A & C
I don't think the Smuts Report was solely concerned with strategic air operations. It was also influenced by overlapping responsibilties and scandalous waste during WW1. While the Zeppelins rumbled overhead the RFC and RNAS tended to sit around mumbling "not my part of ship, guv!" In 1916 the RN aircraft parks were crammed full of good aircraft doing sod-all while the RFC were getting their ar*es shot off in France. in the end the RNAS sent some squadrons to France under Army higher command. No 8 Sqn RNAS was one of them and formed at Dunkirk in Oct 1916. It performed brilliantly with sopwith Pups, Tripes, Camels and Snipes and was absorbed into the RAF as No 208 Sqn .
