1
9 4 2
June
Contractors
trials
July
1st
Build completion and handed over to
US Navy at Hoboken Navy Yard, Pen.
2nd
Transferred to Royal Navy and
commissioned as HMS DASHER.
During
harbour engine trials damaged by fire
Taken
in hand for repair.
August
On
completion of repair embarked four
SWORDFISH aircraft for transport to UK
(Note: One source indicates these came
from Jamaica
are were destined for 845
Squadron.)
Passage
to Halifax to join inward Convoy HX207
30th
Sailed for UK
as part of Convoy HX205.
September
11th
Detached from HX205 on arrival of HX205
Taken
in hand for modifications in Clyde commercial shipyard to suit RN use for
convoy
defence.
October
Nominated
for support of allied landings in North Africa
(Operation TORCH).
15th
Embarked 12 SEA
HURRICANE aircraft and
personnel for 804 and 891 Squadrons.
27th
Passage to Gibraltar
with military convoy to join
Central Naval Task Force.
(Note: HM Escort Aircraft BITER, HM
Aircraft Carrier ARGUS were also
deployed
with
HM Landing Ship (HQ) LARGS, HM Cruisers
AURORA and JAMAICA.
See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett , INVASION
FLEETS
by J de Winser and the Naval Staff
History for details.)
November
Deployed at Gibraltar
for briefing and preparation
for TORCH
6th
Entered Mediterranean and provided air
cover for assault convoy on passage to Gibraltar..
8th
During support of landings at Oran
with HMS BITER came under
attack by French
aircraft,
five of which were destroyed by the two
carriers.
9th
Launched further Reconnaissance and
Combat Air Patrols in support of TORCH
landings.
12th
Released from TORCH and under repair at
Gibraltar
14th
Joined MKF1XG military convoy with HMS
BITER for passage to UK.
(Note: mv WARWICK CASTLE sunk by U413 during initial stage of
passage
from
Gibraltar.
19th
Detached from convoy on arrival in Clyde
20th
Taken in hand in Liverpool
commercial shipyard for
further modification.
December
Under
modification
(Note: These included enlargement of
Aircraft Direction Room but changes to
bomb
room
protection after loss of HMS AVENGER are
to be confirmed.)
1
9 4 3
January
On
completion of post refit trials too
passage to join Home Fleet for support
of
Convoy
JW53
to Kola Inlet.
Embarked
12 SEA HURRICANE aircraft with personnel of 816 and 891 Squadrons.
February
1st
Deployed for work-up at Scapa
Flow
with ships of Home Fleet.
5th
Took passage to join JW53 with HM
Cruiser SHEFFIELD.
18th
Sustained major structural damage during
passage in atrocious weather.
Withdrawn and
passage to Dundee
escorted by BRAMHAM
Note: HMS
SHEFFIELD was also seriously damaged.).
Under repair
March
Under
repair.
25th
Passage from Dundee
to Clyde
26th
Arrived in Clyde
to for Atlantic convoy
defence.
27th
Whilst at anchor off Little Cumbraes
Island in Clyde estuary sank in about three
minutes
after an explosion caused by fire on
board.
Only
149 survivors were rescued out of a
complement of over 500.
(Casualty
List
- note
on
casualties)
(Note: The subsequent enquiry
established that the explosion was
caused by the
ignition
of petrol probably due to a cigarette.
The loss of this ship and
and
the earlier loss of sister ship HMS
AVENGER after being torpedoed
in
the Atlantic,
resulted in a separate
investigation into the standards for
safety
of both petrol and explosives. These
were known to be below those
used
for other RN ships. As a result all US
built Escort Carriers which
were
in
service and those under construction
were modified. Particular attention
was
paid to the Aviation fuel distribution
system.
This
change reduced the stowage capacity for
aviation fuel by about 50%