A History of HMS HUNTER
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Port side view of HMS HUNTER during operations in
the Indian Ocean. |
Originally laid down as the 11,900 ton C3-S-A2 type freighter the SS
Mormacpenn for the US operator Moore-McCormack Line. Her keel
was laid on May 15th1941 at the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp.
Pascagoula, Mississippi as Ingalls hull number 294, Maritime
Commission hull number 161.
The
Mormacpenn was purchased by the US navy while still under
construction and was launched May 22nd 1942 as AVG-8, USS Block
Island. This name was cancelled however when it was decided that
AVG - 8 was to be transferred to the Admiralty on loan under
Lend/Lease arrangements. AVG-8 was completed on December 31st 1942
and was delivered to the US Navy in Pascagoula on January 9th 1943.
She was transferred to Royal Navy custody on the same day, her US
designation becoming BAVG - 8, (the 'B' indicating British) on July
15th this was further changed to CVE-8.
BAVG -
8 was originally to become HMS 'Trailer' but this was changed
in order to continue the name of the 'H' class destroyer HMS 'Hunter';
AVG-8 was commissioned into the Royal Navy at Pascagoula on January
11th 943 as HMS Hunter (pennant number D80), under the
command of Captain H.H. McWilliam RN. She was the sixteenth RN ship
to bear the name.
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The officers of HMS HUNTER pose in front of the Island
superstructure at the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp yard.
Pascagoula, Mississippi , |
On
completion of storing and manning ship HMS Hunter commenced her
post-build trials in the West Indies from January 31st 1943. She was
operational by the end of February and made her first Atlantic
crossing operating as a ferry carrier, sailing with the 22 ship
convoy UGF6 from Norfolk, Virginia to Casablanca, departing Hampden
Rhoades on March 5th 943. At Casablanca the ship unloaded US
aircraft and stores before sailing for the UK.
On
reaching Gibraltar Hunter embarked a detachment of Swordfish
aircraft of 813 naval air squadron from RN Air Section North Front
on March 29th, these aircraft were to operate anti submarine
patrols from Hunter until the second week of April returning
to North Front when she continued on to the UK. HMS Hunter
arrived in Dundee, Scotland on April 12th 1943 where she entered a
dockyard to commence alterations to bring her to RN standards; on
completion she began a work up period as a fighter carrier in the
Clyde area.
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Port side view of HMS HUNTER during operations in
the Indian Ocean. |
On
July 6th Hunter embarked the 9 Swordfish and 6 Seafires of
834 naval air squadron from RN Air Station Machrihanish to work up
in preparation for operations in the Mediterranean. On completion of
working up the ship sailed for Malta escorting a convoy to Gibraltar
on the first leg of the journey, arriving there on August 9th. Here
834 naval air squadron disembarked to RN Air Section North Front,
Gibraltar; 6 of her Swordfish were to operate ashore from here until
October 1st conducting anti submarine patrols as 834 'Z' squadron.
The main body of 834 re-embarked from RN Air Section North Front on
August 28th along with 899 naval air squadron; this brought
Hunter's embarked strength to 3 Swordfish and 20 Seafire L.IIc
(6 from 834 naval air squadron's fighter flight and 14 from 899
naval air squadron). After storing ship HMS Hunter continued
on to Malta, arriving there on September 5th.
At
Malta Hunter was allocated to Force 'V' the covering force
for the allied invasion of Salerno, Italy, operation 'AVALANCHE' 9 -
12 September 1943. Part of her preparation involved 834 naval
air squadron's 3 Swordfish & 6 Seafires being transferred to HMS
Battler
on September 7th.
For
this operation Hunter was in company with the assault CVEs Attacker,
Battler, and Stalker, along with the maintenance carrier
Unicorn making a rare operational contribution; these five
carriers were to provide fighter cover for the landings. It was
intended that a constant presence of naval air cover would be
maintained over the landing sites, up to 20 aircraft aloft at a
time. The attrition rate was high, and the CVEs required addition
aircraft to be transferred from the Fleet Carriers of Force H, the
main attack element of 'AVALANCHE', in order to continue operations
at this level (Force H withdrew to Malta on the 11th, being nearly
out of aircraft itself by this time). Once the airfield at Paestum
was under Allied control as many serviceable fighters as could be
mustered were put ashore to operate from there. Each carrier
provided what serviceable aircraft hey could muster to operate
ashore on the 12th; Hunter
managed 5 aircraft. After disembarking these fighters the force
withdrew to Palermo to replenish. During the four days on station
the carriers, which all flew Seafires, launched a combined total of
713 sorties, providing more than half the allied air coverage over
the beach head. The carriers were back on station by the 16th and
the detached aircraft were recovered.
