1
9 4 2
April
Contractors trials.
5th
Build completion
6th
Transferred to RN and commissioned at Brooklyn
as HMS BITER
May
Carried
out Trials and prepared for passage to UK.
Embarked six
SWORDFISH aircraft for transport to UK.
Joined
Canadian Convoy NA11 during Atlantic
passage to Clyde..
June
Arrived in Clyde
and disembarked aircraft
Taken in hand for
modifications to suit RN service.
(Note:
Location to be identified.)
July
Under modification.
Nominated
for support of planned allied landings
in North
Africa
(Operation TORCH)
August
Embarked
800 Squadron SEA HURRICANE aircraft and personnel.
Carried out work-up
for service in Clyde
area.
September
Three
SWORDFISH aircraft and personnel of 833
Squadron embarked.
Work-up in
continuation.
October
Allocated
for duty with Central Naval Task Force.
26th
Joined escort for military Convoy KMF1
for passage to Gibraltar
November
800
Squadron SEA HURRICANE aircraft and personnel embarked for TORCH support.
Detached
from convoy at Gibraltar and prepared for planned landings.
8th
Deployed with HM Escort Carrier DASHER
and HM Fleet Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS
to provide
cover for landings at Oran.
(Operation
TORCH. For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett, Naval Staff
History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by
J de Winser.)
During
operations aircraft of 800 Squadron shot
down five Vichy D520 aircraft and
carried out
Target
reconnaissance flights.
On
completion of Assault Phase released
from TORCH and nominated for return to UK.
14th
Part of escort for military convoy
MKF1
with HMS DASHER.
19th
Detached from MKF1 on arrival in Clyde.
800 Squadron
disembarked.
December
Deployed in Clyde
area
(Note: Deployment
for support of convoy defence to be
confirmed.)
1
9 4 3
January
Continuation of Clyde
deployment
(Note:
Atlantic convoy defence to be
confirmed.)
For details of
deployment of submarines and weapons
used
for attack and defence
of Atlantic convoys see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO), SEEK AND
STR1KE
by W. Hackmann
and THE BATTLE
OF THE ATLANTIC
by D MacIntyre.)
February
Embarked nine SWORDFISH and
three MARTLET aircraft of 811 Squadron
with
personnel for operations
in Atlantic.
March
Deployment for convoy
defence to be confirmed.
Nominated for
operations with Support Group of
Western Approaches
Command.
April
Provided
cover and support for passage of
Convoys HX234 and ONS4 under threat
from MEISE
U-Boat Group.
23rd
Deployed with HM Destroyers PATHFINDER,
OBDURATE and OPPORTUNE of 5th
Support Group
in search for U-Boats attempting attacks
on ONS4.
(See
above references.)
25th
SWORDFISH aircraft of 811 Squadron
sighted U203 which was then attacked and
sunk
by HMS
PATHFINDER in position 55.05N 42.25W. 39
survivors
were rescued from U203
(See U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp.
May
Deployment with 5th Support Group in
continuation.
9th
Deployed in
support of passage of Convoy HX237.
During
Group operations with 5th and 2nd
Support Groups, SWORDFISH aircraft of
811
Squadron
attacked U-Boats of RHEIN Group in front
of HX237. U454 forced to submerge.
10th
HX237 defence in continuation and under
fire from U403 which later was forced to
submerge by
destroyers of 5th Escort Group.
12th
SWORDFISH B of 811 Squadron sighted
U89 which was sunk by HM Frigate
LAGAN
and HM Destroyer BROADWAY of 2nd Escort
Group in position 46.30N
25.40W, north
of Azores. There were no survivors from U89.
13th
Supported defence of Convoy SC129
June
Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
to
August
September
Embarked Six SWORDFISH and six
MARTLET aircraft and personnel of 811
Squadron.
Atlantic
Convoy defence service in continuation.
October
19th
Sailed from Clyde
with 7th Support Group to
provide support for passage of outward
Convoy
ON207 during passage to Newfoundland.
30th
Detached from support and took passage
to Argentia
November
Deployed
for Atlantic convoy defence with 7th
Support Group.
(Note:
Ships of 7th support Group were HM
Sloops CHANTICLEER,
CRANE and
PHEASANT.
7th
Sailed from Argentia
with Group for provision of cover during
eastward passage of
Convoys SC146 and
HX265.
(Note:
These convoys were under threat of
attacks by SCHILL
U-Boat Group but
too few of
group were able to assemble until ships
of
convoys were too near
to British Isles. See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR Vol2.
16th
During cover operations a SWORDFISH
ditched alongside but damage was caused
to
rudder by
wreckage and ship had to be withdrawn
from
service.
Taken in hand for
repair.
Squadron
disembarked.
December
Under repair
1
9 4 4
January
On
completion resumed convoy defence in
Western Approaches
Deployed
with Support Groups for provision of air
cover and anti-submarine patrol
February
Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation
12th
Deployed in HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
Tracker for provision of anti-submarine
11
SWORDFISH and four WILDCAT aircraft and
personnel of 811 Squadron embarked.
Provided
air support for 7th and 9th Escort
Groups in SW Approaches
((Note:
Ships in Group were HM Canadian Frigates
MONNOW, SWANSEA,
STORMONT and HM
Canadian
Corvette OWEN
SOUND.
Cover
provided for transit of outward Convoys
OS68 and ONS29.
16th
During attempt by Ju290 to carry out
Glider bomb attack on
convoy enemy aircraft shot
down by
WILDCAT aircraft of 811 Squadron
Provided radar
guidance information to enable
BEAUFIGHTER aircraft of 235 Squadron,
RAF to intercept
and destroy another JU290 attempting
Glider Bomb
attack
March
Convoy defence operation in continuation
Provided air support in defence of
inward joint convoy SL150 and MKS41
during passage
to
Liverpool
from Gibraltar.
April
Atlantic
deployment in Azores area
6th
Deployed in
support of passage of Convoy SC156
with ships of 5th Support Group.
See
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR Vol
2.
14th
Deployed with HM Sloop PELICAN and ships
of 7th Support Group to support 9th
Canadian Support
Group near the Azores
in search
for U-Boat.
Ship under attack by
U448.
(Note: U448
later was sunk by ships of 9th Support
Group
north of Azores in position
16.22N, 19.35W.
42 survivors were rescued from U448.
See
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and above
reference.)
May
Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation for
support of convoys to and from Gibraltar
to
and West Africa.
June
(Note:
Not detached for support of
allied landings in Normandy.
(Operation NEPTUNE.)
Nominated for
service as a Ferry Carrier.
July
Passage to Clyde
to Pay-off and to be taken in hand for
conversion.
August
811
Squadron aircraft and personnel landed.
Paid-off
and de-stored at Greenock.
21st
Taken in hand for conversion
(Note: Ship
was to be transferred to Ministry of War
Transport for deployment
as a
mercantile.)
24th
Sustained serious and extensive damage
by fire at Greenock.
Withdrawn from
service as repair could not be
arranged.
September
At Greenock
awaiting decision regarding
future use,
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Laid-up
in Clyde
to
March
April
9th
Returned to US
Navy without repair.
Laid-up in Clyde.
May
Under
US Navy control and transfer on loan to
France
after repair agreed.
to
August