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HMS Attacker (D02)
Encyclopedia
HMS Attacker (D02) was an American-built Attacker-class
escort aircraft carrier
that served with the Royal Navy
during the Second World War.
Converted from the merchantman Steel Artisan, she was commissioned by the United States Navy
on 30 September 1942 as USS Barnes (CVE-7) but simultaneously transferred under the Lend-Lease
program to the United Kingdom
and commissioned by the Royal Navy as HMS Attacker (D02) the same day.
Attacker served throughout the war, first as a convoy escort in the Atlantic. After further conversion by the Royal Navy
in October 1943 as an assault carrier, the ship was busily engaged in the Mediterranean and later the Pacific
theatres of war. In late August, Attacker witnessed the Japanese surrender of Malaya
in Penang, as part of Operation Zipper
.
, San Francisco, California
for the Ithanian Steamship Company and was launched in late September. She was then requisitioned for conversion to a carrier in December 1941 to be named USS Barnes but selected for transfer under Lend-Lease to the British.
HMS Attacker was the lead ship in the Attacker class
of eight escort carriers, just one of the 38 escort carriers built in the United States for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was built at the Western Pipe & Steel shipyards, who also built three other ships in the class. Once completed she was supplied under the terms of Lend-Lease
agreement to the Royal Navy. There was a ships complement of 646 men, who lived in crew accommodation that was significantly different from the arrangements that were normal for the Royal Navy at the time. The separate mess
es no longer had to prepare their own food, as everything was cooked in the galley and served cafeteria
style in a central dining area. They were also equipped with a modern laundry and a barber shop. The traditional hammock
s were replaced by three-tier bunk-beds, 18 to a cabin which were hinged and could be tied up to provide extra space when not in use.
Attackers dimensions were: an overall length of 492.25 feet (150 m), a beam
of 69.5 feet (21.2 m) and a height of 23.25 ft (7.1 m). They displaced 11420 LT (11,603.3 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 ship at 17 knots (9.3 m/s).
She had the capacity for up to 24 anti-submarine or fighter
aircraft, which could be made up of a mixture of the British Hawker Sea Hurricane, Supermarine Seafire
, Fairey Swordfish
or the American Grumman Wildcat, Vought F4U Corsair or Grumman Avenger. The exact composition of the embarked squadrons depended upon the mission. Some squadrons were composite squadrons for convoy defence and would be equipped with anti-submarine and fighter aircraft, while other squadrons working in a strike carrier role would only be equipped with fighter aircraft. Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the starboard side and above the 450 feet (137.2 m) x 120 feet (36.6 m) flight deck, two aircraft lifts 42 feet (12.8 m) by 34 feet (10.4 m), and nine arrestor wires
. Aircraft could be housed in the 260 feet (79.2 m) by 62 feet (18.9 m) hangar below the flight deck.
The ships armament concentrated on anti-aircraft (AA) defence and comprised two 4 inch dual purpose, AA guns
in single mounts, eight 40 mm AA guns
in twin mounts and twenty-one 20 mm AA cannons
, in single and twin mounts.
Before entering service with the Royal Navy she was sent to Burrards
shipbuilders in British Columbia
for some modifications. These modifications, 150 of them in total, were paid for by the Canadian government. Further modifications to turn her into an assault carriers were undertaken by the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company
in Dundee
, Scotland. This work included installing an operational telephone system with over 100 telephones. A new briefing room with an army plot was installed and extra cabins were built providing an additional 140 bunks.
Attacker was designed to accompany other ships forming the escort for convoy
s. The anti-submarine aircraft employed were initially the Fairey Swordfish and later the Grumman Avenger, which could be armed with torpedoes, depth charge
s, 250 pounds (113.4 kg) bombs or the RP-3
rocket projectile. As well as carrying out their own attacks on U-Boats, these aircraft identified their locations for the convoy's escorts to mount an attack. Typically anti-submarine patrols would be flown between dawn and dusk. One aircraft would fly about 10 miles (16.1 km) ahead of the convoy, while another patrolled astern. Patrols would last between two and three hours, using both Radar and visual observation in their search for U-Boats.
Attacker also had a secondary role, providing oil and provisions for her accompanying destroyers. This could be a lengthy process and was done on the move. It took 40 minutes from firing a line across to the destroyer to start pumping oil, while it took another two hours to pump 98 tons of oil and a further 35 minutes to disconnect the hose pipe and secure the equipment.
in October 1943 as an assault carrier, the ship was busily engaged in the Mediterranean and later the Pacific
war theatres. In late August, Attacker witnessed the Japanese surrender of Malaya in Penang, as part of Operation Zipper
.