Force 'V' was to disband on the 20th of September, the
majority of the CVEs returning to the UK to refit and allow
naval air squadrons the opportunity to receive replacement
aircraft and aircrews. Before their departure a
reorganisation of resources was undertaken which resulted in
what remained of 807 and 808 naval air squadrons transferred
from HMS Battler to HMS Hunter
on the 17th; Battler was not returning to the UK but
was assigned to the Eastern Fleet for duties as a trade
protection carrier.
HMS
Hunter sailed for Dundee to undergo repairs at the end of
September, disembarking the men and aircraft of 807 and 808 naval
air squadrons to RN Air Station Burscough, Lancashire on October
6th, and 899 to RN Air Station Ballyhalbert, Northern Ireland on the
13th.
he
ship was due to complete her repairs in Dundee in early December
1943 but suffered damage to the Hangar deck plating while she was
being undocked on the 3rd. This damage was taken in hand at a
dockyard on the Clyde, Hunter arriving there four days later.
It was to be mid January before Hunter was ready to resume
active service, re-embarking 807 and 808 naval air squadrons from RN
Air Station Burscough on the 20th and 21st to carry out Bombardment
spotting and target reconnaissance exercises. On completion of
exercising Hunter disembarked 808 squadron to RN Air Station
Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, on February 25th to re-equip; some of this
unit's aircraft were retained aboard
Hunter, and were absorbed into 807 to bring its strength up to
20 Seafires. The ship then proceeded to the Orkneys, arriving at the
anchorage at Scapa Flow on March 1st to begin working up.
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HMS HUNTER hortly after commissioning, at anchor at
Greenock. Photo: © IWM (A 17693) |
Her
work up completed HMS Hunter sailed for the Mediterranean on
May 14th. Her next operation was the allied invasion of Southern
France, operation 'DRAGOON'. Between August 15th & 27th 1944 HMS
Hunter joined eight other CVEs in Task Force 88 as part the
covering force for operation 'DRAGOON'. The CVEs Attacker,
Emperor, Khedive, Pursuer and Searcher
formed Task Group 88.1 while Hunter, Stalker, and US CVEs
TulagI and Kasaan Bay formed Task group 88.2. For this
series of operations Hunter's 807 squadron was equipped with
22 Seafire L.IIIs, 1 Seafire LR.IIc and 1 Swordfish.
On the
21st Task group 88.2 withdrew to Maddalena, Sardinia, for
replenishment after flying 219 sorties; Hunter and Stalker
were back on station on the 24th. After flying a further 88 sorties
Hunter and Stalker withdrew to Sardinia on August
27th. Over the 13 days of operation 'DRAGOON' 807 naval air squadron
completed a total of 307 sorties; 36 dive-bombing, 56 armed
reconnaissance, 96 CAP (combat air patrol), 48 TARCAP (target area
combat air patrol), 16 PR (photographic reconnaissance) and 55
escort missions for the loss of 4 aircraft and 11 deck landing
accidents. After storing ship Hunter sailed for Alexandria,
arriving there on September 2nd.
Hunter next put to sea in company with Searcher,
Pursuer and Khedive on the 9th for Operation "OUTING", a
short series of anti-shipping strikes in the Aegean Sea, returning
to Alexandria on the 15th. A second series of strikes were carried
out in Operation "OUTING II" between September 30th and October 11t
. During this period of operations 807 naval air squadron flew 135
sorties including CAP, TARCAP, dive-bombing, and shore bombardment
spotting for the Cruiser HMS Aurora. After withdrawing on
October 11th Hunter disembarked 807 naval air squadron to RN
Air Station Dekheila, Egypt in preparation for her return to the UK
for a short refit. Hunter in company with Attacker
left Alexandria on October 31st, arriving in the UK on November
10th.
Hunter was re-allocated to 21 ACS (21st Aircraft carrier
Squadron) on November 29th 1944, 21 ACS was a part of the recently
formed East Indies Fleet and was to eventually comprise of the CVEs
Ameer, Attacker, Emperor, Empress, Hunter, Khedive, Pursuer,
Searcher, Shah, Stalker, and Trouncer. Hunter
proceeded to Malta to begin another refit which started on
December 6th to prepare her for tropical operations. Her
modifications and refit completed Hunter sailed for
Trincomalee, Ceylon on February 21st 1945; the ship was reunited
with 807 naval air squadron on March 6th when they re-embarked from
RN Air Station Dekheila before transiting the Suez Canal.
