Paul F. Baer - Ace of Aces

Paul F. Baer

Born on January 29, 1894 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Paul F. Baer was the first United States Air Service "Ace of Aces." Baer, much like Frank Luke later in The Great War, went on a scoring tear from March 1 to May 22, 1918 that saw the destruction of nine confirmed and eight probable aircraft in less than three months, all while serving with the 103rd Aero Squadron.

Baer did not have any victories as a member of the Lafayette Flying Corps in Spa.80 but would have gained valuable experience, serving with the French squadron from August 1917 to January 1918. He also received an extensive amount of training prior to joining Spa.80. Some histories Baer is listed as a member of Spa.124, the famous Lafayette Escadrille, and while he was assigned to the unit in January 1918, it was during the period in which Spa.124 was transitioning from a French to an American unit - seeing no flying - and hence Baer is not listed as one of the thirty-eight Americans that made up that famous squadron.

While in French service Baer flew this patriotic themed SPAD VII

The 103rd Aero, formed from seventeen former Lafayette Escadrille pilots, would initially be assigned to Groupe de Combat 21, a French group in which the 103rd formed the only American component. The 103rd would not be assigned to an American group until July 1918 as part of the Second Pursuit Group, before moving to the Third Pursuit Group. The four squadrons each took on a squadron distinctive Indian head design with the 103rd retaining the Sioux Indian head from the Lafayette Escadrille.

Baer's beautiful 103rd Aero SPAD VII 

Baer was described as fearless and an accomplished pilot, having attacked larger formations of enemy aircraft on at least two occasions. Due to his aggressiveness and success in the skies over the Western Front, Baer would be highly decorated by both the French and American air services, earning the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Légion d'honneur, and the Croix de Guerre. Baer was described as fearless and an accomplished pilot, having attacked larger formations of enemy aircraft on at least two occasions.  Unlike some more accomplished aces, Baer shot down mostly signal seat fighters. However Baer would be shot down on May 22, 1918 and taken prisoner until the armistice. This last action is captured as a scenario in Colorful Skies 2 (titled American Ace).

Confirmed and unconfirmed victories

After the war Baer continued flying in a variety of capacities, even trying to form a squadron of American volunteers to fight in the Polish-Russian War. His final flying employment was in China, piloting floatplanes, and while flying a floatplane at Shanghai on December 9, 1930, upon takeoff Baer's plane hit the mast of a junk in the Yangtze River and crashed. Baer's body was eventually returned to Fort Wayne, where he is buried in Lindenwood Cemetery.

There is one book that features Baer's life, what little is known about it. In 2017, Tony Garel-Frantzen released his book Hoosier Aviator Paul Baer: America's First Combat Ace (History Press). It is an okay effort, relying a little too heavily on a letter Baer wrote after the war that focused on his time as a prisoner of war, the letter being printed in full, which takes up several pages of the book. The author could have used other primary sources (such as Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917-1919) to add more to Baer's story as a combat pilot with the 103rd Aero. However, the book is a solid effort and is, as mentioned, the only currently available title on Baer.