In September 1945, Attacker was present at Singapore as part of Operation Tiderace
, sailing immediately afterwards for the Clyde
to de-store and enter reserve. HMS Attacker was awarded Royal Navy honours for her contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic (1943-44), for support to the Salerno
landings (1943) and to the South France
and Aegean
campaigns in 1944. The vessel left British waters in December 1945, being formally received back into United States
’ custody at Norfolk Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia
on 5 January 1946 and struck from naval service on 26 February 1946.
In 1957, Vlasov secured a charter from the Australian government for Castel Forte to carry British
migrants to Australia
. During the conversion passenger liner was re-named Fairsky, operated by Vlasov's Italian managed company, Sitmar Line. On completion of the refurbishment in June 1958, the "new-look" vessel began a long career as a migrant-carrying ship, which was to last until 1970. On 23 June 1977, while operating as a cruise ship, Fairsky hit a submerged wreck and was beached to prevent sinking. The damage was temporarily patched and the ship refloated six days later. When the full extent of the damage became known, Sitmar decided against permanent repairs and the offered the vessel for sale.
Having been reprieved from going straight to the breakers, in 1978 work began to convert the vessel to a static floating hotel and casino named Philippine Tourist. However, the ship was badly damaged by fire on 3 November 1979 and subsequently scrapped in Hong Kong
, the hulk having arrived there under tow on 24 May 1980.
Attacker class escort carrier
Attacker class escort carriers were a type of aircraft carrier in service with the British Royal Navy during the Second World War. There were eight ships in the class, all constructed in the United States and supplied under the terms of Lend-Lease to the Royal Navy.The ships served in two different...
escort aircraft carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
that served with the Royal 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.
Converted from the merchantman Steel Artisan, she was commissioned by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
on 30 September 1942 as USS Barnes (CVE-7) but simultaneously transferred under the Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
program to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and commissioned by the Royal Navy as HMS Attacker (D02) the same day.
Attacker served throughout the war, first as a convoy escort in the Atlantic. After further conversion by the Royal 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...
in October 1943 as an assault carrier, the ship was busily engaged in the Mediterranean and later the Pacific
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
theatres of war. In late August, Attacker witnessed the Japanese surrender of Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
in Penang, as part of Operation Zipper
Operation Zipper
During the Second World War, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it was never fully executed. Some of the proposed landings on Penang went...
.
Design and description
She had been laid down on 17 April 1941 as the merchantman Steel Artisan (hull 160) under Maritime Commission contract by Western Pipe and Steel CompanyWestern Pipe and Steel Company
The Western Pipe and Steel Company was an American manufacturing company that is best remembered today for its construction of ships for the Maritime Commission in World War II. It also built ships for the U.S...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
for the Ithanian Steamship Company and was launched in late September. She was then requisitioned for conversion to a carrier in December 1941 to be named USS Barnes but selected for transfer under Lend-Lease to the British.
HMS Attacker was the lead ship in the Attacker class
Attacker class escort carrier
Attacker class escort carriers were a type of aircraft carrier in service with the British Royal Navy during the Second World War. There were eight ships in the class, all constructed in the United States and supplied under the terms of Lend-Lease to the Royal Navy.The ships served in two different...
of eight escort carriers, just one of the 38 escort carriers built in the United States for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was built at the Western Pipe & Steel shipyards, who also built three other ships in the class. Once completed she was supplied under the terms of Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
agreement to the Royal Navy. There was a ships complement of 646 men, who lived in crew accommodation that was significantly different from the arrangements that were normal for the Royal Navy at the time. The separate mess
Mess
A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...
es no longer had to prepare their own food, as everything was cooked in the galley and served cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
style in a central dining area. They were also equipped with a modern laundry and a barber shop. The traditional hammock
Hammock
A hammock is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two points, used for swinging, sleeping, or resting. It normally consists of one or more cloth panels, or a woven network of twine or thin rope stretched with ropes between two firm anchor points such as trees or posts....
s were replaced by three-tier bunk-beds, 18 to a cabin which were hinged and could be tied up to provide extra space when not in use.
Attackers dimensions were: 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 69.5 feet (21.2 m) and a height of 23.25 ft (7.1 m). They displaced 11420 LT (11,603.3 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 ship at 17 knots (9.3 m/s).
She had the capacity for up to 24 anti-submarine or 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, which could be made up of a mixture of the British Hawker Sea Hurricane, Supermarine Seafire
Supermarine Seafire
The Supermarine Seafire was a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire specially adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. The name Seafire was arrived at by collapsing the longer name Sea Spitfire.-Origins of the Seafire:...
, 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 the American Grumman Wildcat, Vought F4U Corsair or Grumman Avenger. The exact composition of the embarked squadrons depended upon the mission. Some squadrons were composite squadrons for convoy defence and would be equipped with anti-submarine and fighter aircraft, while other squadrons working in a strike carrier role would only be equipped with fighter aircraft. Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the starboard side and above the 450 feet (137.2 m) x 120 feet (36.6 m) flight deck, two aircraft lifts 42 feet (12.8 m) by 34 feet (10.4 m), 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 260 feet (79.2 m) by 62 feet (18.9 m) hangar below the flight deck.
