FLEET and EARLY AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
10.
Argus -
14,000 tons, 20 knots, 20 aircraft, 370 crew plus
aircrew, 1918, survived
HMS Argus (All
photographs courtesy Cyberheritage)
11.Eagle - 22,600 tons, 24 knots, 20
aircraft, 750 crew plus aircrew, 1920, lost
EAGLE (Capt L D Mackintosh), 11th
August 1942, Western Mediterranean, north of Algiers, Algeria
(38-05'N, 3-02'E) - by 4 torpedoes from German U-73. Providing air cover for
Gibraltar/Malta convoy 'Pedestal'; 260 men lost out a
wartime crew of 1,160 (Malta Convoys)
12. Hermes - 10,800 tons, 25 knots, 15
aircraft, 660 crew plus aircrew, 1923, lost
HERMES (Capt Onslow+), 9th April 1942,
Indian
Ocean off south
east coast of Ceylon (c 7-30'N, 82-00'E) - by Japanese
carrier dive-bombers. Part of British Eastern Fleet
returning to Trincomalee (Japanese Carrier Attacks on
Ceylon)
13. Furious - 22,400 tons, 30 knots, 36
aircraft, 1,200 crew, 1925, survived
14. Courageous class - 22,500
tons, 30 knots, 48 aircraft, 1,200 crew, 1928/30, 2 ships, both lost
HMS Glorious
COURAGEOUS (Capt Makeig-Jones+), 17th
September 1939, North Atlantic, south west of Ireland (c 50-00'N,
15-00'W) - by 2 torpedoes from German U.29. On anti-U-boat patrol with
destroyer screen in Western Approaches to British
Isles; 514 men lost from crew of 1,260 (Battle of the
Atlantic).
GLORIOUS (Capt Guy D'Oyly-Hughes+), 8th
June 1940, Western Europe, west of Lofoten Islands in Norwegian
Sea (c 69-00'N, 5-00'E) - by 11in gunfire of German
battlecruisers 'Scharnhorst' and 'Gneisenau'. Sailing independently from
northern Norway at end of Allied evacuation; 1,207
men lost, c40 survivors. Escorting destroyers
'Acasta' and 'Ardent' also sunk (Norwegian Campaign)
15.
Ark Royal -
22,000 tons, 31 knots, 60 aircraft, 1,570 crew, 1938, lost
ARK ROYAL (Capt Maund), 14th November 1941, foundered
in tow in Western Mediterranean, 30 miles east of Gibraltar (c
36-00'N, 5-00'W) - by 1 torpedo on the 13th from German U-81. Returning with Force 'H' to
Gibraltar after ferrying Hurricane fighters within
flying range of Malta; 1 man killed. (Battle for
Malta )
16. Illustrious class - 23,000 tons, 31 knots, 36+
aircraft, 1,400 crew, 1940-44, 6 ships, all survived
HMS Formidable
Ships -
FORMIDABLE, ILLUSTRIOUS, IMPLACABLE, INDEFATIGABLE,
INDOMITABLE, VICTORIOUS,
17. Unicorn - 14,700 tons, 24 knots, 35
aircraft, 1,200 crew, 1943, built
as aircraft maintenance ship, survived
HMS Unicorn post-war
18. Colossus class - 13,200 tons, 25 knots, 40
aircraft, 1,300 crew, 1944-45, 6 ships completed by war's
end, none lost. 'Pioneer' commissioned as aircraft
maintenance ship
HMS Vengeance
Ships -
COLOSSUS, GLORY, OCEAN, PIONEER, VENERABLE, VENGEANCE
ESCORT CARRIERS
19. Audacity - 11,000 tons deep load, 15 knots,
6 aircraft, 1941, ex-German prize 'Hannover', lost
AUDACITY (Cdr MacKendrick), 21st
December 1941, North Atlantic, east of Azores (c 39-00'N, 20-00'W) -
by 3 torpedoes from German U-751. Providing air cover for
Gibraltar/UK convoy HG.76 (Battle of the Atlantic)
20. Archer class - 8,200 tons, 17 knots, 15
aircraft, 550 crew, 1941-42, 5 ships built in US,
'Charger' retained by US Navy as training ship, 2 lost
AVENGER (Capt Colthurst), 15th
November 1942, North Atlantic off the Strait of Gibraltar (36-15'N,
7-45'W) - by 1 torpedo from German U.155. Providing air cover for
return North Africa/UK convoy MKF.1 following
Operation 'Torch' (French North Africa Campaign)
DASHER, 27th March 1943, Western Europe, 5 miles south of Cumbraes
Island in Firth of Clyde, SW Scotland - by aviation
gasoline explosion.
