A History of HMS STALKER

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January 5th 1943 HMS STALKER in San Francisco bay on her
builder's trials. |
Laid
down 7 April 1941, by Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco California
as a C3-S-A2 type freighter, Maritime Commission, hull number 174,
Western Pipe and Steel hull number 62; purchased by the US navy to
be the USS HAMLIN AVG -15 (later changed to ACV- 15 August 20
1942). She was launched on 5 March 1942 by her sponsor Mrs. William
H. Shea. Whilst still under construction it had been decided that
ACV- 15 was to be transferred to the Admiralty on loan on her
completion.
Upon
her completion she was delivered to the US Navy as USS HAMLIN
on December 21st 1942; ACV- 15 was transferred to the Royal Navy on
the same day and commissioned as HMS STALKER (D91) on
December 30th 1942, Captain H.S. Murray-Smith RN in command.
Supported invasions and served as a convoy escort carrier in the
Mediterranean, then transferred to the Pacific.
On
September 1st 1943 HMS Stalker
became a part of Force V, the covering force for the allied invasion
of Salerno Italy in operation 'AVALANCHE' which saw operations between
September 9 - 12th. Stalker
operated in company with the assault CVEs Attacker, Hunter and
Battler and the maintenance carrier Unicorn making a rare operational
contribution. 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
to continue operations at this level ( nearly out of sircraft itself by
now, Forcr H withdrew to Malta on the 11th.). Once the sir field at
Paestum was under Allied control as many serviceable fighters as could
be mustered were put ashore to operate from there. Stalker
could only manage 2 serviceable Seafires to disembark on the morning
of September 12th After disembarking fighters the force withdrew
to Palermo to replenish. Force V disbanded on the 20th if September, the
CVEs returning to the UK to refit and allow squadrons the opportunity to
receive replacement aircraft and aircrews.
Between August 15th - 27th 1944 HMS Stalker
joined eight other CVEs in Task Group 88 as part the covering force
for the allied invasion of Southern France, operation 'DRAGOON'.
Attacker, Emperor, Khedive, Pursuer and Searcher forming
Task Group 88.1 While Hunter, Stalker, and two US CVEs,
Tulagi and Kasaan Bay formed Task group 88.2. Stalker
had embarked 800 squadron with 23 Hellcat Is, and 1 Walrus of 700
Squadron for Air Sea Rescue duties.
Stalker's next operations were in the Aegean Sea September 25th
- October 20th 1944; 809 squadrons complement being 15 Seafire
L.IIIs and 5 LR.IIc. Stalker
operated with Attacker, Emperor, Hunter, Khedive, Pursuer,
and Searcher, conducting anti-shipping, anti-troop movement
air strikes on rail links and other lines of communication on the
islands of the Aegean. November 1st 809 squadron was transferred to
HMS Attacker, Stalker sailed for the UK to undergo a refit
and to prepare for her next assignment - operations with the East
Indies Fleet.
Her
refit complete HMS Stalker sailed for Ceylon. She re-embarked
809 from RNAS Dejheila, Egypt, on March 7th 1945 before transiting
the Suez Canal. Stalker arrived at Trincomalee around March 20th to
join the 21st Aircraft carrier Squadron (21 ACS - Emperor,
Hunter, Khedive and Stalker. and later joined by
Ameer, Attacker, Pursuer, Searcher, Shah,
and Trouncer) at Trincomalee, Ceylon; 21 ACS was a part of
the recently formed East Indies Fleet.
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HMS STALKER |
HMS
Stalker was to form part of the force of six CVEs sent to
reoccupy Singapore. She was one of four CVEs,
Hunter, Khedive, Emperor and Stalker to enter Singapore
harbour on September 10th 1945. Ameer and Empress
remaining at sea.
Shortly after Stalker sailed for the UK, she arrived in the
Irish Sea on October 21st 1945, disembarking 809 squadron to RNAS
Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland. HMS Stalker
was no longer required for operational service with the Royal Navy,
de-storing ship and removal of equipment began almost as soon as her
squadron had departed.
CVE-15
was decommissioned by the Royal Navy on 29 December 1945 at Norfolk,
Virginia, and returned to the custody of the United States. She was
struck from the US Navy List 20 March 1946 and sold to Waterman
Steamship Corp. of Mobile, Alabama, 18 December 1946. Sold on in
August 1947 to a Dutch company and converted to the merchant ship
Riouw. Later renamed Lobito
1967. as scrapped in 1975.

A
fuller account of this ships history will be added at some time in
the future.
Content revised:
31 October 2021
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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