Short Admiralty Type 166
This was Short's first purpose-designed torpedo carrier. Six (Nos.161 to 166) were under construction at the outbreak of the Great War. They never carried a torpedo due to the lack of engine power from the 200hp Salmson radial engine. Five of the six did see overseas service however aboard HMS
Ark Royal supporting Dardanelles operations. They bombed gun batteries at Salonika and spotted fire for the monitors HMS
Raglan and
Roberts.
Nos.163 and 166 were later given a wheeled undercarriage for operations by 'A' Squadron from RNAS Thasos.
In addition to the six built by Shorts, Westland Aircraft Works during 1916 built twenty more (Nos.9751 to 9770) armed with Lewis guns in the rear cockpit and racks for three 112lb bombs as well as receiving a wireless set. At least one saw use from Thasos as a landplane and they lasted in service until at least February 1917.