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FIRST FLIGHTS: AVIATION IN THE RAN 1914 - 1918

The Ship’s Flight

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EARLY NAVAL DEVELOPMENTS

• Continental vs Maritime Strategies

• The Empire Navy vs Local Dominion Forces

• The Naval Agreement Act 1903

• Deakin and Creswell

RADM Sir William Creswell

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EARLY NAVAL DEVELOPMENTS

• The RAN Fleet Unit

• Submarines?

• Henderson Report

• Force Structure Ambitions

• Aviation – not at firstHMAS Huon

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AVIATION DEVELOPMENTS

• Army prize for flying machine – 1909

• First Australian powered flight – March 1910

• AFC – 22 October 1912

• CFS Pt Cook – 1914• Progress slow…

isolation… resources…priorities

RAAF Point Cook

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NAVAL AVIATION STIRRINGS

• Potential for scouting and attack

• ‘Water planes’ for northern defence

• Seaplanes for bases in the north

• Joint naval and military flying school

• Lack of local expertise Bristol Boxkite

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NAVAL AVIATION STIRRINGS• Looking for a few good

men…• Education• Temperament…• “…the best pilots were

usually highly strung individuals…a bundle of nerves…”.

• 1914-15 Estimates to fund training

• Four small ‘sea planes’ plus depot ship to be the start HMAS Australia – trial and error

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THE FIRST WORLD WAR

• Admiralty control

• RNAS – defence of the homeland

• RN initiatives

• Major combatants and aircraft

HMS Engadine – seaplane carrier

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THE FIRST WORLD WAR

• HMAS Brisbane

– Embarked Sopwith Baby in Indian Ocean

– CO then wanted to carry two

– Reported on their utility in defence of Australia

Sopwith Baby

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THE FIRST WORLD WAR

• The Otranto barrage

• RAN involved from late 1917

• Surface patrols north of the fixed barrage

• Land based air in support

The Otranto barrage

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THE FIRST WORLD WAR

• Yarra, Huon andParramatta• Manned balloons• At least two

submarine sightings

• No successful actions

• Cumbersome and unreliable

HMAS Yarra with observation balloon

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THE FIRST WORLD WAR

• HMAS Sydney– Dumaresq in

command April 1917

– Wanted aircraft on light cruisers to counter Zeppelins

– Mods to Sydney completed November 1917

Rear Admiral J.S Dumaresq

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FIRST WORLD WAR

• HMAS Sydney– First flight 8 December

1917 – Sopwith Pup

– Aircraft had to land in the water

– Further trials also successful

– Sydney had a Sopwith Camel by April 1918

Sopwith Camel launching

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FIRST WORLD WAR

• HMAS Sydney– 1 June 1918

operating in North Sea

– Force attacked by German aircraft

– Sydney and Melbourne launched Camels

– Melbourne’s Camel returned without sighting enemy

Sopwith Camel cockpit

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FIRST WORLD WAR

• Sharwood chased and engaged

• Claimed a probable• Might have been a

first• German use of

aircraft for strike direction

HMAS Sydney’s Camel

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FIRST WORLD WAR • Sharwood …”…the Camel

was brought down to about four or five feet above the wave tops and held off until it stalled. Then the fun began. The safety belt had been released and when the wheels …struck the water perhaps at 40 or 45 knots the tail went up like greased lightning and the nose…plunged down into the sea…the pilot was flicked out as the tail went up…and he went into the water head first with a lifejacket and a leather coat on, about 20 yards ahead of the Camel”.

Sopwith Camel

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FIRST WORLD WAR

• HMAS Melbourne’s experience:– Pilot had great difficulty

finding the German aircraft

– Never sighted Sharwood

– Wasn’t aware Sharwood launched at same time

• Aircraft needed to be already airborne for successful intercept

HMAS Melbourne and HMS Southampton from HMAS Sydney

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FIRST WORLD WAR

• HMAS Australia– First launch from

deck vice platform

– Also launched from turret platforms

– First launch of a two seater – Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter

Report of deck launch from HMAS Australia

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FIRST WORLD WAR

• The battle cruisers each carried two aircraft:– fighter forward for

anti – Zeppelin work– two seater aft for

scouting

HMAS Australia with Sopwith Pup

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PREPARING FOR A NAVAL AIR SERVICE

• RAN aims– December 1917 - 4

Sopwith Babies– May 1918 –

seaplane carrier– May 1918 – airships

and balloons

• Look to US for aircraft

• RN unable to supply

Sopwith Baby

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POST-WAR DEVELOPMENTS

• Lack of existing organization…

• Government hesitant• Inter-Service rivalry –

Army and then RAAF• Revulsion at WW1

costs• Severe funding cuts • 1928 – RAAF won

argument

Fairey IIID

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CONCLUSIONS

• RAN relatively quick to see potential of aviation but failed to establish an organization before or during the War

• Isolation a problem – had to rely on RN• Gained significant operational experience

during the War• RAN sought to establish Air Service post-War

but beaten by:– Competing priorities– Lack of funding– Inter-Service arguments