David Ingalls, US Navy Ace

Lt. David S. Ingalls. Ingalls, who went by "Crock", was one of the Sopwith pilots was also the grand nephew of former President William Howard Taft. He had enlisted in naval aviation before the United States joined the war signing up in March, 1917 being one of the members of the First Yale Unit. He first crossed the Atlantic in September of that year to head to Gosport, England for training. He trained with various British units eventually getting two weeks of on the job training with 213 Squadron. They were flying escort for bomber raids striking Bruges, Zeebrugge and Ostend, but to his chagrin, he was unable to encounter any enemies.

Ingalls was also sent to Clermont-Ferrand for bomber training. He duly reported for duty and promptly showed up his instructor, turning the tables on him during a mock engagement which was supposed to teach him what it was like to be in front of an enemy fighter. In spite of being in an underpowered trainer, he managed to get behind the instructor and tail him relentlessly in view of hundreds at the aerodrome below. Not surprisingly, Ingalls then managed to get posted back to 213 Squadron.

His scoreless streak changed on August 11th. Over the port city of Dixmude, Ingalls and his leader flying their Camels bounced an Albatros flying at 10,000 feet, four thousand feet below his own flight path. They plugged short bursts of rounds into it even as it dove to return to base. They last saw it heading into a slow spin and out of control.

Two nights later he ran a low level strafing raid on the German aerodrome of Varsenaere, 10 miles south of Zee-brugge. Flying so low that he almost hit the ground and skating through vengeful Archie, he slammed 450 rounds into the aerodrome, circled around and then dropped four bombs knocking out searchlights and causing chaos at the German field.

On August 21st, Ingalls shared a victory with another pilot in knocking down an LVG.

On September 15th, he attacked another enemy base – Uytkerke –along the coast just four miles before Zeebrugge. This time he unloaded 400 rounds and dropped his bombs on Fokkers parked below. Returning to base, he and a fellow Camel pilot spotted a Rumpler and scored.

On the 18th, he and two other Camel pilots pounced on a kite balloon at 3,500 feet. The Germans saw them too and started to winch the balloon. By the time the Camels hit it, it was at 900 feet. The two German balloonists jumped out to their safety even as the balloon went down in flames.

On the 20th he scored his fifth victory over a D.VII. He was now the first US navy ace ever and had made it in less than six weeks.

On the 24th he and another pilot hit a Rumpler from 100 yards. Each fired approximately 200 rounds at it sending it down in flames. This was his sixth and final victory of the war. He had achieved glory and survived. For Ingalls it had been a good war.

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Related Links: Quentin Roosevelt | Frank Luke | Eddie Rickenbacker | Raoul Lufbery | "American Eagles" - 345 page illustrated history of US Combat Aviation in World War I