The Camel's predecessor, the Sopwith Pup, was no longer competitive against newer German fighters, such as the Albatros D.III, and thus the Camel was developed specifically to replace the Pup,[REF] as well as the Nieuport 17s that had been purchased from the French as an interim measure.
In May 1917, the first production contract for an initial batch of 250 Camels was issued by the British War Office [REF].