Weymouth Bay 1912
WEYMOUTH BAY 1912: First launch of an aeroplane from a warship 'under steam'.
This picture was obtained from my Google Earth © derived database.
Note: See also the OVERCOMBE CORNER listing which includes a large section about the warship HMS Hibernia with several pictures. This having been mostly prepared several years before this information was provided.
THE NAVAL REVIEW
We have Mr Stephen Foster (of the EASTCHURCH Museum) to thank for providing the following accounts. As he points out these reports do contain several quite serious errors regarding some of the details, such as describing the aircraft as being "naval aircraft". They were not, all being privately owned at that time, a couple of which had been loaned to provide training to Naval Officers at EASTCHURCH. Nevertheless they do give us a great impression of the proceedings.
THE FIRST REPORT (A MODERN VERSION)
"Improved S27 No.38 was one of four naval aircraft to take part in the 1912 Fleet Review at Weymouth, the others being a Short S.41 tractor biplane, a Deperdussin monoplane and a Nieuport monoplane. It was flown by Commander Samson and Lieutenant Gregory. A display of the possibilities of naval aviation was made in the presence of King George V, including a demonstration of the use of aircraft for spotting submerged submarines and the dropping of a 300lb (140kg) dummy bomb by Gregory."
"The Times, reported on the 9th May 1912. The second day of the review. Naval aviator Lt. Charles Rumney Samson made history with the first take off of an aircraft from a moving ship. The aircraft involved was an improved Short S27 No.38 'amphibian', a pusher biplane carrying the serial number T2 and fitted with a 70hp Gnome engine, and one of two such aircraft belonging to the Naval Flying School at Eastchurch in Kent."
"The ship was the battleship HMS Hibernia under the command of Captain Grafton which, like HMS Africa, was a 12" battleship of the King Edward VII class which had been modified, using a ramp mounted to its gun turrets. When the warship was some three miles off the Portland Harbour breakwaters, and steaming at just over 10 knots, Lt Samson was launched over the warship's bows from a wooden platform on the foredeck. The aircraft rose after 45ft and flew over the breakwaters and across Weymouth Bay to land at the conclusion of his flight at the eastern end of Lodmoor, adjacent to where the town's local racecourse was once located." (My note: This was OVERCOMBE CORNER, aka LODMOOR)
"Afterwards the ramp was transferred to the battleship HMS London, and Samson repeated the feat on 4 July 19122 taking 25ft to take off whilst the ship was steaming at 12 knots into wind." (My note: It is impossible to ascertain accurate performance figures for these aircraft, and of course in those days there were no means to measure them. If rigged correctly a top speed of 45mph is quoted for the Short S.27 fitted with a 70hp Gnome engine. Assuming of course that the engine was in very good condition and tuned for peak performance, and, the best performing propeller being fitted. The Gnome had two power settings - flat out and off, The difference between 'safe' cruising speed and being stalled was minimal and turns had to be made very carefully as a result - a skidding turn using rudder seems to have been the preferred option rather than a banked turn. A balanced banked turn is a much safer option, but they didn't then know this. But of course the degree of bank could only be a few degrees at best).
A REPORT FROM FLIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 11 1912
Naval Aeroplanes at the Review.
"THE battleship "Hibernia", which, as we mentioned in our last issue had been fitted in the bows with a launching platform and had four aeroplanes on board, duly arrived at Portland to act as mother ship to the aquaplanes during the Naval Review." (My note: It appears that only the Short S.41 could have been described as an 'aquaplane', having had floats fitted). "Three of the machines were landed on the 3rd inst., and Commander Samson immediately tested "H.M.S. 'Amphibian'," offically supplied as Short No.41, which had been fitted with three torpedo-shaped floats thus converting it into a hydro-biplane".