Hunter arrived off Ceylon on March 20th and disembarked 807 to
RN Air Station Katukurunda; she spent the next month working up with
21 ACS and 807 in preparation for Operation 'DRACULA', the
reoccupation of Rangoon, which began on April 30th. Hunter,
Emperor, Khedive and Stalker operated off Rangoon
providing air strikes and support for invasion troops until May 4th
before moving south to strike the Tenasserim coast on May 5th and
6th.
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Crashes on deck - HMS HUNTER operating Seafires |
On the
May 10th shortly after returning to Trincomalee after 'DRACULA'
operations Hunter, Khedive, Emperor and Shah
were ordered to sea at short notice. The carriers were tasked to
provide air support for the 3rd Battle Squadron as it swept across
the Andaman Sea hunting for the Japanese Cruiser Haguro
codenamed Operation 'DUKEDOM'. The Haguro was one of the last
surviving major Japanese warships, and she had been reported as
being having put to sea. HMS Emperor was the only carrier to
engage the Haguro. She was carrying HMS Shah's
Avengers, these having been transferred after Shah's catapult
went unserviceable - a type she was not equipped to support. A
single Avenger located and attacked the Haguro but with
little success. She was later sunk by the Battle Squadron's
destroyers off Sumatra while attempting to return to Singapore.
Hunter did not see any further offensive operations before the
end of the war; her next major operation was as part of Vice Admiral
Walker's force [Nelson, Ceylon, Hunter, Attacker, 3
Destroyers and 3 infantry Landing Ships)] which sailed from Rangoon
on August 27th 1945, headed for Penang to accept the Japanese
surrender of Malaya. The force reached Penang on the 28th; the
surrender ceremony taking place on September 2nd. On completion of
this operation Hunter joined CVEs Ameer, Khedive, Emperor,
Empress and Stalker for Operation 'ZIPPER', the
re-occupation of Singapore. Hunter was one of four CVEs to
enter Singapore harbour on September 10th 1945, Ameer and
Empress remaining at sea. The surrender ceremony took place on
September 12th.
HMS
Hunter returned to the UK, leaving Singapore on October 9th she
arrived at Belfast on October 30th to disembark 807 naval air
squadron to the RN Air Station there. She proceeded to the Clyde the
next day where she was transferred to the Rosyth Command to begin
initial de-storing in preparation for her return to the US
authorities. On November 28th she left the Clyde bound for the RN
Dockyard at Portsmouth to complete her de-storing and equipment
removal. HMS Hunter left the UK for the last time on December
12th 1945, sailing from Portsmouth bound for the US Naval Dockyard
at Norfolk, Virginia.
CVE -
8 was returned to US Navy custody at Norfolk on December 29th 1945,
and she was stricken for disposal on February 26th 946. CVE - 8 was
sold into merchant service with the Holland America Line on January
17th 1947 and entered service on November 17th 1948 as the SS
Almdijk; she was renamed Almdyk in 1953. Sold for
breaking on October 27th 1965 she arrived in Valencia, Spain on
November 2nd 1965 to be scrapped.
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The S.S. Almdijk |
Content revised:
11 June 2020
Sources used in compiling this account:
Click here for a list of
Primary sources
Additional sources:
Fold3.com various documents including;
Admiralty War Diaries
Norfolk Navy Yard War Diaries
Mew York Navy Yard War Diaries
COM MOROCCAN SEA FRON › War Diary, 3/1-31/43
Miscellaneous documents
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Comments (9)
https://www.navsource.org/archives/03/cve-8/008m.htm
Hi, My Father served on HMS Hunter and Stalker in 807 squadron. His name was 'Mac' B, Heath Mcgeoch. I am trying to find out any information on what it was like serving on the air craft carrier as a mechanical engineer. He never talked to us about his war experience, which I understand more now I am older. He sadly passed in 2010, aged 88 years:shocked.
If anybody has any info or photos, I would be very interested. I believe he served on HMS Stalker too.
Dear John Steel,
My Grandfather Lt Eric Speakman flew Seafires on HMS Hunter in 1944 and was sadly killed in active service in August 1944. We know very little of his time during the war and I would very interested to read anything you may feel you can share. (This appeal would go to all contributors.)
My grandfather started out as a Navy midshipman in HMS Duncan and moved on to be a pilot. we know he trained in Canada and flew swordfish and Seafires... but this is I am afraid about it.
very happy to pass on my details if any inf is sensative.