The Gotha WD.14 was conceived as a torpedo bomber that might help Germany answer the Royal Navy's numerical advantage and blockade. Its crew of three and gross weight above four and a half tonnes show the scale of the proposed offensive role. About seventy were built, moving the design beyond a one-off experiment while keeping production modest. The WD.14 belongs to a wider effort to find aviation missions that could offset an unfavorable naval balance.
Notable Point · 18:49-20:28
The Gotha WD.14 and German torpedo-bomber ambitions
The Gotha WD.14 reflects German hopes that torpedo aircraft might help offset the Royal Navy's blockade advantage.