Northern Bombing Group

The Northern Bombing Group consisted of United States Navy and United States Marine Corps squadrons conducting strategic bombing of German U-boat bases along the Belgian coast during World War I.

Type UB and UC submarines were based in Ostend and Zeebrugge with repair yards at Bruges.

U-boats were sinking over 150 ships per month by late 1916; and the resultant loss of both cargoes and import capacity threatened the ability of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to continue the war.

[3] One of the Allied efforts to reduce shipping losses was a day and night bombing campaign against the bases from which the U-boats operated.

[2] Caproni had projected delivery of thirty bombers in June and July, and eighty more in August.

Arrangements were made to equip future Caproni deliveries with Isotta Fraschini V.6 engines; but the improved aircraft were not available prior to the First Armistice at Compiègne.

[2] Headquarters company and squadrons A, B and C of the First Marine Aviation Force arrived in Brest, France aboard USS DeKalb on 30 July 1918.