Flying Camels

During World War I U.S. naval aviators in Europe flew almost exclusively foreign-built aircraft, among them the Sopwith F.1 Camel. The Camel was one of the most successful fighters of the war, being flown by the British Army’s Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) as well as the U.S. Army and Navy. 1 The biplane was fast, maneuverable, and reliable. British aviation historian Kenneth Munson wrote: “Controversy over whether the Sopwith Camel or the [German] Fokker D.VII was the finest fighter aircraft of World War I will probably always persist; but the Camel is undisputed champion in terms of enemy aircraft destroyed, its tally—during only sixteen months of operations—being 1,294 victories.” 2

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