1
9 4 3
June
Contractors trials.
14th
Build completion date and carried out sea
trials.
Transferred to Royal Navy and commissioned
as HMS PURSUER.
Prepared for ocean
passage.
Sailed for Panama.
Transit of Panama
Canal.
26th
Arrived at Norfolk,
Va
Taken in hand for some
modification to suit RN Use.
July
On completion of dockyard work took
passage to New
York
30th
Joined inward Convoy HX250 for passage to
Clyde.
(Note: Use of ship to transport aircraft
to UK
to be confirmed.)
August
11th
Detached from HX250 and took passage to Liverpool.
12th
Taken in hand in Liverpool
commercial shipyard to complete extensive
modifications
to suit RN use
as an Assault Carrier.)
September
Under modification
to
(Note: Changes as result of loss of HMS
AVENGER to be confirmed.)
October
November
Prepared for operational service
16th
Sailed for Clyde
Embarked 20 WILDCAT
aircraft and personnel of 881 AND
896 Squadrons.
Deployed at Greenock.
26th
Under repair in Belfast.
December
On completion of repair prepared for
work-up
19th
Commenced work-up in Irish
Sea.
1
9 4 4
January
Allocated for deployment in Western
Approaches for convoy defence.
Work-up in
continuation.
February
On completion of work-up deployed
with Support Group for provision of
anti-submarine air
cover during
passage of Atlantic convoys.
(For details of anti-submarine operations
in the Atlantic
see THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC
by D MacIntyre,
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO) and SEEK
AND
STRIKE by W
Hackmann.)
6th
Provided cover for passage of outward
joint Convoy OS67/KMS41 during passage.
(Note: During this period aircraft from Gibraltar
shot down FW200 aircraft
reporting
convoy movements on 12th for subsequent
U-Boat attacks by He177 aircraft
used to carry
cut Glider Bomb attacks.
See BATTLE OVER THE BAY by N Franks and
the above references.)
Transferred to support
inward Convoy SL149 later.
March
6th
Returned to Clyde
on release from Atlantic convoy defence
(Note: SL149 arrived in Liverpool on 7th.)
17th
Sailed for Scapa
Flow for detached service with Home Fleet
ships during planned provision
of Distant
Cover for passage of Convoy JW58 to Kola
Inlet and air attacks on German
battleship
TIRPITZ (Operation TUNGSTEN).
30th
Sailed from Scapa
Flow with HM Battleships ANSON and DUKE OF
YORK, HM Aircraft
Carrier VICTORIOUS, HM Escort Carriers
EMPEROR, SEARCHER and FENCER, HM
Cruisers
BELFAST,
SHEFFIELD and JAMAICA screened by 14 Home
Fleet destroyers to
cover JW58 and
TUNGSTEN operations.
For details see CONVOY
! by
P Kemp and Naval Staff History.
April
2nd
Deployed with the Escort Carriers as Force
8 to provide fighter cover and patrols
to intercept
U-Boats.
HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS joined
operation after independent passage from Scapa
Flow.
3rd
Provided fighter cover during attacks on
TIRPITZ in Altenfjord
by HMS VICTORIOUS
and HMS
FURIOUS.
(For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett and The Naval Staff
History.)
5th
Return passage to Scapa
Flow with TUNGSTEN ships.
Resumed Atlantic
convoy defence duties.
26th
Deployed with HM Fleet Aircraft Carriers
VICTORIOUS, FURIOUS, HM Escort Aircraft
Carriers
SEARCHER, EMPEROR and STRIKER for air
attacks on shipping in Bodo
and Rorvik
areas
off Norway
(*Operations RIDGE ABLE and RIDGE BAKER.)
27th
RIDGE BAKER attacks off Rorvik
cancelled due to weather conditions.
(Note: Ship sustained storm damage.)
28th
On return to Scapa
Flow took passage to Liverpool for repair.
May
1st
Taken in hand for repair
Nominated for support
of planned allied allied
landings in Normandy
on completion.
(Operation NEPTUNE
- For details of naval activities before
and during landings see
OPERATION
NEPTUNE
by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY,
June 1944 (HMSO).
June
Deployed with HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
TRACKER and EMPEROR in a position 150
miles west of
Lands End to carry out anti-submarine
patrols to intercept U-Boat attempt
to enter English Channel for attacks on invasion traffic. Sic Escort Groups were
also deployed
in this area to
provide additional support.
(Note: Few contacts were made. See above
reference.)
19th
On release from NEPTUNE
landed WILDCAT aircraft of 896 Squadron.
Resumed convoy defence
role in Western Approaches.
July
15th
Nominated for support of planned allied
landings in South France.
(Operation DRAGOON formerly ANVIL)
25th
Passage from Clyde to join Mediterranean
Fleet in Malta with Squadron 881 embarked.
August
Joined HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
KHEDIVE, EMPEROR ,
SEARCHER and ATTACKER
in Malta
to provide air cover during assault phase
of operation. as
part of Carrier Task Force (TF88)
(Note: TF88 commanded by Rear Admiral T Troubridge,
RN in HM Cruiser ROYALIST.
12th
Passage to assault area with TG88,1
(Note: HM Destroyers TROUBRIDGE, TUSCAN,
TUMULT, TEAZER, TYRIAN, WHEATLAND
and the Greek
NAVARINO deployed as screen.)
15th
Arrived in assault area with carriers of
TG88.1.
Carried out air strikes and spotting for
naval gunfire support as Combat Patrols
for defence of area
(For details see INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF
FRANCE (HMSO).)
