First seaplane carrying ship?

[Stratos]

Hello, wondering If anyone know the first ship (and year of first continuous operations ) that carried a seaplane for recon and artillery spotting duties and the model of the plane. Don't know when the first naval aviation started from cruisers/bb and is a feat I will like to know thanks.

[old_pop2000]

Hello, wondering If anyone know the first ship (and year of first continuous operations ) that carried a seaplane for recon and artillery spotting duties and the model of the plane. Don't know when the first naval aviation started from cruisers/bb and is a feat I will like to know thanks.

The British seaplane carrier Hermes was the first British seaplane carrier launched in 1913. She carried 3 seaplanes. The Japanese converted a freighter, the Wakamiya Maru in 1913 into a seaplane tender. That ship carried about two Maurice Farman floatplanes. The British Hermes was the first to actually set sail with the expressed purpose of launching and recovering seaplanes. However, the French Foudre was modified in 1911 as a seaplane carrier. she used a Breguet with a single float and Nieuports with two floats. The Foudre was the world's first seaplane depot ship in 1911. She was modified in 1912 and served as a seaplane carrier so she has to be the first seaplane carrier by one year over the HMS Hermes.

Here is a link to Hazegray's page on French seaplane carriers - http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/france.htm#foud

[Stratos]

Thanks, but Im thinking more on non-carrier ships, but cruisers orbattleships.

[Stratos]

Battleship Texas in 1919 was the first battleship from which an aircraft took off , a Sopwith Camel.

Thtas the problem finding the information I need, there are resuñts for carrier aviation start, but not for scout seaplanes.

[old_pop2000]

Thtas the problem finding the information I need, there are resuñts for carrier aviation start, but not for scout seaplanes.

The first class of US cruisers to carry scout seaplanes was the Pensacola's, they carried two. The problem is that the catapult for launching seaplanes from ships wasn't designed until 1912. It was actually designed by a naval enlisted man and tested on 12 November 1912 at the Washington Naval Yard. The following spring, during exercises off of Cuba, the entire naval seaplane force was used, launching from catapults on top of the forward turrets. It wasn't until later that the catapults were integrated into the design of the ships, usually being placed amidships but later on the stern, depending on the ship. The HMS Hermes came a year later. The first use in combat was against Pancho Villa in April of 1914 near Tampico. The USS Birmingham and USS Mississippi had a detachment of seaplanes used to perform reconnaissance missions.

The enlisted man, btw, was Quarterman Joiner Keithley whose idea of a light moveable platform above the turrets of battleships was eventually adopted. I hope that gives you something to work with in your search.

[Stratos]

That was prettyuseful, as with Joiner search I found the info I needed. Thanks.

[Randomizer]

Battleship Texas in 1919 was the first battleship from which an aircraft took off , a Sopwith Camel.
10 January 1912 Lt. Charles Sampson flew a Short S.27 floatplane off a specially built ramp on the battleship HMS Britannia. Lt Sampson would die in 1918 trying to land his Sopwith Pup on the fore deck of HMS Furious, the first naval aviator to die in a flight deck accident.

From late 1917 several Grand Fleet battleships were fitted with flying off platforms mounted on the forward superimposed turrets. The planes, generally Pups, could not land back aboard and were either ditched or made their way to land after being launched. Pups were preferred over Camels because they had fewer vices and were far easier to handle. A number of wartime sorties were flown including an attempt to intercept a naval zeppelin and all long before the trial run off USS Texas.

[old_pop2000]

10 January 1912 Lt. Charles Sampson flew a Short S.27 floatplane off a specially built ramp on the battleship HMS Britannia. Lt Sampson would die in 1918 trying to land his Sopwith Pup on the fore deck of HMS Furious, the first naval aviator to die in a flight deck accident.

From late 1917 several Grand Fleet battleships were fitted with flying off platforms mounted on the forward superimposed turrets. The planes, generally Pups, could not land back aboard and were either ditched or made their way to land after being launched. Pups were preferred over Camels because they had fewer vices and were far easier to handle. A number of wartime sorties were flown including an attempt to intercept a naval zeppelin and all long before the trial run off USS Texas.

Actually, on 10 January 1912 he performed the takeoff on the HMS Africa then he performed the same launch from the HMS Hibernia off of Weymouth, that ship was underway at the time. That was on 4 May 1912. The Hibernia was a King Edward III class pre-dreadnought.

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_hibernia.htm

http://www.fleetairarmoa.org/pages/fleet_air_arm_history/history.shtml

[Randomizer]

Read Africa, wrote Britannia. Was taking a break from modding the Steam and Iron scenario Tondern 1916 to include 3BS and the remaining Wobbly Eight and had Britannia on the brain.

My reference is Before the Aircraft Carrier; The Development of Aviation Vessels 1849-1922 by R.D. Layman.

[old_pop2000]

Read Africa, wrote Britannia. Was taking a break from modding the Steam and Iron scenario Tondern 1916 to include 3BS and the remaining Wobbly Eight and had Britannia on the brain.

My reference is Before the Aircraft Carrier; The Development of Aviation Vessels 1849-1922 by R.D. Layman.

I used to do that all the time on the forum. Now, I use wordpad, write my post, check spelling, grammar and facts, then post it using copy and paste. Saves many senior moments, I have enough of them. Thanks for the reference, I will look for that.