In 1917, RNAS aircraft searched roughly 4,000 square miles each day across the Channel, North Sea, and approaches to the Strait of Gibraltar. These patrols gave naval aviation an established anti-submarine role before the 1918 transfer. Aircraft could force submarines to dive, interfering with their ability to operate on the surface. The number of forced dives is unknown, so their effect cannot be reduced to a precise total. Retaining the fleet units would preserve this maritime-patrol experience alongside ship-based aviation.
Notable Point · 42:20-42:58
RNAS patrols against U-boats in 1917
Before the 1918 transfer, RNAS aircraft already searched thousands of square miles for U-boats each day, giving the fleet a practical patrol capability worth retaining.