1 9 4 2
September Contractors
trials
30th Build completion and commissioned as HMS
ATTACKER.
Commanding
Officer Captain W W P Shirley-Tolliaon,
RN.
October Harbour Acceptance trials and
storing.
November Embarked
SWORDFISH aircraft and personnel.
12th Commenced Sea Trials including Deck
landings. off San Francisco.
December
9th Took passage from
San Francisco to Norfolk Va.
Carried
out flying trials with four SWORDFISH aircraft of 838 Squadron whilst on
passage.
22nd Transit of Panama Canal.
1 9 4 3
January Arrived
at Norfolk, Va after calls at Curacoa and Jamaica during passage.
to Work-up in continuation off Norfolk.
February Passage
to Jamaica
March Embarked
four SWORDFISH aircraft and personnel of 840 Squadron.
Took passage to UK with
Convoy CV1 from Jamaica.
Provided air cover for convoy during passage.
(Note: Convoy Identity to be confirmed
April
2nd Detached from convoy on arrival in Clyde and took passage to Liverpool.
10th Taken in hand for
modifications to suit RN use.
(Note: This work included:
Fitting British 4in gun in place of US 5in mounting.
Modification of petrol distribution system. as carried out in all US built
CVE after the loss of HMS DASHER following an explosion in 1943.)
May Refit and modification at Liverpool in continuation.
June Post refit trials.
15th Deployed in Clyde area for
aircraft trials and exercises.
886
Squadron and 879 Squadron SEAFIRE aircraft and personnel embarked.
July Clyde deployment
in continuation.
Nominated for service to Mediterranean.
(Note: British Type 79B radar for aircraft warning and Type
272 for warning of
surface targets were fitted during this period.)
August
3rd Took passage to Mediterranean with HM
Escort Aircraft Carrier STALKER.
10th Deployed in Mediterranean.
Allocated
for duty with Force V, Support Carrier Task Force during the planned
landings on Italian mainland at Salerno (Operation AVALANCHE)
September SEAFIRE
aircraft and personnel of 886 Squadron were also embarked.
5th Arrived at Malta for
AVALANCHE deployment.
Joined HM Escort Aircraft Carriers BATTLER, HUNTER, STALKER in Task
Force 88.
(Note: Other ships in TF88 were HM Cruisers EURYALUS, SCYLLA
and CHARYBDIS
with HM Destroyers CLEVELAND, HOLCOMBE, ATHERSTONE,
LIDDESDALE,
FARNDALE, CALPE Polish destroyers ORP SLAZAK and ORP KRAKOWIAK.)
8th Provided sir cover during passage of
assault convoy from Malta
9th Provided air
cover during assault landings at Salerno.
52
sorties flown
(Note: HMS ULSTER QUEEN, converted for use as a Fighter
Direction Ship was used for
control of aircraft during the landings.
10th Retained off Beach Head instead of
planned withdrawal due to delay in provision of airfield
ashore.
46 sorties flown.
(Note:
Enemy air attacks on the anchorage include use of radio controlled bombs for
the first
time in the Mediterranean theatre. See above references.)
11th Deployed off Beach
Head.
24 sorties flown.
12th Support of shore operations in
continuation
10
sorties Flown including one in which enemy aircraft was engaged and possibly
damaged.
13th Released from AVALANCHE and took passage
to Palermo with Force V.
(Note: High accident rate during landings reduced number of
aircraft available for transfer
to shore airfield.)
For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and the Naval
Staff History.)
16th Took passage to Gibraltar when Force
V was disbanded.
30th Part
of escort from Gibraltar for military convoy MKF24 and provided air cover during passage
to UK.
October Nominated
for further conversion for use as an Assault Carrier.
7th Detached from MKF24 on arrival in Clyde and took passage to Rosyth
for refit.
(Note: Ship was required for future landing operations.)
Squadron
aircraft and personnel disembarked.
10th Taken in hand for
refit by HM Dockyard.
(Note: Improved facilities were provided in Operations Room
for the command and control during
assault operations. See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)
November On
completion of post refit trials took passage from) Rosyth to Clyde.
December Deployed
in Clyde area for work-up and flying
exercises.
1 9 4 4
January Clyde deployment
in continuation.
22nd Sustained no damage when HM Escort
Aircraft Carrier CHASER dragged her anchor in Clyde
during gale and collided with ship.
24th Sustained damage when HM Escort Aircraft
Carrier FENCER dragged anchor in Clyde
during gale conditions and collided with ship.
February Repair
arranged in Liverpool shipyard and disembarked aircraft.
9th Taken in hand for
repair in Alexandra Dock.
March Under
repair.
16th On completion of repair resumed training
exercises in Clyde and re-embarked the aircraft of
879 Squadron.
(Note: 886 Squadron had been allocated for support of
landings in Normandy.)
31st At Belfast for Leave
Period.
April
17th Clyde training
deployment in continuation.
Nominated
for service with Home Fleet with HMS HUNTER and HMS STALKER in support
of attack on Norwegian coast shipping.
30th Sailed to join
Home Fleet at Scapa Flow for
Operation HOOPS.
(Note: HMS STALKER and HMS HUNTER were also to take part in
this planned attacks on
Norwegian
coast shipping which was cancelled )
May Deployment
with Home Fleet changed and transferred to Mediterranean.
14th Sailed from Liverpool as part of escort for
Convoys OS177/KMS51 and provided air
cover
during passage of convoy to Gibraltar.
Deployed in Mediterranean for
defence of convoys in western Mediterranean.
June Convoy defence deployment in continuation.
July Nominated
for support of allied landings in south France {Operation DRAGOON)
Aircraft
disembarked during Self Maintenance Period at Algiers.
