The 1914 trial is presented as the first aerial-torpedo drop. Lieutenant Longmore, later an air chief marshal, released the weapon from a Short Folder. HMS Ark Royal, also built in 1914, embodied the parallel development of a purpose-built ship able to carry and support seaplanes. These experiments developed an offensive role for aircraft alongside the specialist ships needed to support naval flying.
Chapter · 37:47-38:50
The aerial torpedo and HMS Ark Royal
Lieutenant Longmore's 1914 first aerial-torpedo trial and the purpose-built seaplane carrier HMS Ark Royal marked the shift from improvised scouting toward offensive aircraft supported by specialist ships.