Working up after repairs to storm-damage sustained
during Russian convoy JW.53 the previous month
(following Russian Convoy)
Surviving ships -
ARCHER, BITER, CHARGER
21. Attacker class - 11,400 tons, 17 knots, 18
aircraft, 650 crew, 1942-43, 8 ships all built in US
HMS Fencer
Ships -
ATTACKER, BATTLER, CHASER, FENCER, HUNTER, PURSUER,
STALKER, STRIKER
22. Ruler class - 11,400 tons, 17 knots, 24
aircraft, 650 crew, 1943-44, 26 ships all built in US
(some sources include 'Ravager', 'Searcher' and 'Tracker'
in 'Attacker' class), 2 not repaired
HMS Queen
NABOB (RCN-manned), damaged 22nd August 1944, Arctic Ocean, north west of North Cape in
Barents Sea (c. 72-00'N, 19-00'E) - by 1 torpedo from
German
U-354. With Home
Fleet covering Fleet Air Arm attack on the 'Tirpitz'
in Altenfiord, Norway and also Russian convoy JW.59.
Not repaired and laid up. (Russian Convoys)
THANE, damaged 15th January, 1945, Western Europe, off Clyde Light Vessel in
Firth of Clyde, SW Scotland - by 1 torpedo from German U-482. Believed ferrying aircraft
from Northern Ireland to Britain. Not repaired and
laid up.
Surviving
ships - AMEER, ARBITER, ATHELING, BEGUM, EMPEROR,
EMPRESS, KHEDIVE, PATROLLER, PREMIER, PUNCHER, QUEEN,
RAJAH, RANEE, RAVAGER, REAPER, RULER, SEARCHER, SHAH,
SLINGER, SMITER, SPEAKER, TRACKER, TROUNCER,
TRUMPETER
23. British-built Escort carriers
adapted from merchant ship hulls - circa 12,000 tons, 17 knots, 15
aircraft, 700 crew, 1942-44, 4 ships built in Britain
HMS Nairana
Ships -
ACTIVITY, CAMPANIA, NAIRANA, VINDEX
24. Pretoria Castle - 17,400 tons, 17 knots, 15
aircraft, 1943, ex-armed merchant cruiser
CATAPULT ARMED MERCHANTMEN (CAM-Ships)
Ordinary
merchant ships fitted with a rocket driven catapult on
the forecastle. They carried one Mk1(a) Hurricane with
minimum modifications and flown by volunteer RAF pilots,
were known as Sea Hurricanes, "Catafighters" or
"Hurricats". Quickly put into service in 1941
before the first escort carriers appeared with the aim of
driving off or shooting down German bombers and
reconnaissance aircraft, particularly Focke Wulf Condors.
Once flown off the pilot usually had to ditch and hope to
be picked up, or make for the nearest friendly shore. The
first ships were requisitioned for Naval Service as
Auxiliary Fighter Catapult Ships and sailed under the
White Ensign. Later CAM-ships were merchantmen. According
to Cdr Rippon in "Evolution of Engineering in the
Royal Navy", Volume 2, some 35 CAM-ships made about
175 voyages in two years - twelve were lost, eight
catapult launchings were made, six enemy aircraft shot
down and one RAF pilot lost. Requisitioned Auxiliary
Fighter Catapult Ships included "Ariguani",
"Maplin" and two more, which were lost in 1941:
PATIA (5,350t, completed 1922), lost 27th April 1941, Western Europe, off Northumberland, NE coast
of England - German bombers
SPRINGBANK (5,150t, completed 1926), lost 27th September 1941, North Atlantic - torpedoed by German U-boat
MERCHANT AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (MAC-Ships)
Oil or grain
bulk cargo carriers with superstructures removed and
flight decks added. Manned by Merchant Navy crews, with
Fleet Air Arm personnel to maintain and fly the aircraft
- mainly A/S Swordfish and Sea Hurricanes. They flew the
Red Ensign and some aircraft carried "Merchant
Navy" instead of "Royal Navy" on their
fuselage.
25. Empire class Grain Carriers - 8,000 tons, 12 knots, 4
aircraft, crew not known, launched December
1942-January 1944. Equipped with hangar and lift, 7
ships - EMPIRE MacALPINE, EMPIRE MacKENDRICK, EMPIRE
MacANDREW, EMPIRE MacDERMOTT, EMPIRE MacRAE, EMPIRE
MacCALLUM,
26. Empire Class Oil Tankers - 9,000 tons, 12 knots,
3 aircraft, crew not known, launched May-July 1943.
No hangar and lift, aircraft maintained and stored on
deck, 4 ships - EMPIRE MacKAY, EMPIRE MacCOLL, EMPIRE
MacMAHON, EMPIRE MacCABE
27. Rapana Class Oil Tankers - 12,000 tons, 12 knots, 3
aircraft, crew not known, converted 1942-44,
Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company tankers.
"Gadila" and "Macoma" operated
under the Dutch ensign. No hangar and lift, aircraft
maintained and stored on deck, 9 ships - ACARUS,
ADULA, ALEXIA, AMASTRA, ANCYLUS, GADILA, MACOMA,
MIRALDA, RAPANA
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