1 9 4 3
April Contractors trials.
9th Build completed and commissioned for
Royal Navy service as HMS CHASER.
Began
acceptance trials
May Took
passage to Norfolk Navy Yard on completion of Trials.
23rd Arrived at Norfolk, Va
June Deployed
for work-up in Chesapeake Bay area
26th Embarked 12 AVENGER aircraft destined
for 845 Squadron for transport to UK
30th Joined inward Convoy HX245 at New York for passage to Clyde
July
6th Detached from HX245 and took passage to
Greenock. All ships of HX245 arrived
without loss
7th Sustained damage after an explosion
in Boiler Room.
Passage to Rosyth for repair.
August Under
repair by HM Dockyard, Rosyth
to
September
October On
completion took passage to Clyde
Embarked nine SWORDFISH and
six SEA HURRICANE
aircraft with 835 Squadron personnel.
29th Deployed work-up in Clyde area.
Nominated for service in Western Approaches Command for convoy
defence.
November Under repair in commercial
shipyard in Clyde.
835
Squadron disembarked.
December Under repair.
SPECIAL
NOTE:
Award of Battle Honour ATLANTIC 1943 to be investigated as no
record of any operational service in Atlantic can be traced.
1 9 4 4
January Under
repair
Embarked
11 SWORDFISH and 11 WILDCAT aircraft and personnel of 816 Squadron
February On completion of repair and
trials commenced operational service
Nominated to provide air cover during passage of outward Russian Convoy JW57 during
passage to Kola Inlet
(Operation FX)
For details of all warships and mercantiles involved in Russian convoys see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by
B Schoefield,
CONVOY ! by P Kemp and ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman..
21st Sailed from Scapa Flow to join JW57 escorted by HM
Destroyers WANDERER, WATCHMAN,
HM Frigates BYRON and STRULE.
22nd Joined JW57 and deployed in Position 63
23rd Provision of anti-submarine patrols
continued
to Shadowing
aircraft driven away from convoy.
26th (Note: No
U-Boat attacks were made on convoy due to the heavy escort with air cover
See references
Detached from JW57 and remained in area
March
2nd Joined return Convoy RA57 to provide
anti-submarine air cover during transit to Loch Ewe
Began
air patrols
4th Convoy under attack by U-Boat Group.
SWORDFISH B aircraft B of 816 Squadron attacked
U472 and obtained two hits using
depth charges.
(Note: HM Destroyer
ONSLAUGHT was then directed to position and engaged U472 by
surface gunfire. Submarine
scuttled and sank in position 73.05N 26.40E
due to depth charge damage.
27 of submarines crew were rescued.
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
5th SWORDFISH aircraft F of 816 Squadron
sank U366 in position 72.10N 14.45E using
rocket projectiles during defence of RA57. There were no
survivors. See above reference).
6th SWORDFISH aircraft X of 816 Squadron
sank U973 in position 70.04N 05.43E using
rocket projectiles during
defence of RA57. 15 survivors were rescued from sea by
HM Destroyer
BOADICEA.
(Note: For details of
U-Boat deployments and weapons used during the Battle of
the Atlantic see U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO), SEEK AND
STRIKE by W Hackmann and THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D MacIntyre.)
8th Detached from
RA57 before arrival of convoy at Loch Ewe.
(For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS
TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg,
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield,
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman and
CONVOY! by P Kemp.)
13th Dragged anchor and grounded after
collision with sister ship HMS ATTACKER.
14th Towed clear and required repair
18th Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard
Rosyth
April Under
repair
to Nominated for service as aircraft
transport in British Pacific Fleet on completion of repair.
December
1 9 4 5
January Under
repair
February On
completion of post refit trials embarked 20 SEAFIRE aircraft for transport to
British
Pacific Fleet destined for 899 Squadron
Passage to Clyde
March
10th Joined Convoy KMF41 for passage to Gibraltar
17th Passage from Gibraltar via Suez
April Passage
in India Ocean
May After arrival at Sydney and allocated for service in
Fleet Train.
Passage to Manus
Joined Fleet Train (Task Force 112)
at Manus, Admiralty Islands.
(Note: British Pacific
Fleet of which the Fleet Train was a part was under the
overall command of the US CinC Pacific.)
Embarked replacement aircraft for delivery to Fleet
Aircraft Carriers
(Note: These are recorded
as three SEAFIRE, two HELLCAT, 1 FIREFLY, two AVENGER
and one CORSAIR.)
Passage to Leyte
14th Sailed from Leyte.
18th Transferred aircraft to Fleet Carriers
and collected unserviceable aircraft in Replenishment
Area COOTIE ONE.
(Note: HM Escort Aircraft
Carriers RULER and SPEAKER in Area COOTIE ONE were also
deployed in Fleet Train in
support of ICEBERG II to Joint attacks by RN/USN ships on
airfields in Sakishima-Gunto Group. For details see THE FORGOTTEN FLEET
by John
Winton, OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray and
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
22nd Transferred 10
aircraft to Fleet Carriers in COOTIE ONE during
further replenishment of TF57.
23rd Transferred four aircraft to Fleet
Carriers and on completion took passage to Manus
June Fleet Train duties for aircraft
transport in continuation.
(Note: Ships of BPF
returned to Australia after completion of ICEBERG
TWO.
They were transferred to Task Force 37 in 3rd US
Fleet before commencing
air operations against
targets in Japan. Fleet Train deployments
included
provision of aircraft
replacements at Manus from Australia.)
July Ferry Carrier duties with HMS ARBITER, HMS
STRIKER and HMS SPEAKER in support
of air
operations by British Fleet Carriers in continuation.
24th Sailed
from Manus
31st Deployed
with HMS SPEAKER AND HMS RULER in Replenishment Area west of Iwo Jima
and delivered aircraft.
August Returned
to Manus with damaged aircraft for collection of replacements.
Deployed for transport of aircraft to operational area.
6th Delivered aircraft with HMS ARBITER
and RULER during replenishment period.
7th Returned to Manus
on completion.
(Note: First Atom Bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Ships of BPF not allocated to Token Force were
withdrawn from air operations off
Japan and
aircraft deliveries were not
provided after 11th August.
15th Reverted to RN control and deployed with
British Pacific Fleet for repatriation
operations as a troop transport.