Sopwith Snipe - Definition

The Sopwith Snipe was a single-seat bi-plane fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF), designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War and was arguably the definitive fighter of the Allied side by the end of WWI.

The Snipe was designed by Herbert Smith, the chief designer of the Sopwith Company, in 1917. It was intended to be the replacement for arguably Sopwith's most famous aeroplane, the Sopwith Camel, which had performed remarkbly well during the First World War since it had entered service in 1916, and gained much fame for its exploits during the war. The Snipe began production in 1918, with over 4500 being ordered. It began to enter service that year, the last year of the war, and first joined No. 43 Squadron RAF. The Snipe also saw service with the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) and post-WW1, with the Canadian Air Force (CAF), but ended service with the Canadians in 1923, a year before the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was formed.

The Snipe's structure gave far better visibility for the pilot in the cockipit compared to the Camel. It was a quite a manoeuvrable aircraft and was much easier to handle compared to the Camel. The Snipe also had a superior rate of climb compared to its predecessor allowing it fight Germany's newer fighters on more equal terms. Further modifications were made to the Snipe during the war and post-war. The Snipe was built around a single 230hp Bentley BR.2 rotary engine though its origins in the Camel design was still quite evident. It had a max speed of 121mph (the Camel's speed was 115mph) and an endurance of three hours. Its armament consisted of two forward 0.303-in Vickers machine guns and was also able to be armed with upto four 25lb bombs, identical to the Camel's armament.

The Snipe entered service in time to be involved operationally in the First World War and would prove to be a potent fighter during its brief involvement in the war, performing a variety of duties. Arguably the most famous incident the Snipe was involved in, occurred on the 27th October 1918. Major William George Barker, a Canadian in No. 201 Squadron, attacked a two-seater German aircraft and swiftly shot it down. However, Major Barker was soon attacked by a Fokker D.VII, which after some resistance, was shot down by the Canadian. Major Barker, by himself, was subsequently attacked by about sixty German Fokker D.VIIsin formation, an aircraft that was widely considered to be the ultimate German fighter design of WWI. Despite the odds, Major Barker ripped into the German aircraft, and even though he was suffering from quite horrific wounds, eventually achieved four kills. Barker managed to return to British lines safely where he crashed his Snipe. Major Barker was awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroic actions.

The Snipe gained rather a lot of combat victories in its short involement in the war. In 1919, the Snipe also took part in the Allied intervention on the side of the White Russians during the Russian Civil War against the Bolsheviks. A small amount of RAF Snipes were actually captured by the Bolsheviks and pressed into service. The production of the Snipe ended in 1919, with just under 500 being built, the rest were cancelled due to the wide-ranging cuts imposed on the British armed forces post-WWI. By the early 1920s, the Snipe began to be phased out of RAF service and by 1926, the Sopwith Snipe's career with the RAF was over.

Squadrons that operated the Sopwith Snipe

• Royal Flying Corps / Royal Air Force
  • No. 23 Squadron
  • No. 25 Squadron
  • No. 29 Squadron
  • No. 43 Squadron
  • No. 70 Squadron
  • No. 78 Squadron
  • No. 87 Squadron
  • No. 201 Squadron
  • No. 208 Squadron

• Australian Flying Corps
  • No. 4 Squadron
  • No. 8 Squadron

• Canadian Air Force (pre-Royal Canadian Air Force)
  • No. 1 Squadron