1 9 4 3
June Contractors trials.
14th Build completion date and carried out
sea trials.
Transferred
to Royal Navy and commissioned as HMS PURSUER.
Prepared for ocean passage.
Sailed for Panama.
Transit of Panama Canal.
26th Arrived at Norfolk, Va
Taken in hand for some modification to suit RN Use.
July On
completion of dockyard work took passage to New York
30th Joined inward Convoy HX250 for passage
to Clyde.
(Note:
Use of ship to transport aircraft to UK to be confirmed.)
August
11th Detached from HX250 and took passage to Liverpool.
12th Taken in hand in Liverpool commercial shipyard to
complete extensive modifications
to suit RN use as an Assault Carrier.)
September Under
modification
to (Note: Changes as result of loss of HMS
AVENGER to be confirmed.)
October
November Prepared
for operational service
16th Sailed for Clyde
Embarked 20 WILDCAT aircraft and personnel of 881 AND 896
Squadrons.
Deployed at Greenock.
26th Under repair in Belfast.
December On completion
of repair prepared for work-up
19th Commenced work-up in Irish Sea.
1 9
4 4
January Allocated
for deployment in Western Approaches for convoy defence.
Work-up in continuation.
February On completion of work-up deployed with Support Group for provision of anti-submarine
air
cover during passage of Atlantic convoys.
(For
details of anti-submarine operations in the Atlantic see THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D MacIntyre,
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO) and SEEK
AND STRIKE by W Hackmann.)
6th Provided cover
for passage of outward joint Convoy OS67/KMS41 during passage.
(Note:
During this period aircraft from Gibraltar shot down FW200 aircraft
reporting convoy movements on 12th for subsequent U-Boat
attacks by He177 aircraft
used to carry cut Glider Bomb attacks.
See
BATTLE OVER THE BAY by N Franks and the above references.)
Transferred to support inward Convoy SL149 later.
March
6th Returned to Clyde on release from Atlantic
convoy defence
(Note:
SL149 arrived in Liverpool on 7th.)
17th Sailed for Scapa Flow for detached service with
Home Fleet ships during planned provision
of Distant Cover for passage of Convoy JW58 to Kola Inlet
and air attacks on German
battleship TIRPITZ (Operation TUNGSTEN).
30th Sailed from Scapa Flow with HM Battleships ANSON
and DUKE OF YORK, HM Aircraft
Carrier
VICTORIOUS, HM Escort Carriers EMPEROR, SEARCHER and FENCER, HM
Cruisers
BELFAST, SHEFFIELD and JAMAICA screened by 14 Home Fleet
destroyers to
cover JW58 and TUNGSTEN operations.
For
details see CONVOY ! by P
Kemp and Naval Staff History.
April
2nd Deployed with the Escort Carriers as
Force 8 to provide fighter cover and patrols
to intercept U-Boats.
HM
Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS joined operation after independent passage from Scapa Flow.
3rd Provided fighter cover during attacks
on TIRPITZ in Altenfjord by HMS VICTORIOUS
and HMS FURIOUS.
(For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and The Naval Staff
History.)
5th Return passage to Scapa Flow with TUNGSTEN ships.
Resumed Atlantic convoy defence duties.
26th Deployed with HM Fleet Aircraft Carriers
VICTORIOUS, FURIOUS, HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
SEARCHER,
EMPEROR and STRIKER for air attacks on shipping in Bodo
and Rorvik areas
off Norway (*Operations RIDGE ABLE and RIDGE BAKER.
27th RIDGE BAKER attacks off Rorvik cancelled due to weather conditions.
(Note:
Ship sustained storm damage
28th On return to Scapa Flow took passage to Liverpool for repair.
May
1st Taken in hand for repair
Nominated for
support of planned allied allied landings in Normandy on
completion.
(Operation
NEPTUNE - For details of naval
activities before and during landings see OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K
Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944
(HMSO).
June Deployed
with HM Escort Aircraft Carriers TRACKER and EMPEROR in a position 150
miles west of Lands End to carry out anti-submarine patrols
to intercept U-Boat attempt
to enter English Channel for attacks on invasion traffic. Sic Escort Groups were also deployed
in this area to provide additional support.
(Note:
Few contacts were made. See above reference.)
19th On release from NEPTUNE landed WILDCAT aircraft of
896 Squadron.
Resumed convoy defence role in Western Approaches.
July
15th Nominated for support of planned allied
landings in South France.
(Operation
DRAGOON formerly ANVIL)
25th Passage from Clyde to join Mediterranean Fleet in Malta with Squadron 881 embarked.
August Joined
HM Escort Aircraft Carriers KHEDIVE, EMPEROR , SEARCHER
and ATTACKER
in Malta to provide air cover during
assault phase of operation. as part of Carrier Task
Force (TF88)
(Note:
TF88 commanded by Rear Admiral T Troubridge, RN in HM
Cruiser ROYALIST.
12th Passage to assault area with TG88,1
(Note:
HM Destroyers TROUBRIDGE, TUSCAN, TUMULT, TEAZER, TYRIAN, WHEATLAND
and the Greek NAVARINO deployed as screen.)
15th Arrived in assault
area with carriers of TG88.1.
Carried
out air strikes and spotting for naval gunfire support as Combat Patrols for defence
of area
(For
details see INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO).)