The ships armament concentrated on anti-aircraft (AA) defence and comprised two 4 inch dual purpose, AA guns
QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun
The QF 4 inch Mk V gun was a Royal Navy gun of World War I which was adapted on HA mountings to the heavy anti-aircraft role both at sea and on land, and was also used as a coast defence gun.-Naval service:...
in single mounts, eight 40 mm AA guns
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
in twin mounts and twenty-one 20 mm AA 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...
, in single and twin mounts.
Before entering service with the Royal Navy she was sent to Burrards
Burrard Dry Dock
Burrard Dry Dock Ltd. was a Canadian shipbuilding company headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia . Together with the neighboring North Van Ship Repair yard and the Yarrows Ltd...
shipbuilders in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
for some modifications. These modifications, 150 of them in total, were paid for by the Canadian government. Further modifications to turn her into an assault carriers were undertaken by the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company
Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company
The Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Limited was a British shipbuilding company based in Dundee on the east coast of Scotland.-History:...
in Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, Scotland. This work included installing an operational telephone system with over 100 telephones. A new briefing room with an army plot was installed and extra cabins were built providing an additional 140 bunks.
Attacker was designed to accompany other ships forming the escort for convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s. The anti-submarine aircraft employed were initially the Fairey Swordfish and later the Grumman Avenger, which could be armed with torpedoes, depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s, 250 pounds (113.4 kg) bombs or the RP-3
RP-3
The RP-3 , was a British rocket used in the Second World War. Though primarily an air-to-ground weapon, it saw limited use in other roles. Its 60 lb warhead gave rise to the alternative name of the "60 lb rocket"; the 25 lb solid-shot armour piercing variant was referred to as the "25 lb rocket"...
rocket projectile. As well as carrying out their own attacks on U-Boats, these aircraft identified their locations for the convoy's escorts to mount an attack. Typically anti-submarine patrols would be flown between dawn and dusk. One aircraft would fly about 10 miles (16.1 km) ahead of the convoy, while another patrolled astern. Patrols would last between two and three hours, using both Radar and visual observation in their search for U-Boats.
Attacker also had a secondary role, providing oil and provisions for her accompanying destroyers. This could be a lengthy process and was done on the move. It took 40 minutes from firing a line across to the destroyer to start pumping oil, while it took another two hours to pump 98 tons of oil and a further 35 minutes to disconnect the hose pipe and secure the equipment.
History
Attacker served throughout the war, first as a convoy escort in the Atlantic. After further conversion by the Royal NavyRoyal 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...
in October 1943 as an assault carrier, the ship was busily engaged in the Mediterranean and later the Pacific
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
war theatres. In late August, Attacker witnessed the Japanese surrender of Malaya in Penang, as part of Operation Zipper
Operation Zipper
During the Second World War, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it was never fully executed. Some of the proposed landings on Penang went...
.
In September 1945, Attacker was present at Singapore as part of Operation Tiderace
Operation Tiderace
Operation Tiderace was the codename of the British plan to retake Singapore in 1945. The liberation force was led by Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia Command...
, sailing immediately afterwards for the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
to de-store and enter reserve. HMS Attacker was awarded Royal Navy honours for her contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic (1943-44), for support to the Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
landings (1943) and to the South France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
campaigns in 1944. The vessel left British waters in December 1945, being formally received back into United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
’ custody at Norfolk Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
on 5 January 1946 and struck from naval service on 26 February 1946.
Merchant service
In February 1947 the ship was sold into merchant service — to National Bulk Carriers of New York — who arranged for the removal of the vessel's flight deck and other wartime fittings, in preparation for conversion to a cargo ship. However, the work then stopped and eventually the vessel was offered for re-sale. In 1950 it was bought by the Vlasov group and placed under the nominal ownership of Vlasov's American subsidiary, Navcot Corporation. Re-named Castel Forte, the ship remained idle whilst suitable employment could be found.In 1957, Vlasov secured a charter from the Australian government for Castel Forte to carry British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
migrants to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. During the conversion passenger liner was re-named Fairsky, operated by Vlasov's Italian managed company, Sitmar Line. On completion of the refurbishment in June 1958, the "new-look" vessel began a long career as a migrant-carrying ship, which was to last until 1970. On 23 June 1977, while operating as a cruise ship, Fairsky hit a submerged wreck and was beached to prevent sinking. The damage was temporarily patched and the ship refloated six days later. When the full extent of the damage became known, Sitmar decided against permanent repairs and the offered the vessel for sale.
Having been reprieved from going straight to the breakers, in 1978 work began to convert the vessel to a static floating hotel and casino named Philippine Tourist. However, the ship was badly damaged by fire on 3 November 1979 and subsequently scrapped in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, the hulk having arrived there under tow on 24 May 1980.