1
9 4 2
March
Contractors
trials.
2nd
Commissioned for service as HMS
AVENGER.
(Note
: One source records name was not used
until ship sailed for UK
on 30th April.)
15th
Build completion and sea acceptance
trials.
April
Sea
Trials and shakedown in continuation
18th
Broke down on trials and taken to Staten
Island
for repair.
Prepared
for ocean passage on completion.
30th
Joined US
military Convoy AT15 for
passage to Clyde.
(Note
: AT Series convoys comprised large
passenger liners used
as
troopships.
British convoy
identity AT was used for convoys to
Tobruk from Alexandria.)
May
On
arrival in Clyde taken in hand for modifications to suit RN service.
(Note : Work
done included lengthening of Flight
Deck.)
June
Under
conversion
July
Nominated
for service with Home Fleet
On completion of
conversion worked-up for service in Clyde
area.
August
Work-up in continuation.
17th
On completion embarked 825 Squadron
SWORDFISH aircraft and
personnel, SEA
HURRICANE
aircraft and personnel of 802 and 8783
Squadrons.
September
Nominated
for defence of Russian convoy.PQ18
which sailed from Loch Ewe on 2nd.
9th
Deployed as part of escort for Convoy
PQ18 during passage to Kola Inlet,
screened
by
HM Destroyers WHEATLAND and WILTON.
Operation EV)
(Note:
For details of all Russian convoy
defence deployments see CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA
by
RA Ruegg, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B
Schoefield and CONVOY ! by
P
Kemp.)
See
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR Vol 2 for details of
role of the ship and the
inadequacies
of her capabilities for this deployment.
13th
HURRICANE aircraft launch delayed by
slow reaction to sudden air attack by
dive
bombers and torpedo aircraft.
Six
mercantiles were sunk and five aircraft
lost in the sustained enemy onslaught
See references.
14th
SWORDFISH aircraft sighted U589 in
process of submerging and reported the
position.
(Note
: U589 was subsequently sunk by HM
Destroyers ONSLOW, IMPULSIVE,
and
FAULKNOR. See references.
17th
Detached from PQ18 with Fighting Escort
to join return convoy QP14 to provide
air cover
during
passage to Loch Ewe.
20th
Detached from QP14 with HM Cruiser
SCYLLA, HM Destroyers FURY, WHEATLAND
and
WILTON and returned to Scapa
Flow.
See references for details.
24th
Disembarked Squadrons at Scapa
Flow.
October
Home
Fleet deployment in continuation.
Nominated
for support of allied landings in North Africa
(Operation TORCH).
22nd
Embarked 802 and 883 Squadrons SEA
HURRICANE aircraft and
personnel together with
833B
Squadron SWORDFISH aircraft and
personnel.
Joined
military Convoy KMS1G for passage to Gibraltar
to join Eastern Naval Task
Force.
(Note
: HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS,
FORMIDABLE and FURIOUS, HM Escort
Aircraft
Carriers BITER and DASHER was also
deployed for support of TORCH.
See
The
Naval
Staff History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett.)
November
6th
Entered Mediterranean and provided air
cover for assault convoy.
8th
Deployed in support of landings at Algiers
with HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD,
SCYLLA and
CHARYBDIS
in Force O.
10th
Under repair in Algiers
harbour.
Transferred
four HURRICANE aircraft to HMS ARGUS.
12th
Withdrawn from TORCH after end of
assault phase.
13th
Joined military convoy MKF1 to provide
air cover during return passage to UK
15th
During passage with MKFI in Atlantic
torpedoed by U155.
Impact
caused fire and immediate explosion in
bomb room which sank the ship very
quickly
in
position 36.15N 07.45W, west of Gibraltar
Only
12 of ship's company survived. This ship
was the largest warship sunk during
operations
associated with TORCH. (Casualty
List - note
on
casualties)
(Note
: The sudden sinking of this ship and
the later loss of HMS DASHER a sister
Escort
Carrier resulted in an investigation
into the safety standards for the
stowage
of
petrol and bombs, known to be below
those used for RN ships, required to
be
improved. As a result all US
built Escort Carriers in
service and under
conversion
to suit RN use were modified.)