18th Took passage with Task Group to Maddalena to replenish, refuel and rest crew.
21st Returned to
assault area and resumed operations.
Attacks
carried cut on retreating enemy transport.
23rd Took passage to Maddalena.
27th Released from
DRAGOON and resumed RN control.
(Note:
180 sorties were launched during DRAGOON support.
Five
aircraft were lost.)
Nominated
for service in British Aegean Force and took passage to Alexandria with British
CVE
and destroyer screen.
September
2nd Arrived at Alexandria.
Joined
British Aegean Force with HM Escort Aircraft Carriers EMPEROR, ATTACKER,
HUNTER,
STALKER, SEARCHER and KHEDIVE for support of the reoccupation of
islands in the Aegean.
9th Took passage to operational area with
Force A including HM Escort Aircraft Carriers SEARCHER,
KHEDIVE
and HUNTER with destroyer screen (Operation OUTING I)
(Note:
Air cover for snore operations and protection of warships was provided.
Strikes
made on shore targets.)
12th Provided air defence patrols during
operations
to
14th Carried out air
attacks made on evacuation shipping.
17th Aircraft carried out reconnaissance
flights and continued air defence patrols
to
18th
19th Aircraft from carriers carried out
bombardment of Rhodes.
(For
details of Aegean operations see Military Staff History (HMSO).
20th Sailed for Alexandria
(Note:
136 sorties were launched during OUTING.)
21st Deployed at Alexandria.
October
1st On release from British Aegean Force
took passage to UK.
8th At Gibraltar
12th Arrived in Clyde
28th Arrived at Scapa Flow to resume
Home Fleet service.
November Deployed
at Scapa
Flow.
Nominated for support of planned
attack on shipping off coast of Norway
(Operation COUNTERBLAST).
12th Provided
air support during attack on German convoy KS357 off ListerfJord
with
HM Cruisers KENT,
BELLONA HM Destroyers MYNGS, VERULAM, ZAMBESI
and
ALGONQUIN (RCN) as Force 2.
(Note:
Post war assessment of losses included two mercantiles,
CORNOSAILLES and
GRIEF, Minesweepers M416 and M427.)
14th Embarked
aircraft carried out attack on shipping in Trondheim and shore target at Titran.
(Operation
STEAK)
16th Returned to Scapa Flow.
20th Deployed with HM
Escort Carrier PREMIUM for air minelay in Salhusstrommen.
(Operation
HARDFAST).
26th Deployed with HM Fleet Aircraft Carrier
IMPLACABLE and HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
PREMIER
to carry out air attacks on shipping between Mosjoen
and Rorvik.
(Operation PROVIDENT).
27th Returned to Scapa Flow with HMS
PURSUER due to weather conditions.
(Note
HMS IMPLACABLE was able to execute attacks during which two ships were sunk.
On
return to Scapa Flow took passage to Clyde for repair.
(Note:
Squadron aircraft and personnel were landed,)
Refit
arranged in USA and took passage.
December
12th Took passage to Norfolk from Clyde with US Convoy UC48B.
24th Taken in hand for repair by US Navy
Yard, Norfolk.
1 9 4 5
January Under
repair
February
4th Embarked CORSAIR
aircraft for transport to UK.
(Note:
Destined for 1831 Squadron)
Passage
to Belfast
15th A rived at Belfast and disembarked aircraft
March Nominated
for service in 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron, East Indies Fleet based at
Trincomalee
after refit in Durban
Embarked
899 Squadron aircraft and personnel
31st Joined outward convoy KMF42 for passage
to Gibraltar
April
7th Detached from
KMF42 on arrival.
9th Took passage to Durban with calls
at Freetown and Cape Town.
May Passage
in Indian
Ocean
3rd Taken in hand for refit in Durban
June Under
refit
July Carried
out post refit harbour and sea trials
7th Took passage for Colombo
25th Arrived at Colombo
Took passage to Trincomalee to join Squadron.
August
1st Arrived at Trincomalee and joined HM
Escort Carriers HUNTER, STALKER, ARCHER
KHEDIVE
and EMPEROR in 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron
Prepared for support of British landings in Malaya (Operation
ZIPPER).
15th Operation was delayed by US insistence and problems in UK relating to the release
of service personnel in Far East. See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by
John Winton and
Final Report by Supreme
Commander SEAC (HMSO).
18th Nominated for duty
as Communications Ship during landings in Port Swettenham.
Landed
embarked aircraft and prepared for new duties.
September Embarked Royal Marines for shore
duties, military and air personnel.
4th Sailed for Port Swettenham
area from Trincomalee and joined an assault convoy.
8th Arrived at Port Swettenham
and made ready for requirements after planned landings
at Fort Dickson and Morib.
See above references.
Medical
party sent to troopship WINGSANG which reported case of suspected Bubonic
Plague. This later proved to be a glandular infection.
9th Landed armed party and accepted formal
surrender of local garrison.
October On
release from ZIPPER returned to Trincomalee.
6th Arrived at
Trincomalee and deployed for trooping duties.
November Nominated
for return to UK for Paying-off
20th Took passage from Colombo on release
from East Indies Fleet service.
December
12th Arrived
in Clyde to prepare for transfer to
US Navy
(Note: Ship was de-stored and British
equipment removed.)
