POCKET SIZED AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

The escort carrier was designed as a solution to the shortage of naval air power for convoy protection. By the end of WW2 Britain had operated 45 escort carriers, in the Atlantic, Arctic, Indian and Pacific oceans: 6 were British built 39 US built the later were affectionately known as 'Woolworth' carriers.

Humble beginnings & Lend lease batch 1

The first escort carrier was the British built HMS Audacity, entering service on June 17th 1941 she was the first escort carreir to operate as a convoy escort sailing with convoy, OG74 on September 13th 1941. Although she had only a brief active career before being sunk, she had shown that the concept worked.  The idea of converting merchant hulls into vessels capable of operating naval aircraft, was to be taken forward by the US Navy  who began utilising merchant 'C3' type  freighter hulls for conversions into escort carriers. The first US conversion was the USS Long Island which was commissioned on  June 2nd 1941.

Under the terms of the Lend Lease agreement between the US and Britain 39 US built escort carriers were transferred to the control of the Admiralty. Of the first five escort carrier conversions completed for the RN (Archer, Avenger, Biter, Charger, Dasher) were essentially conies of the 'Long Island' design. Charger was the first  to be handed over, commissioning as HMS Charger on  October 2nd 1941; however, the USN reclaimed her two days later for duty as an training carrier. The second carrier Archer was a fairly rudimentary conversation and she saw little active service before machinery problems saw her laid up for a considerable time. Avenger and Dasher were both sunk, Biter being the only one of the initial batch to see continuous active service until the end of the war.

Demand  increases - Lend lease Batches 2 and 3

The U-Boat treat was increasingly claiming merchant and military vessels on vital convoys, the need for more escort carriers was to become a priority. Orders were placed for two further batches of US  CVEs whilst the Admiralty undertook to complete a further five. Batches 2 was 11 'Bogue' class CVEs, although some 'Casablanca' class vessels were initially earmarked for transfer, but these were diverted to the US navy. Batch 3 was a repeat order for a further 23 Bogue class vessels.

By the end of 1942 the RN had received 8 US  escort carriers and completed two conversions in British shipyards.  During 1943 it was to gain a further 30, 27 lend lease CVEs and 3 more British conversions; this was to be the height of escort carrier production for the RN, the final four US built vessels and the final British conversion had all arrived by the end of February 1944.

 
"Full protection could not be afforded to the convoys until it was possible to provide air escort for the whole of the Atlantic passage; and for some time there was a gap of some 600 miles in mid-Atlantic which land-based air forces could not reach. That was finally bridged partly by the provision of the ‘V.L.R.’ (very long range) aircraft, but even more effectively by the provision of escort carriers which could accompany each convoy."

Rear-Admiral H. G. Thursfield

 "Failure of the U-Boat Campaign." 

Illustrated London News January 22, 1944

Tasking and carrier employment

The escort carriers were to fill various different roles other than convoy protect duties, especially after the battle for the Atlantic in 1944. Many of them were assigned to the British pacific Fleet and the East Indies Fleet from late 1944 onwards.

The various roles undertaken  included:

• Ferry carrier, transporting aircraft as deck cargo

• Anti Submarine Warfare carriers

• Combat Air Patrol Carriers

• Assault carriers (Army co-operation role)

• Replenishment carriers (BPF Air Train)

• Secondary role -Auxiliary oiler capable of limited refuelling in addition to its primary role

• Post war carriers provided humanitarian aid and assisted with POW evacuation and repatriation

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Last updated: November 20, 2008 23:39 UK time

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