1 9 4 4
January Contractors trials
February Nominated
for service manned by Royal Canadian Navy. personnel
except for
Air
Group provided by RN.)
5th Build completion and transfer and
commissioned as HMS PUNCHER.
15th On completion of Sea Trials took passage
to Esquimalt.
Taken in hand for modifications to suit RN deployment for convoy
defence.
March Under
modification to suit Atlantic convoy defence with RN escorts.
to
May
June
9th Took passage from Vancouver to New York,
Transit
of Panama
Canal
(Note : Call at ports on west coast of North America to be confirmed.)
July
8th Arrived at New York
11th Deployed at Norfolk, Va for repairs and maintenance.
22nd Nominated for use as a Ferry carrier and
to transport US aircraft to Casablanca
Embarked
US aircraft at Norfolk
Took
passage to Hampton Roads, Va
28th Sailed from Hampton Roads with US
military convoy UGF13
(Note : UGF 12 sailed to Naples on 1st July
UGF13
sailed for Naples on 28th.).)
August
Detached
from UGF convoy and took passage to unload aircraft at Casablanca.
Passage to return to USA as part of
US convoy.
Detached
from convoy and took passage to Norfolk.
30th Embarked CORSAIR aircraft at Norfolk for transport to UK
September
8th Joined US tanker Convoy CU38 for
passage to UK
15th Arrived in Clyde
18th Landed aircraft in Belfast
19th Took passage to New York with US military convoy for further transport duty.
30th Arrived in New York
October
6th Sailed from New York with US Convoy CU42
(Note : It may be assumed US aircraft were embarked for passage to UK)
On arrival
landed aircraft and took passage to Liverpool..
21st Under
modifications. in Clyde shipyard.
(Note : Petrol distribution system modification may have been
carried out
consequent on loss of HMS DASHER after arm explosion in
March 1943.)
November Embarked
12 BARRACUDA aircraft and personnel of 821Squadron
11th Carried out trials with BARRACUDA
aircraft
(Note : The were for use to carry out torpedo attacks prior
to operational use.)
Sustained
major damage in propulsion machinery
Passage to Clyde and
disembarked aircraft.
27th Taken in hand by Clyde shipyard for repair of main
gearing/
December Under
repair
(Note : Repair was carried out by replacement of items from
HM Escort Airaft
Carrier NABOB which had been taken out of service.)
1 9 4 5
January Under repair
Nominated for service with Home Fleet
based at Scapa Flow.
On
completion of refit embarked WILDCAT and BARRACUDA aircraft and
personnel of 861 and 821 Squadrons.
Worked up in Clyde for
operational service in Home Fleet.
February
1st Joined Home
Fleet at Scapa Flow.
11th Sailed as part of Force 2 with HM Escort
Carrier PREMIER for attacks on
coastal shipping off Norway as part of a joint aircraft
minelay and anti-
shipping strike
off Bud (Operation SELENIUM I and II).
(Note : Surface cover was provided by HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE
and HM
Destroyers CAVENDISH, CAVALIER, SCOURGE and ZEBRA.)
Ship
provided fighter cover.
12th Air search unsuccessful as no targets
found.
(For
details see Naval Staff History (MINING) and CONVOY !
by p Kemp.)
13th Returned to Scapa Flow with ships
of Force 2.
21st Sailed from Scapa Flow as part of
Force 4 for air minelay in Kara Sound, Norway.
(Note : Operation GROUNDSHEET. Part of Operation SHRED to
clear a shorter
passage through British minefield for Home Fleet ships to
Norwegian coast.)
See
Naval Staff History.)
22nd Carried out air minelay for first time
and aircraft came under shore fire causing
loss of two BARRACUDA aircraft.
(Note : Surface cover was provided by HM Cruiser DIDO
screened by HM Destroyers
SCORPION, MYNGS and
CAVALIER.)
23rd Returned to Scapa Flow with ships
of Force 4.
24th Ship dragged anchor at Scapa Flow during gale.
No
major damage was sustained.)
March Deployed
at Scapa
Flow
with Home Fleet.
26th Deployed with HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
NAIRANA to carry out WILDCAT attacks on
shipping in Alesund , Norway (Operation PREFIX)
(Note : The weather conditions were poor During this
operation.
No shipping was
damaged but strikes made on shore targets,)
April Embarked
825 Squadron WILDCAT aircraft and personnel
6th Deployed with HM Escort Aircraft
Carriers QUEEN, SEARCHER and TRUMPETER
for air operations off Norway
Carried
out air attack on U-Boat Depot Ships at Kilbotn after
delay caused by bad
weather conditions. (Operation NEWMARKET)
21st Under repair in Clyde shipyard.
May Nominated
for service as Training Carrier after VE Day
Under
repair
June Transferred
for trooping duties with reduced complement
to Deployed for transport of personnel to US
and completed one double crossing
August to Canada and USA.
