Phelps Collins was a pilot from Alpena, Michigan who fought for the US in WWI. After the US entered the war in 1917, Collins traveled to France to join the fight as soon as possible, first enlisting in the French Red Cross. He then transferred to the French air force and became the first American to shoot down an enemy plane. Collins was later commissioned as a US Air Force captain and continued fighting with distinction until he was killed in action in 1918 at the age of 24.

1. Phelps Collins
Alpena’s WWI Ace

2. Alpena during WWI
Though the United States did not enter WWI until April 6th, 1917, the effects of
the war in Europe began to be noticed in Alpena sometime before. For instance
Company D of the State Militia was called to duty in 1916 to guard the locks at
Sault Ste. Marie in case war should develop…and the young men, many in high
school at the time, who belonged to Company D were mustered into service.

3. (William Henry) Phelps Collins
• Born October 17th, 1893 in Alpena, Michigan.
• His parents were Mr. Richard H. Collins & Lottie A. Collins.
• Lottie Collins was daughter of early Alpena pioneer & Civil War veteran William H.
Phelps. William H. Phelps passed away in August, 1890.
• Just three years later Phelps was born and named after his maternal grandfather.
• In the spring of 1900, at the age of seven Phelps’ mother, Lottie, passed away.

4. December 17, 1903: The First Flight
Phelps would have been a young lad, only 10 years of age
• The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur were
two American brothers, inventors, and aviation
pioneers who made the first controlled,
sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air
aircraft on December 17, 1903, four miles south
of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
• In 1904–05 the brothers developed their flying
machine into the first practical fixed-wing
aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly
experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were
the first to invent aircraft controls that made
fixed-wing powered flight possible.
Orville takes off with Wilbur running beside, December 17, 1903

5. Phelps Collins riding his Harley Davidson
motorcycle in an Alpena Homecoming
parade held on August 2-7th in 1915. Phelps’
would have been 21 when this photo was
taken.

6. Aerial Combat
At the start of the war, there was some debate over the
usefulness of aircraft in warfare. The initial campaigns of
1914 proved that cavalry could no longer provide the
reconnaissance expected by their generals, in the face of
the greatly increased firepower of twentieth century
armies, and it was quickly realized that aircraft could at
least locate the enemy, even if early air reconnaissance was
hampered by the newness of the techniques involved.
The first aircraft brought down by another was an
Austrian reconnaissance aircraft rammed on 8 September
1914 by Russian pilot Pyotr Nesterov in Galicia in the
Eastern Front. Both planes crashed as the result of the
attack killing all occupants.
On October 5, 1914, French pilot Louis Quenault opened
fire on a German aircraft with a machine gun for the first
time and the era of air combat was under way as more
and more aircraft were fitted with machine guns.Orville demonstrating the flyer to the U.S. Army, Fort Myer, Virginia September 1908.
Photo: by C.H. Claudy.

7. Getting to France
The following is taken from the New York Times article on Phelps
Collins.
“It was learned today that he was a resident of Alpena, Mich., when
Congress declared a state of war with Germany. He left home the
next day in search of an opportunity to fight for his country.
Action with the least possible delay was his aim. He first went to
Buffalo to enlist in the American flying corps, but finding that
organization incomplete he realized that it would be a long time
before he could get to France as a member of it. A friend told him
that he knew a man in Chicago who had gotten into the French flying
corps, but he did not know how this was accomplished. Phelps
boarded a train for Chicago, learned that the former French flier had
crossed as a member of the American Red Cross, and then had little
trouble in getting a transfer to the flying service.”
"Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918. Retrieved 13 November 2016.

8. Getting to France
“Collins came to Washington and enlisted the help of
Representative Frank Scott of Alpena, who took him to
the Red Cross Headquarters. “Is he willing to sail day
after tomorrow morning?” asked a Red Cross official.
“I’ll sail tonight if you can get me to a boat,” said the
youth.
Collins enlisted in the Ambulance Unit and sailed
promptly for France. That was late in May. Collins
arrived in France shortly after June 1 and drove an
ambulance, carrying wounded men from the front to a
first-aid hospital for just ten days. Then he got his
chance to enter a French aviation training school.”
"Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918. Retrieved 13
November 2016.

9. Phelps’ Collins
Aviators Certificate

10. Excerpt from Phelps’
Aviation Certificate.
Collins enlisted in the French
Service Aéronautique in May
1917 and transferred to the U.S.
Air Army Service in January
1918.

11. He completed his three months preliminary
training and was making one of his first flights
on his own account when he saw a fight,
several miles away, in which several French
and German airplanes were engaged.
Dashing toward the scene, his first shot killed
a German aviator and sent the airplane reeling
toward the earth. Collins’ entrance in the
encounter proved just the aid his comrades
needed. The Germans were driven off and
the French airplanes returned safely.
"Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22
March 1918. Retrieved 13 November 2016.

