Fighting machines for the air service, AEF

We didn't know what a fighting machine was

--Col Benjamin D Foulois, U Air Service (1)

America's fortunate record of manpower mobilization during the First World War far outpaced the mobilization of American industry. from one extremity to the other of the war, the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in France remained largely pendent on its allies for the provision of tanks, artillery, machineguns, fighting planes, and many other necessities of late warfare.

Postwar congressional and public scrutiny focused upon the wartime production record of the U aviation industry, for this industry and its proponent had raised the nation's expectations with visions of flotillas ...