When USA entered World War I, they did it under the idea that a powerful bombing force could help to shorten - or even finish - the war. The Aviation Section of the US Signal Corps had not, however, indigenous aircraft to perform aerial raids, so they had acquired some Liberty-engined Airco DH-4 bombers. However, as the Frenchs promised to deliver 1.500 Bréguet 14, they accepted the deal as an interim solution while waiting for the DH-4. Eventually, at the day of the German Armistice, only 290 were delivered.
The initial American order comprised just 376 being 100 of them of the Et.2 trainer variant, 229 Br.14A.2 recon aircraft and 47 Br.14B.2 bombers with around half of them being powered by the Italian Fiat A-12 or A-12bis engine.
The first Br.14s were eventually delivered to the American squadrons based in French and so, the 96th Aero Squadron was the first unit to fly the Br.14B.2 operationally, having done some previous training at the Michelin Brothers testing field on 1st December 1917.
The 96th Aero Squadron (which was also the first American operational day bombardment unit) took 10 Br.B2 to Amanty airfield, in the Meuse department on 18th March 1918. According to various reports, the supplied machines were in poor state and, given the lack of French supplies, squadron's mechanics had to make use of modified farm machinery parts. Their first raid took place on 12th June. However, the Br.14B.2s were in such bad condition that many other raids had to be cancelled. Given the bad status of the aircraft, no American day bomber units took part in the Chateau-Thierry offensive in July, with the exception of a smaller raid carried out on 10th July when six Br.14B.2 took off to bomb the railroad yards at Conflans, in the Seine-et-Oise department, with the result of all the six pilots being captured because of their lack of experience.
On 10th September 1918, two days before the beginning of the St. Mihiel offensive, the 96th Aero Squadron was assigned to the 1st Day Bombardment Group. During this offensive, they carried out ground support missions and bombed rail centers. Given the muddy state of many airfields, a lot of Br.14s were damaged when landing, causing the lost of 16 men and 14 airplanes in just five days; the worst loss rate of any American Expeditionary Force (AEF) during the war. The 96th had to be reconstituted with new crew members and aircraft and was ready again on time for the Meuse-Argonne offensive in September. However, because of bad weather, they only could fly for two days in November.
Other squadrons in the 1st Day Bombardment Group were equipped with the Liberty-engined Airco DH-4. It was, however, believed that the Br.14B.2 was better as the Gorrel Report stated that the Br.14 was faster at higher altitudes, carried a heavier amount of bombs and was equipped with an excellent defensive weaponry system. It had also a protected upper fuel tank and a droppable lower fuel tank. To top it off, the Michelin bomb rack was also praised by the report.
Other American units that employed the Br.14 were the 9th Aero Squadron (AKA 9th Night Reconnaissance Squadron) which employed the Br.14A.2 recon variant on various day observation missions, as well in various night recon and harassment missions, these last ones with mixed results. This unit operated over the Toul section of the front from 30th August to 11th September 1918 and saw action in both St. Mihiel and Argonne offensives.
The US Army's 99th Corps attached observation squadron, had also some Br.14A.2 for a short period of time.
The trainer variant, Br.14Et.2 was also employed by various Aviation Instruction Centres of the AEF in France, among them, the 7th and the 2nd in Aulnat and Tours aerodromes respectively.
After the war one single Br.14B.2 was shipped to the USA, where it was modified with corrugated-metal fuselage, fitted with floaters, converted into a transport aircraft and received the name of Yackey BRL-12 Transport, as the conversion was made by Yackey Aircraft Company, in Chicago.
One machine was converted in 1926 for Dr. Matthew Stirling to take part in his New Guinea Expedition at the cost of $7.500 of the time. After two months subjected to the moist tropical climate of New Guinea, the glue on the wooden floats deteriorated and the aircraft was abandoned at the banks of the Mamberamo river in New Guinea.
Sources:
1st Flying Machines Press - French Aircraft of the First World War
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bréguet_14
3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/96th_Aero_Squadron
4th http://all-aero.com/index.php/57-planes-x-y-z/18683-yackey-brl-12
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