The night of September 24th Rickenbacker received the order promoting
him to the command of the 94 Squadron, his pride and pleasure being
greater than he could find words to express. He had been with the
squadron since the first day at the front; but three of the original
members were left—Reed Chambers, Thorn Taylor, and himself. He took
counsel for himself that night and formulated rules for himself. He
would never ask a pilot to go on a mission he would not undertake
himself. He would lead by example as well as by precept. He would
accompany the new pilots to watch their errors and give them more
confidence by showing their dangers. He would work harder than ever
he did as a pilot. Full of enthusiasm to carry out his purpose he
started out the next morning on a lone, voluntary patrol and within
half an hour returned to the aerodrome with two more victories to his
credit—“the first double-header I had so far won.” He discovered a pair
of L. V. G. two-seater machines, above which was a formation of five
Fokkers. From a position well up in the sun Rickenbacker drove down at
the nearest Fokker and sent it crashing with the first volley. The Huns
were so surprised by the suddenness of the attack and the drop of one
of them that their only thought was of escape. Before they recovered
their wits and renewed their formation, one of the L. V. G. two-seaters
was shot down in flames, and quite content with his morning’s work
Rickenbacker put on gas and piqued for home.
October 30th Rickenbacker won his 25th and 26th victories, the last
that were added to his score. But on November 9th Major Kirby, who had
just joined the 94 Squadron for a little air fighting experience, was
one of a party of four who flew off for a try at the retreating Huns,
and shot down an enemy plane across the Meuse. This was the last
plane shot down in the war. Rather exultingly, pardonably so, Captain
Rickenbacker says:
“Our old 94 Squadron had won the first American victory over enemy
aeroplanes when Alan Winslow and Douglas Campbell had dropped two
biplane machines on the Toul aerodrome. 94 Squadron had been first to
fly over the lines and had completed more hours flying at the front
than any other American organization. It had won more victories than
any other—and now, for the last word, it had the credit of bringing
down the last enemy aeroplane of the war!”
And this word from Laurence Driggs:
“After having visited some sixty-odd British flying squadrons at
the front, many of the French escadrilles and all of the American
squadrons, I was given the pleasure of entering Germany, after the
armistice was signed, as the guest of the Hat-in-the-Ring Squadron, of
which Captain Rickenbacker was and is the commanding officer. In no
other organization in France did I find so great a loyalty to a leader,
such true squadron fraternalism, such subordination of the individual
to the organization. In other words, the commander of 94 Squadron had
perfected the finest flying corps I have ever seen.”