Editing Sopwith 1½ Strutter (section)

===In British service===
The prototype two seater flew in December 1915 and production deliveries started to reach the RNAS in February 1916.<ref name="Bruce I p544"/> By the end of April, No. 5 Wing RNAS had a flight equipped with the new aircraft. The Sopwiths were used to escort the wing's [[Caudron G.4]] and [[Breguet Bre.4]] bombers and for bombing.<ref name="Bruce I p545">Bruce 28 September 1956, p. 545.</ref><ref name="Thetford Navyp292">Thetford 1978, p. 292.</ref> The [[War Office]] had ordered the type for the RFC in March but because Sopwith's production capacity was contracted to the navy, the RFC orders had to be placed with Ruston Proctor and [[Vickers]].<ref name="Bruce RFC p500">Bruce 1982, p. 500.</ref> Sub-contract production from these manufacturers did not get into its stride until August. Since the [[Battle of the Somme]] was planned for the end of June and with the RFC having a shortage of modern aircraft, it was agreed that a number of Sopwiths would be transferred from one service to the other, allowing [[No. 70 Squadron RAF|70 Squadron]] to reach the front by early July 1916 with Sopwith-built {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters, originally intended for the Navy.<ref name="bruce RFC, p501,503">Bruce 1982, pp. 501, 503.</ref>

[[File:Sopwith 1 2-1 Strutter-2006.jpg|thumb|A replica Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter in 1916 RNAS livery, flying at a 2006 air show]]
At first, 70 Squadron did very well with their new aircraft. The period of German [[Air superiority|ascendency]] known as the [[Fokker scourge]] was over and the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter's long range and excellent armament enabled offensive patrolling deep into German-held territory.<ref name="Bruce II p587">Bruce 5 October 1956, p. 587.</ref> By the time [[No. 45 Squadron RAF|45 Squadron]] reached the front in October, the new [[Albatros D.I|Albatros]] fighters were arriving at the {{lang|de|[[Jagdstaffel]]n}}. By January 1917, when [[No. 43 Squadron RAF|43 Squadron]] arrived in France, the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter was outclassed as a fighter; a more powerful {{cvt|130|hp|kW}} Clerget 9B improved performance slightly but too late to reverse the situation.<ref name="Bruce RFC p504">Bruce 1982, p. 504.</ref> It was still a useful long-range reconnaissance aircraft when it could be provided with adequate fighter escort but was one of the types to suffer severely during "[[Bloody April]]", 43 squadron alone suffering 35 casualties, from an officer establishment of 32.<ref name="BruceII p588"/><ref>Herris and Pearson 2010, p. 51.</ref>

Like other early Sopwith types, the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter was very lightly built and its structure did not stand up very well to arduous war service. It was far too stable to make a good [[dogfighting|dogfighter]] and the distance between the pilot and the observer's cockpits impeded their communication. The last operational {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters in the RFC were replaced by [[Sopwith Camel]]s in late October 1917.<ref name="BruceII p588">Bruce 5 October 1956, p. 588.</ref>

The type's long range and stability were good qualities for a home defence fighter and it served with [[No. 37 Squadron RAF|37]], [[No. 44 Squadron RAF|44]] and [[No. 78 Squadron RAF|78]] squadrons. Most of the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters supplied to home defence units had been built as two-seaters but many were converted locally to single-seaters to improve performance. Some of these single-seaters were similar to the bomber variant but others were of a different type, known (like similarly adapted Sopwith Camels) as the '''Sopwith Comic'''. The cockpit was moved back behind the wings and one or two Lewis guns, either mounted on [[Foster mounting]]s or fixed to fire upwards, outside the arc of the propeller, replaced the synchronised Vickers.

The RNAS used most of their {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters as bombers (in the Aegean and Macedonia as well as in France) and as shipboard aircraft, where it was known as the '''Ship's Strutter''' and flew from [[aircraft carrier]]s, other warships of the [[Royal Navy]], and the battlecruiser {{HMAS|Australia|1911|6}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sopwith 1½ Strutter |url=https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/sopwith-1-12-strutter |website=Sea Power Centre, Australia |access-date=15 March 2025}}</ref> It had been planned to use them on the [[Tondern raid]], but Sopwith Camels were used instead. The RNAS and the RFC (and after April 1918 the [[Royal Air Force]] [RAF]) used the type as a trainer after it had been withdrawn from operational service and like the [[Sopwith Pup]], it proved a popular personal aircraft for senior officers.