In 1915 the British Admiralty requested the design for a 2-seat bomber to be used on the Western Front. The Sopwith Company, using the design skills of Fred Sigrist and Herbert Smith completed the design and construction of a prototype in December 1915. The configuration of the attachment of the upper wing to the fuselage was unique in its use of interplane and cabine struts in a trestle-shape. While officially known as the Sopwith Type 9400 (based on the serial number of the prototype) the nickname of "1 ˝ Strutter was soon in common useage. The French aviation authorities were sufficiently impressed with the aircraft that they began building their own models in 1916 and continued unit about April 1918. Some 4200 aircraft were built by Awiot, Bessoneau, Darraq, Lioré et Oliver, Hanriot, Sarazin, S.F.A., and R.E.P.

Between February and May 1918 the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps. purchased 514 machines from the French (384 reconnaissance and 130 single-seat bombers). The reconnaissance machines had either a150 hp LeRhône 9Jby engine or the 130 hp Clerget 9Bc engine. The single-seat bombers had the 135 Clerget 9Ba engine.

The U.S. Navy purchased four Strutters. They were based at NAS Mouchic for training, with two of them eventually being sent to NAS Pauillac. The Army machines were intended to be used for training—mostly at Issoudun. However, due to a lack of more up-to-date aircraft the 80th, 90th, and 99th Aero Squadrons had to fly these machines operationally for a short time until more suitable aircraft could be obtrained from the French and British. None of the single-seat bombers were assigned to Day Bombardment due to a strong dislike by the pilots, based on its obsolete design and the underpowered nature of the aircraft.