A History of HMS CHARGER

Laid down 19 Jan 1940 at Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Chester PA as Maritime Commission hull number 61, Sun number 188, as a 9,100 ton C3 type passenger-cargo vessel the Rio de la Plata for the US operator Moore-McCormack Lines. She was launched on 1 March 1941 and was completed 4 September 1941. The Rio de la Plata was purchased by the US Navy 20 May 1941for conversion into a modified ‘Long Island’ class Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier BAVG 4 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Virginia.. [US Navy classification ‘BAVG’ designates her as ‘British Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier’]

Three sisters: The Rio Hudson (HMS Avenger), Rio Parana (HMS Biter), and Rio de la Plata (HMS Charger) on the slips at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, PA, USA

Her conversion consisted of installing a lightweight wooden flight deck on a truss work superstructure which covered 70% of the ships' length, fitting a small enclosed hangar beneath the aft of the flight deck to be serviced by a single lift. Charger, like her sister ships Biter and Dasher had a small island superstructure fitted. Upon the completion of her conversion into a carrier she was transferred to the Admiralty and commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS CHARGER (D27) 2 October 1941 Captain George Abel-Smith, RN in command.

Charger was returned to US Navy charge two days later on 4 Oct 1941 to serve as a training carrier for US Navy and Fleet Air Arm squadrons working up in the USA.

Reclassified from BAVG 4 to AVG 30 on 24 Jan 1942; she was the only BAVG to be reclassified to the US AVG designation.

Commissioned in US Naval service on 3 March 1942 as USS CHARGER.

The USS CHARGER operated off the East coast of the United states as a deck landing training carrier, and her services were used by many of the Fleet Air Arm squadrons that formed, and worked-up, at US Naval Air Stations on the US East coast.

Content revised: July 2008