"He got away from the beat-slip, (My note: Boat slip?), in front of the hangar, (My note: The term hangar had not been adopted until duting WW1 - it was a French term - in the UK they were called a 'shed'), at Portland, circled round the Fleet at anchor, and then returned to his starting point.He made three trips on the following day on this machine, in one of which he was accompanied as passenger by Admiral Callaghan's daughter, when Capt. Gerrard and Liets. Grey and Longmore were also flying over the Fleet. Lieut. Grey was up over two hours on the Deperdussin,"
"On Monday, the ships in the harbour moved out to meet the ramainder of the Fleet so that they might all come in together and as a preliminary to the flight to be carried out late in the week, Commander Samson flew out on his hydroaeroplane to escort them in. The Fleet was met about twelve miles out at sea, and Commander Samson then returned to Portland, circling over the harbour once or twice before alighting on the water, just by his shed. Earlier in the morning he had been flying the Short monoplane at Lodmoor, where the other naval aviators had been practising." (My note: It now seems that the "Short monoplane was likely to have been the Blériot X!?) Besides the Short machines there is also a Deperdussin and a Nieuport. In the afternoon Lieut.Gregory made a long flight over the Fleet on an ordinary Short biplane".
A SECOND REPORT FROM FLIGHT MAGAZINE, 18th MAY 1912
THE NAVAL REVIEW AND THE AVIATORS
"THE feats performed by the naval aviator, during the King's review of his ships, must have convinced the Naval authorities, if they needed any convincing, of the practical stage attained by aviation, and that the Navy does not lack officers who are quite competent to rank with any aviators in the world.Although to conditions were far from ideal, yet the flyers were able to carry out their arrangements, even although other portions of the programme had to be abandoned. As soon as word was recieved on Wednesday of last week, that the Royal yacht was within a dozen miles of Admiral Callaghan's flagship, intimation was given to Commander Samson and the other aviators, and all four at once set off to find the "Victoria and Albert".
"Commander Samson starting from Portland on HMS "Amphibian", and Lieut. Gregory on the Short biplane, Lieut. Longmore on the Deperdussin and Captain Gerrard on the Nieuport, followed one another in quick succession from Lodmore. All were quickly swallowed up in the fog, and the first to actually find the Royal yacht was Commander Samson who, ater circling above it, returned to his headquarters, having been in the air about an hour. Lieut. Gregory, Lieut. Longmore and Capt. Gerrard also circled above the yacht, the first named during a flight which lasted 1hr. 10mins."
"A further display was given in the afternoon, when Commander Samson took up a naval officer bearing a letter for the King. The waterplane came down on the sea alongside the Royal Yacht, and the messenger was taken off in a dinghy. After the machine had been resting on the sea for some time, it was restarted and carried out several manoeuvres before returning to its shed. In the meantime, Lieut. Gregory appeared at a safe distance from the Royal Yacht and discharged a dummy bomb, weighing 300lbs from a height of 500ft. While manoeuvring over H.M.S. "Neptune", Lieut. Gregory detected a submarine which was submerged to its periscope, and by way of diversion, sudeenly swooped down until he was 20ft of the sea, a manoeuvre which created a good deal of speculation".
"Lieut. Longmore and Capt. Gerrard were likewise out on their machines in the afternoon, and Mr. Grahame-White on a Nieuport, and Mr. Hucks on a Bleriot, both of whom had brought machines down specially, were also flying over the Bay. On the following day the fog made havoc of the arrangments, and the only flying accomplished was in the evening. when Commander Samson on the Short biplane, which had been piloted by Lieut. Gregory, took off from the special launching platform erected on H.M.S. "Hibernia". The machine rose easily, and flew round the bay before landing at Lodmore. On Friday the operations were concluded by Commander Samson making a trip round the fleet on a waterplane, while Liet. Gregory flew the other Short biplane. On returning to Lodmore this machine was run down to the beach and placed on a raft, which was towed to the "Hibernia".
NOTES
Just a very minor point of course, but note this reporter referring to LODMOOR as Lodmore. BUT!!! He, (and it was bound to be a "he" in those days) makes almost nothing of Commander Samson performing the first ever take-off from a moving ship - anywhere in the world!
Perhaps typically, being something of a cynic, I am astonshed that this "first" flight from a moving warship, appears not to have been practiced before? Or, was it? To undertake such a display in front of the King, the assembled Fleet, the press and therefore much of the world, without ascertaining what the likely problems might be, looks incredibly rash and foolhardy.
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