AVIATION ART HANGAR - Just Airborne, At Sea by Keith Ferris (Sopwith 2F.1 Camel)
Just over 90 years ago (11 August 1918) Lt Stuart Culley (an 18 year old Canadian) took off from what must still be the world’s smallest flight deck to intercept and destroy Zeppelin L.53.
Zeppelins commanders at the time knew they were immune from interception over the North Sea as the nearest British land base was at Harwich which would require a fighter aircraft with a radius of action of 500miles for interception and no such aircraft existed.
So the British Navy hit upon the idea of towing a plane out to sea to get nearer to any Zeppelin force that approached the area. It was an ingenious trap. To lure a Zeppelin into the vicinity faked wireless message were sent out discussing tactics for a mock naval battle, which the British knew the Germans would intercept.
The ‘carrier’ for the Sopwith Camel, was a small lighter boarded over making a 30 ft flight deck and towed out to sea by HMS Redoubt at around 30kts which was expected to be enough to get the Camel airborne.
Sure enough at around 0830hrs the ‘lured’ Zeppelin, L53, was sighted and the Camel was ‘launched’ at precisely 0841hrs. It took Culley 49 minutes to climb and position himself 300ft below L.53’s altitude of 19,000ft.. His number one gun jammed after only seven rounds but a “double charger” from his number two gun caused the airship to erupt in flames. After searching for the task force ships (it took two hours with only one pint of fuel in his tank remaining) he ditched close by. So successful was his ditch that the Camel was easily retrieved and was flying again soon after its arrival on dry land.
For his brave effort Culley was awarded the DSO. The man who swung the Camel’s prop on the precarious lighter was awarded the Air Force Medal for his bravery.
The Camel flown by Culley remains a museum piece. (in Canada now?)
Photos: Sopwith Camel 2F1 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net 
(From an article written by Geoffrey Norris for Royal Air Force Flying Review November 1956)
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