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 to
May
Under
modification
to suit Atlantic convoy defence
with RN
escorts.
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:
UGF12 sailed for 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
821 Squadron.
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 Aircraft
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 to August
Transferred
for
trooping duties with reduced
complement.
Deployed
for transport of personnel
to US and completed one double
crossing
to
Canada and USA.