18th
Took passage with Task Group to Maddalena
to replenish, refuel and rest crew.
21st
Returned to assault area and resumed
operations.
Attacks carried cut on retreating enemy
transport.
23rd
Took passage to Maddalena.
27th
Released from DRAGOON and resumed RN
control.
(Note: 180 sorties were launched during
DRAGOON support.
Five aircraft were lost.)
Nominated for service in British Aegean
Force and took passage to Alexandria
with British
CVE and destroyer screen.
September
2nd
Arrived at Alexandria.
Joined British Aegean Force with HM Escort
Aircraft Carriers EMPEROR, ATTACKER,
HUNTER, STALKER, SEARCHER and KHEDIVE for
support of the reoccupation of
islands
in the Aegean.
9th
Took passage to operational area with
Force A including HM Escort Aircraft
Carriers SEARCHER,
KHEDIVE and HUNTER with destroyer screen
(Operation OUTING I)
(Note: Air cover for snore operations and
protection of warships was provided.
Strikes made on shore targets.)
12th
Provided air defence patrols during
operations
to
14th
Carried out air attacks made on
evacuation shipping.
17th
Aircraft carried out reconnaissance
flights and continued air defence patrols
to
18th
19th
Aircraft from carriers carried out
bombardment of Rhodes.
(For details of Aegean operations see Military Staff History (HMSO).
20th
Sailed for Alexandria
(Note: 136 sorties were launched during
OUTING.)
21st
Deployed at Alexandria.
October
1st
On release from British Aegean Force took
passage to UK.
8th
At Gibraltar
12th
Arrived in Clyde
28th
Arrived at Scapa
Flow to resume Home Fleet service.
November
Deployed at Scapa
Flow.
Nominated for support of planned attack on
shipping off coast of Norway
(Operation COUNTERBLAST).
12th
Provided air support during attack on German
convoy KS357 off ListerfJord
with
HM Cruisers KENT, BELLONA HM Destroyers
MYNGS, VERULAM, ZAMBESI
and ALGONQUIN
(RCN) as Force 2.
(Note: Post war assessment of losses
included two mercantiles,
CORNOSAILLES and
GRIEF, Minesweepers
M416 and M427.)
14th
Embarked aircraft carried out attack on
shipping in Trondheim
and shore target at Titran.
(Operation STEAK)
16th
Returned to Scapa
Flow.
20th
Deployed with HM Escort Carrier PREMIUM
for air minelay in Salhusstrommen.
(Operation HARDFAST).
26th
Deployed with HM Fleet Aircraft Carrier
IMPLACABLE and HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
PREMIER to carry out air attacks on
shipping between Mosjoen
and Rorvik.
(Operation PROVIDENT).
27th
Returned to Scapa
Flow with HMS PURSUER due to weather
conditions.
(Note HMS IMPLACABLE was able to execute
attacks during which two ships were sunk.
On return to Scapa Flow took passage to Clyde for repair.
(Note: Squadron aircraft and personnel
were landed,)
Refit arranged in USA
and took passage.
December
12th
Took passage to Norfolk
from Clyde with US Convoy UC48B.
24th
Taken in hand for repair by US Navy
Yard, Norfolk.
1
9 4 5
January
Under repair
February
4th
Embarked CORSAIR aircraft for transport
to UK.
(Note: Destined for 1831 Squadron)
Passage to Belfast
15th
A rived at Belfast
and disembarked aircraft
March
Nominated for service in 21st Aircraft
Carrier Squadron, East Indies Fleet based
at
Trincomalee after refit in Durban
Embarked 899 Squadron aircraft and
personnel
31st
Joined outward convoy KMF42 for passage to
Gibraltar
April
7th
Detached from KMF42 on arrival.
9th
Took passage to Durban
with calls at Freetown
and Cape Town.
May
Passage in Indian
Ocean
3rd
Taken in hand for refit in Durban
June
Under refit
July
Carried out post refit harbour and sea
trials
7th
Took passage for Colombo
25th
Arrived at Colombo
Took passage to
Trincomalee to join Squadron.
August
1st
Arrived at Trincomalee and joined HM
Escort Carriers HUNTER, STALKER, ARCHER
KHEDIVE and EMPEROR in 21st Aircraft
Carrier Squadron
Prepared for support
of British landings in Malaya
(Operation ZIPPER).
15th
Operation was delayed by US
insistence and problems in UK relating to
the release
of service
personnel in Far
East. See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by John
Winton and
Final
Report by Supreme Commander SEAC
(HMSO).
18th
Nominated for duty as Communications
Ship during landings in Port Swettenham.
Landed embarked aircraft and prepared for
new duties.
September
Embarked Royal Marines for shore duties,
military and air personnel.
4th
Sailed for Port Swettenham
area from Trincomalee and joined an
assault convoy.
8th
Arrived at Port Swettenham
and made ready for requirements after
planned landings
at Fort
Dickson and Morib.
See above references.
Medical party sent to troopship WINGSANG
which reported case of suspected Bubonic
Plague. This
later proved to be a glandular infection.
9th
Landed armed party and accepted formal
surrender of local garrison.
October
On release from ZIPPER returned to
Trincomalee.
6th
Arrived at Trincomalee and deployed for
trooping duties.
November
Nominated for return to UK
for Paying-off
20th
Took passage from Colombo
on release from East Indies Fleet
service.
December
12th
Arrived in Clyde to prepare for transfer
to US Navy
(Note: Ship was de-stored and British
equipment removed.)