(See
INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO).)
On
completion re-embarked Squadron and took passage to Malta to join Carrier Force
TF88.1).
(Note: TF88 also included HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
EMPEROR, KHEDIVE,
SEARCHER,
PURSUER, HM Cruisers ROYALIST, DELHI screened by five RN
destroyers and one Greek destroyer)
August Carried
out exercises off Malta prior to landings in South France
(Note: Task Group 88.1 was to provide fighter Protection,
spotting aircraft and close support
during landings.. See above reference.)
15th Arrived in Assault
area and commenced flying operations.
(Note: Sailing delayed for two hours by steering defect.)
Deployed
in position south of Beach Head and carried out air attacks and duties as
required by
Air
Task Force Commander.
(Note: Loss of four aircraft during deck landings to be
confirmed..)
Retired
to south of area after nightfall.
16th DRAGOON Support in continuation.
to Sorties
included strike against coastal defences, bombardment spotting for HM Cruiser
18th AURORA and
reconnaissance missions. See above reference.
19th Took passage with TF88.1 to Maddalena to refuel and rearm
22nd Resumed flying operations off Beach Head
with ships of TF88.1 in position
south of Marseilles.
Carried out air strikes as required.
24th Returned to Maddalena
with ships of TF88.1
28th Released from DRAGOON and returned to RN
control by CinC
Mediterranean.
Took passage to Alexandria.
{Note: Sailing from Maddalena was
delayed by 24 hours due to generator defect.)
30th Joined British Aegean Force for support
of operations to occupy islands in Eastern Mediterranean.
September
2nd Arrived at Alexandria.
14th Sailed from Alexandria to relieve HMS HUNTER
deployed for air attacks on Crete
and Rhodes. (Operation OUTING).
15th Joined HM Escort Carriers PURSUER,
EMPEROR, SEARCHER and KHEDIVE deployed as
Force
A.
16th Carried out air strikes and reconnaissance flights
19th Carried out dive-bombing of shipping in harbour at Rhodes,
20th On completion of OUTING returned to Alexandria for replenishment.
(Note: 400 sorties were made during attacks on transport and
shipping in Rhodes.)
27th Deployed in Aegean for
attacks on shipping (Operation OUTING II.)
to
30th
October
1st OUTING II deployment in continuation
to (Note:
102 Sorties flown included strikes on shore positions, bombardment spotting for
4th HM Cruiser
ROYALIST and tactical reconnaissance.)
5th Returned to Alexandria to replenish
Nominated
for support of British landings in Aegean and Greece (Operation MANNA)
13th Sailed With HMS STALKER, HMS EMPEROR,
HMS ROYALIST and two destroyers for
Aegean operations.
18th Returned to Alexandria.
23rd Carrier out air strikes on shore targets
to
24th
26th Deployed for support of landings on Mitylene
29th Deployed for
support of landings on Piskopi.
Released from support of military operations in eastern Mediterranean.
(For
details see Military History of Mediterranean operations.)
30th Returned to Alexandria.
31st Took passage with
HMS HUNTER and HMS STALKER to return to UK.
November
9th Arrived at Plymouth to give
leave prior to service in Eastern Fleet.
10th Under repair by HM
Dockyard Devonport.
29th Took passage from Plymouth to Taranto for refit.
December Passage
in Mediterranean
6tb Taken in hand for
refit at Taranto.
(Note: Squadron personnel were landed and took passage to Egypt in the Italian cruiser
DUCA
D’AOSTA.)
1 9 4 5
January Under
refit
to Nominated for service in 21st Aircraft
Carrier Squadron in Ceylon.
March
April
1st On completion of post refit trials
took passage to Ceylon to join Eastern Fleet.
Embarked
879 Squadron aircraft
May Arrived at Colombo.
(Note: Ship not available for participation in re-occupation
of Rangoon.
Operation
DRACULA)
Not
available for operational service due to defects and redeployed.
879
Squadron aircraft landed for service at Katukurinda.
Deployed
with HMS HUNTER for the transport of FAA and RAF aircraft from Indian
and South African ports to Ceylon.
June Aircraft
transport duties in continuation.
to
July Required
for Fleet service with Squadron.
Passage
to Trincomalee
August Prepared
for support of attack on Penang.
8th Took passage with
Squadron in Malacca Straits.
11th Operation cancelled and returned to
Trincomalee.
(Note: For details of the complex factors affecting British
operations and the
delay in execution of landings in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER) See
REPORT
BY
SEAC TO CHIEFS OF STAFF (HMSO),
THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton,)
and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO)
14th Returned to Trincomalee and nominated
for support of re-occupation of Penang.
(Operation
JURIST).
15th Sailed with HM Battleship NELSON, HM
Cruiser CEYLON, HMS HUNTER and a destroyer
16th Operation JURIST (delayed by Supreme
Commander (General MacArthur)
See
above references..
Anchored off Nicobars.
Operation
JURIST recommenced and took passage to Penang with HMS NELSON, HMS
CEYLON, three destroyers and two
Landing Ships (Infantry) PRINSES BEATRIX
26th At Penang for final surrender which
was signed on board HMS NELSON.
September
2nd Took passage from Penang for Singapore.
3rd Landed Royal
marines.
4th Passage to Singapore and
anchored off-shore over night.
(Note: Diversion to Sabang for
re-occupation to be confirmed
See
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
5th Entered Singapore.
11th Took part in
ceremonial entry into Singapore with Fleet
units prior to formal surrender.
14th Released from Malayan operations and
took passage to Trincomalee.
19th Arrived at Trincomalee.
