Unless you are a student of WWI aviation, you may not know that for most of the conflict, the Royal Navy had its own squadrons flying combat along side the Royal Flying Corps. This was the Royal Naval Air Service and in many ways, they were better equipped to handle the newer German aircraft they encountered.

The RNAS seemed to prefer Sopwith aircraft and were the first to fly the Pup, the superb Triplane (which was only flown by RNAS pilots and which Fokker copied to some extent for the famous Dr.I) and the Camel. Thanks to this superiority or parity in aircraft, the RNAS was able to produce a considerable number of aces, especially when compared to the number of pilots in the RFC.

This book by Jon Guttman covers the first part in the story of RNAS pilots as they concentrated their operations along the Flanders coast, as befits their service. Not only were they flying Sopwith land fighters, but they were also flying the Sopwith Baby, a float plane fighter that also had some success against the German water borne aircraft. Bombers are also covered for during the war the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter and the DeHavilland DH.4 were used to shoot down enemy planes.

The book covers mostly the land based planes in this volume starting in early 1915 with units operating in both the Dunkirk area and in the Mediterranean around the Dardenelles. It concentrates on Western Europe and continues until the end of the war, even after the RNAS was incorporated into the new RAF in April of 1918.

As is usual with this series, it is told in a sort of diary presentation covering unit histories as well as the pilots and planes they flew. There are many of the much-beloved pilot stories of their individual actions that are part of what make this series so popular.

In addition to the pilot stories, there are superb period photos and a goodly selection of full color profiles; just what we have all come to expect from Osprey. It is a book that I found fascinating to read and I am sure you will as well. It is one that I can most easily recommend to you. 

July 2011

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