A total of three hundred and forty Sopwith Camel 2F1's are known to have been produced, they served on four carriers, 10 battleships, and 17 cruisers during WW1. It is of note that Sopwith Camel 2F1's made the first ever carrier strike when on the 19th of July 1918, seven Sopwith Camel 2F1's fitted with 50 pound bombs were launched from the RN carrier HMS Furious, their target the three massive Zeppelin hangars at Tondern, the attack was successful, destroying some of the hangers and Zeppelins L54 and L60. The Sopwith Camel 2F1 fighter pictured above is displayed in London's Imperial war museum and has an interesting history, on the 11th of August 1918 it was launched from a lighter towed in excess of thirty knots into wind behind the Royal Navy's destroyer HMS Redoubt, the fighter was flown by Flight Sub-Lieutenant Stuart D Culley, Culley successfully intercepted and shot down the German Zeppelin L.53 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Prölss, this was destined to be the last Zeppelin shot down in WW1, Sub-Lieutenant Culley then ditched his aircraft in the sea next to the Redoubt's lighter, and both he and his Sopwith Camel 2F1 were recovered, the aircraft being presented to the museum following the cessation of hostilities. |