12. In October, 1917, while flying with the French in Flanders,
Phelps Collins wrote the following letter to Major Gros, of the
Lafayette Corps:
“Dear Major,- I brought down my first German this afternoon [one of an enemy patrol
of five]. I am feeling in good spirits, the reason being that I can now leave the French
Service without having cost the Government anything. I have never broken a stick while
flying with the French and have knocked down an enemy machine for them.
“I have given up my permission in order to further prepare myself here before being
taken over by the American Army.”

13. Collins landed amid a mighty ovation from his
fellow students, but the cheering ended suddenly
when the commander of the school appeared.
Collins was placed under arrest for disobedience of
orders to avoid fighting until he was in the regular
service. He was court-martialed and sent to Paris a
prisoner.
He was in Paris two weeks, when he was suddenly
ordered back to the front. Much to his delight, he
was commissioned a Lieutenant, his further period
of probation was waived, and he received a fighting
airplane alongside of “aces” of the Lafayette
Escadrille.
"Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918.
Retrieved 13 November 2016.

14. The SPAD XII was a single seat biplane fighter,
developed by the French aircraft manufacturer
Société de Production des Aéroplanes Deperdussin.
It was used in World War I.
The SPAD XII was inspired by the ideas of French
flying ace Georges Guynemer, who proposed that a
maneuverable single-seat aircraft be designed to carry a
37 mm cannon, a weapon which had previously been
mounted only in large two-seat "pusher" aircraft such
as the Voisin III.

15. General characteristics of Spad XII
Crew: 1
Length: 6.40 m (21 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 8.00 m (26 ft 3 in)
Height: 2.55 m (8 ft 4½ in)
Wing area: 20.2 m² (217 sq ft)
Empty weight: 587 kg (1,295 lb)
Loaded weight: 883 kg (1,947 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 834 kg (1,840 lb)
Power plant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 8Cb V-8
water-cooled engine, 164 kW (220 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed: 203 km/h (110 knots, 126 mph)
Endurance: 1¾ h
Service ceiling: 6,850 m [5] (22,470 ft)
Climb to 2,000 m (6.560 ft): 6 min 3 s
Armament
Guns: 1 x 37 mm Puteaux single shot cannon, 1 x
7.7 mm Vickers machine gun
Over the course of the war the countries involved in the fighting produced more than 200,000 aircraft and
even more engines. French industry alone accounted for a third of these.

16. From the day Collins returned to
the front his career was largely
hidden by the censorship. Scraps of
information contained in letters to
Congressman Scott indicated that
he was in the fighting fury
frequently.
One day in December [1917] came
word that he had been promoted to
Captaincy. Incidentally he stated
then that he was flying the fourth
fighting machine that had been
given to him since he became a
Lieutenant. Apparently the three
others had been disabled in action.
"Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918.
Retrieved 13 November 2016.

17. Phelps Collins in front of Spad XII at Beauzée-sur-
Aire before leaving the French Escadrille 103 on
January 7th, 1918. He was assigned to the American
103rd Aero Squadron with a rank of captain.

18. A memorial shadowbox created for Phelps
Collins by Norman G. Boutin, donated to the
Besser Museum by the Alpena branch of the
American Legion in 1970.

19. The Lafayette Flying Corps (also known as the Franco-American Flying Corps) was never a
unit per se, instead it is a name used to describe all of the American pilots, to include the
Lafayette Escadrille pilots, who flew for the French during World War I. There has been a great
deal of confusion over the years attributed to the two names the Lafayette Escadrille and the
Lafayette Flying Corps. The Lafayette Escadrille is the unit itself, originally established on April
16, 1916, and disestablished on February 18, 1918. Its members are made up solely of the 38
Americans and the 4 French who flew with the Escadrille during this period. The Escadrille
was disbanded and reestablished as the U. S. 103rd Aero Pursuit Squadron. This badge was not
worn by the Escadrille. It was a later awarded to those who were part of the squadron.
Escadrille pilots were largely, but not entirely, expat Americans, and wore a
pin like this one.

20. Escadrille 3 Les Cigognes ('The Storks') Pilots from Groupe de
Combat 12 adopted the name and placed images of storks in
different phases of flying on their planes. It was often referred to as
the 'Stork Escadrille N3' due to its insignia. The pin featured on the
left is specific to Les Cigognes SPA 103
The image of a stork in flight painted on Phelps’ plane and can be
seen in the insignia pin above.

21. 1914–1918 Croix de guerre with two citations: 2 bronze palms
Croix de guerre, it was created to recognize French and
allied soldiers who were cited for valorous service during
World War I, similar to the British mentioned in dispatches
but with multiple degrees equivalent to other nation's
decorations for courage. Accompanied by the Fourragère
of the Croix de guerre, a braided cord worn usually around
the left shoulder; especially : such a cord awarded as a
decoration to a military unit.
Fourragère of the Croix de guerre 1914-1918

22. Ribbon bar: Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 (France)
Ribbon bar: Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 (France)
Ribbon bar: Escadrille Screaming Sioux

23. As the winter of 1917-18 wore on, Collins
was wearing out. His letters home took on a
less jaunty attitude. He began to write of
being tired. On March 11, 1918, Collins'
best friend in the unit, pilot Ted DeGriff
was killed in an accident when his plane
crashed in the dreaded "No Man's Land"
between the lines of the opposing forces.
By this point, Collins had been flying daily,
sometimes two and three times a day, for
almost seven months.
An aerial photograph showing opposing trenches and no
man's land between, during World War I
<http://www.127wg.ang.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/865926/heritage-
series-phelps-collins-american-airman/>.

