Summary: Coverage of activities of the 96th Aero Squadron at the First Air Depot at Colombey-les-Belles and Meurthe-et-Moselle, France, July-September 1918 including a visit by Brig. Gen. Benjamin D. Foulois, Chief, Air Service, AEF. (Photo'd by Signal Corps) Reel 1: (986') MS to MLS pan right to show hangars of First Air Depot and mechanics working on Spad XIII and Salmson 2 A.2 aircraft parked on ramp at French air base-large canvas-covered maintenance hangars in bg. (26 July 1918) 26' MS to MLS pan right along line of two Spad XIII's, a Spad VII and four Sopwith F-l Camels parked in front of canvas-covered hangars at First Air Depot. 65' MS's pan right along flight line at French air base to show four parked Sopwith F-1 Camels and mechanics pushing a Spad VII to left in front of camera. 95' MLS's of group of officers getting in cockpits and looking over a group of Spad XIII's at French air base. 114' MS to MLS in front of hangar as soldiers pull around the propeller on a Spad XIII and finally get engine started. 169' MS to MLS pan left with group of mechanics and soldiers pushing a Spad XIII up to and into a canvas-covered hangar. 221' MS to MLS pan right with mechanics and soldiers pushing a DH-4 out of canvas-covered hangar and onto the airfield. 273' MLS to LS pan right to show five DH-4's parked along air strip. 289' MS's to MLS's mechanics and soldiers pushing DH-4 into line at French air base. 331' LS, MS & CU of Brig. Gen. Benjamin D. Foulois, Chief of Air Service, AEF and other officers looking over DH-4's-Gen. Foulois gets into cockpit of one of the aircraft. 414' MS soldiers checking out and firing a double Lewis machine gun on test bench before mounting it into aircraft. 449' MS to MCU gunner in rear cockpit of DH-4 checking out gun mount-pilot gets into cockpit and gunner shakes hands with another soldier on ground, then sits down in cockpit. 474' MS's three men linking hands together, pulling props and starting DH-4. 511' MS to MLS of mechanics holding DH-4, pulling chocks from in front of wheels and aircraft taxiing away to left. 525' MLS to MS pan left past long line of pilots and mechanics standing in front of line of parked DH-4's waving and throwing hats in air. 559' MS to MLS pan left with DH-4 taxiing to left on French airfield. 573' LS DH-4 making a fly-by to the left. 582' MS DH-4 taxiing up to the right, stopping and cutting engine-pilot and gunner talk to each other. 598' LS's & MLS's large group of pilots and mechanics rushing across field to a Salmson 2 A.2 that has crashed and flipped over across the field. 627' MS's & MCU's of pilots and mechanics looking over the crashed Salmson 2 A.2. 663' MLS pan left with Breguet 14 taxiing around to the left and lining up with other Breguet 14's parked on air strip. 695' MLS's to LS's pan left with takeoff of four Breguet 14's from a French air base. 750' MS's of gunner climbing down from DH-4 that has nosed over as a number of pilots and mechanics rush up to the aircraft. 776' MS's of Col. T. D. Milling, Commanding Officer, First Brigade, First Army Corps; Capt. G. C. Thomas Jr., 96th Aero Squadron; First Lt. V. F. Ludden, 96th Aero Squadron, and Pilot C. G. Sellers examining a Vicker machine gun on side of Breguet 14. 800' MS's & MCU's of Lt. C. G. Sellers in cockpit of Breguet 14 firing the Vicker machine gun so that it fires through the propeller blades while they are running. 832' MS & MCU of airmen unloading bombs from truck, placing fuses in tail of bombs and loading bombs to racks under wings of Breguet 14-Maj. J. L. Dunsworth, Commanding Officer, 96th Aero Squadron and First Lt. V. F. Ludden inspect the operation. 939' MS's to MLS's mechanics turning the propeller of a Breguet 14. 970' MS's SV of Lt. A. H. Alexander in pilot's cockpit and Lt. E. McLennair, 96th Aero Squadron, in observer and gunner's position-insignia of devil carrying bomb in a triangle on side of plane. Reel 2: (413') MLS to LS RV of a large number of DH-4's parked on airfield with pilots and mechanics working around the aircraft. (Early morning) 19' ELS pan left with takeoff of aircraft from French air base-pan up to show several aircraft in flight among the clouds. 80' LS pan left to show DH-4's, Spad XIII's, Spad VII's and Sopwith F-1 Camels parked at air base and in various stages of assembly. 116' MS to LS pan left, then right past a number of Spad XIII's parked on flight strip with pilots and mechanics around aircraft-pan left with Spad XIII taxiing right. 169' LS pan left to show a railroad and truck convoy moving on road-pan on past camouflaged barracks and hangars of air base. 189' LS pan left to show DH-4's and other aircraft parked at French air base. 227' MS's to MLS's mechanics and helpers pulling on wings of Spad XIII as it taxis left. 269' LS's, MS's & MCU's of spectators in bleachers at track watching foot races. 318' MCU of Lt. Paul Rene Fonk, French Air Ace credited with over 59 enemy planes. 331' MLS's of large group of men doing calisthentics before a large crowd in bleachers. 369' MS's of Lt. Leonard, USAAC and Lt. Fonk, French Air Force, with a group of friends-Lt. Leonard is participating in the sports events. 401' MS's of foot race on track-large group of spectators in bleachers around track. Good (Basic: Dupe neg)
