First aircraft in a naval battle

The World War 1 Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 was the greatest, purely naval battle of modern times. It was also historic as it was the first time that an aircraft was involved in a naval battle. After contact had been made between the British and German cruiser screens, Flight Lieutenant F J Rutland was ordered to take off at 15:08 hours for reconnaissance in Seaplane No.8359 – a Short 184 - from HMS Engadine, a seaplane tender. He and his observer reported course changes of one of the enemy cruisers before a carburettor pipe broke and curtailed the sortie. Later in World War II, Rutland was charged as a Japanese collaborator and imprisoned in Brixton Prison, London until 1944 – he later committed suicide.