ORIGINAL: ARUP
Where's that ruffian, Pancho Villa? US Army Air Corps were scouting around US- Mexican border. If that isn't the answer then a Curtiss AH3 'hyroairplane' flown by Ltns Bellinger and Saufley of the US Navy were hit by hostile ground fire during Mexican campaign.
You're close enough, ARUP. Pancho Villa really had nothing to do with this incident. The actual answer I wanted was "During the US occupation of Veracruz, Mexico on 25 April, 1914". But since you have the pilots names, I'll give you the nod. The history books always talk about Pershing and Villa and the use of aircraft for scouting along the border. They tend to forget about the Navy's use of a Curtiss AB-3 during the Veracruz operation; launched from the USS Birmingham.
But, you're up! We await your question. Thanks; Ernie P.
Question:
What was the first use of a United States aircraft in combat operations?
Clues:
(1) Perhaps earlier than you might expect.
(2) The reasons behind US involvement in the conflict sound very familiar to us today.
(3) Oil interests, and the protection of US citizens and property involved, had much to do with the beginning of the conflict.
(4) It involved a US arms manufacturer attempting to circumvent an arms embargo.
(5) German firms were involved.
(6) Illegal immigration was a factor.
AB-3, became the first US heavier-than-air aircraft to see military action when launched from USS Birmingham on 25 April 1914 on a scouting mission over Veracruz during the United States Occupation of Veracruz.
The United States occupation of Veracruz, which began with the Battle of Veracruz, lasted for six months in response to the Tampico Affair of April 9, 1914. The incident came in the midst of poor diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States, related to the ongoing Mexican Revolution.
The Tampico Affair started off as a minor incident involving U.S. sailors and Mexican land forces loyal to General Victoriano Huerta during the guerra de las facciones phase of the Mexican Revolution. The misunderstanding occurred on April 9, 1914, but would fully transpire into the breakdown of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and the occupation of the port city of Veracruz for over six months.
In midst of the Mexican Revolution, de facto head of state Victoriano Huerta struggled to hold his power and territory intact from the challenges of Emiliano Zapata in the south and the fast advance of the opposition Constitutionalists of Venustiano Carranza in the north. By March 26, 1914, Carranza's forces were ten miles (15 km) from the prosperous oil town of Tampico, Tamaulipas. There was a considerable concentration of U.S. citizens in the area due to the immense investment of American firms in the local oil industry. Several American warships commanded by Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo settled in the area with the expectation of protecting American citizens and property.
In response to the Tampico Affair, President Woodrow Wilson ordered the U.S. Navy to prepare for the occupation of the port of Veracruz. While waiting for authorization of Congress to carry out such action, Wilson was alerted to a German delivery of weapons for Victoriano Huerta due to arrive to the port on April 21. As a result, Wilson issued an immediate order to seize the port's customs office and confiscate the weaponry. Huerta had taken over the Mexican government with the assistance of the American ambassador Henry Lane Wilson during a coup d'état in early 1913 known as La decena trágica. The Wilson administration's answer to this was to declare Huerta a usurper of the legitimate government, embargo arms shipments to Huerta, and support the Constitutional Army of Venustiano Carranza.
The arms shipment to Mexico, in fact, originated from the Remington Arms company in the United States. The arms and ammunition were to be shipped via Hamburg, Germany, to Mexico allowing Remington Arms a means of skirting the American arms embargo.