Avenger class escort carrier
Encyclopedia
There were three Avenger class escort carriers in service with the Royal Navy
during the Second World War. All three were originally American merchant ships in the process of being built at the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Chester, Pennsylvania
. The ships laid down in 1939 and 1940 were launched and delivered to the Royal Navy by 1942.
The ships had a complement of 555 men and an overall length of 492.25 feet (150 m), a beam
of 66.25 feet (20.2 m) and a height of 23.25 ft (7.1 m). Their displacement was 8200 LT (8,331.6 t) at normal load and 9000 LT (9,144.5 t) at deep load. Propulsion was provided by four diesel engines connected to one shaft giving 8,500 brake horsepower (BHP), which could propel the ships at 16.5 knots (9 m/s).
Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the starboard side and above the 410 feet (125 m) long wooden flight deck, one aircraft lift 43 by 34 ft (13.1 by 10.4 ), one aircraft catapult
and nine arrestor wires
. Aircraft could be housed in the 190 by 47 ft (57.9 by 14.3 ) half hangar below the flight deck. Armament comprised three single mounted 4 inch
dual purpose anti-aircraft guns and fifteen 20 mm cannons
on single or twin mounts. They had the capacity for fifteen aircraft which would typically be a mixture of Grumman Martlet or Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter
aircraft and Fairey Swordfish
or Grumman Avenger anti-submarine aircraft. The three ships in the class were , and . A fourth ship the USS Charger
was built at the same time to the same design but was commissioned in the U.S. Navy.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the Second World War. All three were originally American merchant ships in the process of being built at the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.
Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company was a major shipbuilding company in Chester, Pennsylvania, about 15 miles south of Philadelphia on the Delaware River. Its primary product was tankers, but the company built many types of ships over its 70-year history. During World War II, it participated in the...
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
. The ships laid down in 1939 and 1940 were launched and delivered to the Royal Navy by 1942.
The ships had a complement of 555 men and an overall length of 492.25 feet (150 m), a beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 66.25 feet (20.2 m) and a height of 23.25 ft (7.1 m). Their displacement was 8200 LT (8,331.6 t) at normal load and 9000 LT (9,144.5 t) at deep load. Propulsion was provided by four diesel engines connected to one shaft giving 8,500 brake horsepower (BHP), which could propel the ships at 16.5 knots (9 m/s).
Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the starboard side and above the 410 feet (125 m) long wooden flight deck, one aircraft lift 43 by 34 ft (13.1 by 10.4 ), one aircraft catapult
Aircraft catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to launch aircraft from ships—in particular aircraft carriers—as a form of assisted take off. It consists of a track built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached through the track to the nose gear of the aircraft, or in...
and nine arrestor wires
Arresting gear
Arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is the name used for mechanical systems designed to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBAR aircraft carriers. Similar systems...
. Aircraft could be housed in the 190 by 47 ft (57.9 by 14.3 ) half hangar below the flight deck. Armament comprised three single mounted 4 inch
QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun
The QF 4 inch Mk XVI gun was the standard British Commonwealth naval anti-aircraft and dual-purpose gun of World War II.-Service:The Mk XVI superseded the earlier QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun on many Royal Naval ships during the late 1930s and early 1940s...
dual purpose anti-aircraft guns and fifteen 20 mm cannons
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
on single or twin mounts. They had the capacity for fifteen aircraft which would typically be a mixture of Grumman Martlet or Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
aircraft and Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
or Grumman Avenger anti-submarine aircraft. The three ships in the class were , and . A fourth ship the USS Charger
USS Charger (CVE-30)
USS Charger was an escort carrier of the United States Navy during World War II....
was built at the same time to the same design but was commissioned in the U.S. Navy.