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the majority of the combats taking place well within the lines.

FRAPELLE - August 17.
  Towards the middle of July the 5th Division, U.S., holding a sector in the Vosges mountains, was ordered to advance and capture Frapelle. To assist, the 3rd Flight of the 99th Squadron was brought from Luxieuil to Dogneville near Epinal, and assigned to the 33rd French Corps Observation Group. The enemy was strongly organized for defense. After a period of terrain exercises to assure cooperation of the troops with the planes during contact patrols, preparatory artillery adjustments were carried out and on August 17, the attack took place. The airplane missions were contact patrol and the reconnaissance of enemy counter attacks in preparation. Our planes did some low-strafing during the attack and on its successful issue photographed the new front line of defense. The calls for the line were disregarded and our planes had to fly low enough to identify the uniforms of ground troops, subject to heavy close-range machine gun and rifle fire.
  Enemy aerial activity was negligible, the work seldom being hindered by hostile pursuit.