the clouds. When weather permitted, crews took oblique photographs along enemy lines. If the need for information was great, pilots flew even in heavy cloud cover hoping for a chance break to take that important picture. ==See also==