"Hunt Mobile Aero Squadron Unit No. 1 - For
Transportation Sheet 5"
By Herber Hunt, January 1919
Pencil on paper
8" x 10 1/2"
National Archives and Records Administration, Records of Headquarters
U.S. Air Force (Air Staff)
World War I Aviation: Hunt Mobile
Aero Squadron
World War I demonstrated the great potential for
military use of the airplane. After the armistice, the U.S. Army entertained
all kinds of suggestions for effectively employing air power. One proposal
came from Herber H. Hunt, who proposed the formation of "Mobile Aero Squadrons"
that could quickly transport 13 airplanes in sections on motorcycles.
Hunt, who in 1919 was serving a 5-year sentence in military prison for
unauthorized use of Federal property, hoped that he could win at least
temporary parole if the army chose to develop his idea. The files relating
to Hunt's invention show that the Army was intrigued by his ingenious
plan, but they are unclear whether the squadrons were created or if Hunt
was released to develop them.