Ben Larson War Record.
Ben Larson
in the North Dakota Military Men, 1917-1918
Name: Ben Larson
Birth Date: 17 May 1898
Military Date: 25 Jan 1918
[Age 17]
Military Place: Minneapolis, Minn
Army Number: 1,335,100
Enlistment Type: Enlisted
Registrant: no, under age [age 17]
Parents Origin: naturalized citizen
Occupation: Farmer
Comments: enlisted at Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 25, 1918; sent to Jefferson Barracks, Mo.; served in Aviation Mobilization Depot, Camp Sevier, S. C., to March 21, 1918; Company A, 2nd Balloon Squadron, to March 22, 1919; 1st Balloon Company, to discharge; overseas from March 29, 1918, to June 5, 1919. Engagements: Defensive: Champagne-Marne. Offensives: Aisne-Marne; St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne. Defensive Sectors: Lorraine: Champagne; Ile-de-France. Discharged at Camp Dodge, Iowa, on June 19, 1919, as a Private.
An American balloon observer prepares to ascend in a captive balloon for a reconnaissance mission. Photograph from the U.S. Air Service in World War I: Volume 1.
“From September 26 to November 11 we lived under the most trying conditions without any relief. Weeks passed when we were working and sleeping in mud six inches deep. During those trying days it was seldom that we were dry. Two French balloon companies and one American company were put out of action of account of sickness, but we managed, probably through luck, to stick it out.”
— Excerpt from the History of the Second Balloon Company, The Balloon Section of the American Expeditionary Forces
Balloons and Dirigibles in WWI | National WWI Museum and Memorial
1918-1919
The first companies to arrive were distributed as follows Co A and D of 2nd Squadron to camp Souge.
On 26 Feb 1918, the 2nd Balloon Company moved into position near Royamieux, northwest of Toul, relieving a French Company. It was assigned to the 1st Division, 1st Corps, for work. Upon arrival of the 2nd Balloon Company at the front, it was inspected by the assistants of the Chief of Air Service, 1st Army Corps resulting in unfavorable reports. These consisting principally of the following: company strength below 170 prescribed by Tables of Organization; no machine guns, no machine gunners trained, lookouts untrained, and officers of the company without previous experience at the front. These deficiencies were well known to the officers in charge, Balloon section when the company was reported as ready for transfer from Camp Coetquidan to the Zone of the Armies and provision had been made in advance which would properly correct all of these deficiencies. The request for orders transferring this company contemplated that it would be sent to a quiet sector for battle training under general supervision of LTC Lahm and the particular supervision of the officers and NCOs of a French balloon company, complete arrangements for which had been made in advance by the balloon office, Z of A. Unfortunately, when the travel order was issued, the company commander was directed to report to the commanding general, 1st Corps for duty thereby placing the company under the chief of Air Service, 1st Corps instead of under direction of Air Service Z of A for battle training.
Specialists from French units remained with our balloon companies until the men had become sufficiently adept, which ordinarily required but a short time. After our own companies had been thus trained they themselves undertook the training of newly arriving American balloon units. The mission of these balloon companies was to regulate artillery fire, to locate targets, to report all activity within the enemy lines by day and, when possible, by night.
16 Jul Balloon ascended 1516 observers Lt Henry and Dungan visibility good. At 1600 Spads Planes sighted in the northeast coming directly toward the balloon. They were fired upon and returned toward the German lines. The 2nd Balloon Company took active part in the operations north of Chateau—Thierry during the latter part of Jul 1918, while serving with the 1st Army Corps. Both these companies kept up with the advance at all times, the 2nd Company building six different balloon sheds within 10 days. All through the weeks preceding the Marne counter-offensive, we worked continually with our artillery. The noise, the increase in work, and the atmosphere that goes with a new sector seemed to put life into the men, making us ready and fit for what was to follow. Yet things did not begin in real earnest until the Marne counter-offensive got under full swing after 18 Jul The company first advanced to Gonetre Farm, where we operated for three days. At first telephone connections were impossible so until they were established we controlled artillery fire by means of a courier going from our position to the batteries. From then on we pressed forward, keeping always in close touch with the artillery of both the 26th and 42d Divisions and also that of the Corps. Throughout the entire advance the balloon was kept in the air without the loss of a single one. At no time were the roads perfect while often we were forced to repair them by filling in shell holes and constructing temporary bridges. In all, we traveled sixty-five kilometers or about forty miles, passing through Boiresches, Epieds, Beuvardes, Villers-sur-Fere, Fere-en-Tardenois, and to La Cruaus Farm which is one kilometer southwest of Chery Chartreuves.
The 2nd Balloon Company, stationed at Bois de Remenauville, was given a special mission, as advance surveillance balloon. It was ordered to maneuver to a point within four kilometers of the line, the night before the attack. Its duties were to report directly to the First Army Corps, message center, the progress of operations on the whole Corps front. It was to spot all enemy batteries and report the activity of the enemy artillery. It was also ordered to follow closely the progress of our infantry and tanks.
3 Sep 1918 2Lt Frank Henry and Sgt S. C. Burham jumped balloon not burned.
The Second Companies were in ascension throughout the day, making excellent reports on enemy activity and shell fire, but no adjustment of artillery was possible. An allied plane, flying at a low altitude, hit the cable of the Second Balloon Co. a short distance below the warning cone, and crashed to the ground not far from the winch position, killing both pilot and observer.
This new sector proved to be the quietest one we had ever been on. Hardly a sound was heard from the artillery, day or night. The quietness, however, we soon found out was not to be for long, for on the night of 12 Sep reduction of the St. Mihiel salient began. Everything went through on schedule time so that the drive proved an easy one—really just a push for occupation. Yet in the few days that we were in that sector the usual work of adjusting, watching enemy batteries and troops and reporting to Headquarters information of importance was kept up as far as weather conditions would permit.
The weather during the first two days of the attack prohibited the regulation of artillery fire. The balloons, on subsequent days, however, conducted important and successful adjustments. On 16 Sep the 2nd Company regulated 157 shots for batteries of 155s.
The weather during the first two days of the attack prohibited the regulation of artillery fire. The balloons, on subsequent days, however, conducted important and successful adjustments. On 16 Sep the 2nd Company regulated 157 shots for batteries of 155s. 19 Sep brought us new orders, so we packed up late in the evening, finally getting under way about midnight for our new station near Clermont-en-Argonne, where we arrived the evening of the next day. There we lay under cover until the 26th, carrying out no operations whatsoever. Then on the morning of 26 Sep began the Argonne-Meuse drive which was a fight for our troops from beginning to end. Weather conditions throughout the entire drive were against us, for it was only a couple of days at a time that we were able to use the balloon. Nevertheless we worked on the good days to the very limit of the time allotted us by the weather man.