Soviet naval aviation officially dates its formation to 1918 and the Russian Civil War. The M-11s and M-12s illustrate an aviation arm built around what could actually be fielded and supported. Flying boats and seaplanes could patrol, reconnoitre, and add defensive warning while drawing on naval bases rather than a large network of new land airfields. Their usefulness in the Civil War and occasional air combat did not make them a large force, and nominal service lists could exaggerate what was available in operational numbers. Maritime surveillance also demanded repeated sorties and sustained presence, unlike a static land watch post. The basic mission - seeing danger before it reached the coast - was already clear even when the means remained thin.
Chapter · 16:42-19:47
Flying boats as the 1920s patrol solution
Early Soviet naval aviation relied heavily on flying boats because reconnaissance mattered and dedicated airfield infrastructure was expensive.