24. The next day, the "Paris alerte" was
issued and Collins was dispatched to
intercept in his SPAD VII. The
American pilots never saw the enemy
aircraft. Shortly after getting airborne,
Collins split off from the group. In
those days before radios were
installed in aircraft, no one knew why
Collins split off.
Aerial photograph of a WWI dogfight in June 1917, France.

25. Some speculate that he had seen a
German artillery position he
wanted to attack - possibly even the
famed "Paris Gun" aka "Big
Bertha," a rail-mounted artillery
piece that lobbed massive shells
into Paris from miles out. Given his
location at the time, such a sighting
seems unlikely.
The Paris Gun was a German long-range siege gun used to bombard Paris during
World War I. It was in service from March-August 1918.

26. Later, some soldiers on the ground were
to report that they saw what turned out
to be Collins' SPAD, flying lazy circles in
the sky at an incredibly high altitude
before it suddenly fell from the sky. The
best theory offered by his commanding
officer, Major William Thaw, was that an
exhausted Collins had simply flown too
high and passed out from a lack of
oxygen. His plane crashed when it ran
out of fuel. Crashed airplane circa 1920. Unknown photographer.

27. Scrambled on a mission to intercept
enemy aircraft, Collins is considered the
first U.S. pilot to give his life in aerial
combat in WWI. As more information
has become available and reviewed
Collins may not have been the official
first loss in WWI aviation combat. The
news of Collins’ death was front page
news in Alpena and across the nation as
America mourned an early aviation hero.

28. The LaFayette Escadrille Memorial
was completed and dedicated on
July 4, 1928.
The monument is located in the Parc
de Saint Cloud, in Marnes-la-
Coquette, half-way between Paris
and Versailles. The monument is
composed of a central monumental
arch, half the height of the Arc de
Triomphe in Paris. This monument
is the final work of French architect
Alexandre Marcel, 1928.

29. The Lafayette Escadrille Memorial is a
reminder for all of the American pilots
of the Escadrille La Fayette and the
Lafayette Flying Corps who died during
service to the Allies during World War I.
On the façade of the monument are the
names of the 68 pilots of the Lafayette
Escadrille and the Lafayette Flying Corps
who died in World War I.

30. A guided tour of the LaFayette Escadrille Monument.

31. This photo showing Collins’ grave
marker was included in the memorial
shadowbox for Collins which was
donated to the Besser Museum.

32. In 1931, when a new airport was
opened in Alpena County, the field
was named Phelps Collins Field.
The field began to be used for
military training in the 1930s and
was put to increasing use during
WWII. The field, managed by the
Michigan Air National Guard, has
served as a training center since
WWII.

33. In 1991, the site was renamed the
Alpena Combat Readiness Training
Center (CRTC). This new title was
more in line with the base mission of
"combat training".

34. Lafayette Escadrille honored
at Centennial Event.
U.S. and French military and
civic leaders attended the
Lafayette Escadrille
Memorial event in Marnes-
la-Couquette, France, on
April 19th, 2016 to
commemorate the
centennial of the flying
squadron’s formation.

35. • "Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Mar. 2017. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpena_Combat_Readiness_Training_Center
• "Daring Air Captain Killed in Action". The New York Times Company. 22 March 1918. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
• Flying High for France! The Lafayette Escadrille. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opTVsrNmR6w.
• Heaton, TSgt. Dan, 127th Wing Public Affairs. "HERITAGE SERIES: Phelps Collins: American Airman." Air National Guard: 127th Wing.
Heritage Series: Phelps Collins: American Airman. United States Air Force, 18 July 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.
http://www.127wg.ang.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/865926/heritage-series-phelps-collins-american-airman/
• "Lafayette Escadrille Honored at Centennial Event." Warbirds News. N.p., 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.
http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/wwi-events/lafayette-escadrille-honored-centennial-event.html.
• "Sous Menu De Cette Section :." Mémoire De René FONCK. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.
http://rene.fonck.free.fr/spip/spip.php?rubrique4
• The Lafayette Flying Corps - Volume 1 (WWI Centenary Series) By James Norman Hall.
• "The Lafayette Escadrille Memorial." Escadrille Lafayette. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. http://www.lafayetteescadrille.org/en/the-memorial/.
Bibliography

36. Bibliography
• Unknown Photographer. An Aerial Photograph Showing Opposing Trenches and No Man's Land Between, during World War I.
Digital image. Wikipedia. United Kingdom Government, 22 July 1917. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_man%27s_land#/media/File:Aerial_view_Loos-Hulluch_trench_system_July_1917.jpg.
• “Viewpoint: How WW1 changed aviation forever.” http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29612707.
• World War One Aces Falling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T6QldD9Ogw.
• Yesterday's Air Force: Lafayette Escadrille. Published on Apr 20, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3MYRdmA8F0.