The Blackburn Blackburn's place in early carrier ASW

What was the Royal Navy's first anti-submarine aircraft?

The Blackburn Blackburn is a strong candidate because submarine spotting formed part of its intended role from development.

The Blackburn Blackburn was probably the first Royal Navy aircraft developed with an anti-submarine role explicitly in view. Its contribution was spotting submarines rather than carrying the mature sensor and weapon suite associated with later ASW aircraft. That distinction places it at the beginning of a long transition from visual reconnaissance to radar, magnetic detection, sonar, and guided weapons. This ungainly aircraft therefore has a clear place in the institutional history of carrier-based ASW.