Бірінші дүниежүзілік соғыстағы американдық еріктілер эскадрильясы: Лафайет эскадрильясы

U. S. volunteer unit constituted in 1916 under French command
the WWI French Air Force unit of American flyers

The La Fayette Escadrille was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the Aéronautique Militaire was composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters. It was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War. In September 1917, the escadrille was transferred to the US Army under the designation 103rd Aero Squadron. In 1921, The French Air Force recreated a N124 unit who claimed lineage from the war time La Fayette escadrille and is now part of the escadron 2/4 La Fayette.

Dr. Edmund L. Gros, a founder of the American Hospital of Paris and organizer of the American Ambulance Field Service, and Norman Prince, a Harvard educated lawyer and an American expatriate already flying for France, led the attempts 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 de Chasse Nieuport 124 (Escadrille Américaine) was deployed on April 20 in Luxeuil les Bains, France, near Switzerland's border. Despite the unit's weak notorious status in the United States, the Escadrille proved useful for the French and Americans, taking into consideration that before the First World War, aircraft were not considered combat units. Initially, there were seven Americans pilots: Victor E. Chapman, Elliott C. Cowdin, Bert Hall, James Rogers McConnell, Norman Prince, Kiffin Rockwell, and William Thaw II. The full roster included 38 pilots. The unit's aircraft, mechanics, and uniforms were French, as was the commander, Captain Georges Thénault. Five French pilots were also on the roster, serving at various times in command positions. Raoul Lufbery, a French born American citizen, became the squadron's first, and ultimately their highest scoring flying ace, with 16 confirmed victories. Two unofficial members of the Escadrille Américaine, lion cubs named Whiskey and Soda, provided countless moments of relief from battle stress to fliers. A German objection filed with the U. S. government, over the actions of a supposed neutral nation, led to the name change to La Fayette Escadrille in December 1916, as the original name implied that the U. S. was allied to France rather than neutral. The Escadrille was disbanded on 18 February 1918. The American personnel transferred to the United States Army Air Service as the 103d Aero Squadron, while the French formed the Escadrille SPA.124 Jeanne d'Arc. A total of 224 Americans served in the unit. Of those, 51 died in combat, while another 11 died of other causes. Fifteen became prisoners of war. Eleven pilots became aces. Not all American pilots were in the Lafayette Escadrille; over 200 fought for France as part of the La Fayette Flying Corps. On 3 April 1918, eleven American pilots from the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force were assigned to Escadrille N.471, an air defense squadron stationed near Paris. American flyers served with this French unit until 18 July 1918, and it is sometimes referred to as the Second Escadrille Américaine. Later, the Escadron de Chasse 2/4 La Fayette retook the unit designation of "La Fayette", this time however in the French Air Force.

Nine pilots died in the Lafayette Escadrille while others perished after leaving the unit. More sustained non fatal injuries. The planes flown were flimsy, and not as safe as those of later years. Engines and other parts failed, and machine guns often jammed when they were needed. One man asked to be moved back to his infantry unit, where "he could be safe." The first pilot to be killed in action was Victor Chapman. Edmond Genet became the first American casualty of World War I following the U. S. entry into the war. Other Americans had died previous to the U. S. declaration of war, but since Genet had been active in the Escadrille since before the U. S. entry into the war, his death only a few days after the U. S. declaration of war made him the first official U. S. casualty.