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HMS Biter (D97)
Encyclopedia
HMS Biter was a Royal Navy
escort carrier during the Second World War
. She was laid down as a merchant ship at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company
yard at Chester, Pennsylvania
. Launched on 28 December 1939, she was converted to an escort carrier and commissioned in the Royal Navy on 6 May 1942.
. These carriers were converted American
merchant ships. Their design was based on the U.S. Navy
′s Long Island-class
(AVG); to differentiate between the two classes, the Royal Navy added the prefix "B" (BAVG). HMS Biter (BAVG3) was built by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
, originally named the Rio-Parana; she was laid down on 28 December 1939, launched on 18 December 1940 and delivered on 4 September 1941. She was converted to an escort carrier in the Atlantic Basin Iron Works
at Brooklyn
New York
and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 6 May 1942, under the command of Captain
Abel-Smith.
Biter had a complement of 555 men and an overall length of 492 ft (150 m), a beam
of 66 in 3 in (20.19 m) and a height of 23 in 3 in (7.09 m). She displaced 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 engine
s connected to one shaft giving 8500 hp, which could propel the ship at 16.5 kn (20.1 mph; 32.3 km/h).
Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the starboard side and above the 410 ft (125 m) long wooden flight deck, one 43 by 34 ft (13.1 by 10.4 m) aircraft lift
, one aircraft catapult
and nine arrestor wire
s. Aircraft could be housed in the 190 by 47 ft (57.9 by 14.3 m) half hangar below the flight deck. Armament comprised three single mounted 4 in (101.6 mm)
dual purpose gun
s and fifteen 20 mm cannons
on single or twin mounts. She had the capacity for fifteen aircraft which could be a mixture of Grumman Martlet or Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter
s and Fairey Swordfish
or Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber
s (also used for anti-submarine patrol
s).
—on 2 June. After completing flying trials, she left for Nova Scotia
on 12 June, with one of her Swordfish flying anti-submarine patrols en route. Leaving Nova Scotia for Britain on 14 June, she again suffered from engine problems which cast her adrift for three hours while they were repaired. She continued to suffer from engine problems crossing the Atlantic, and on 17 September a depth charge
-armed Swordfish crashed into her island on landing. After 75 minutes, they managed to safely drop the charge overboard. Arriving at Greenock
on 23 June, she entered dock for modifications and to lengthen her wooden flight deck. On 2 September, she took part in landing trials with a Fairey Fulmar
and practised landings and takeoffs with other Fleet Air Arm
aircraft in the following weeks and exercised in oiling her escort vessels. On 1 October, Biter arrived in Scapa Flow
where she was joined on 10 October by . Her first fighters arrived on 14 October; 15 Sea Hurricanes belonging to No. 800 Naval Air Squadron
. These planes were Sea Hurricane IB's armed with twelve 0.303 in (7.7 mm)
machine gun
s and ICs armed with four 20 mm cannons. The two escort carriers—joined by the fleet carrier
—left for Greenock on 16 October to join the British forces taking part in the North Africa landings Operation Torch
.
. The force comprised the battleship
, the carriers and , the light cruiser
and nine destroyer
s. Flying operations began on 8 November, and when a Sea Hurricane crashed into her bridge Biter was temporarily put out of action. One Sea Hurricane was shot down by a Vichy French
Dewoitine D.520
, both Biter and Dasher were sent back to Gibraltar
on 10 November. Biter joined a convoy for Greenock and arrived without incident on 19 November and went to Dundee
for an overhaul. In February 1943, Biter joined Argus and her destroyer escorts on an anti-submarine exercise and then left for Iceland on 13 April accompanied by the destroyers and arriving on 17 April.
under Lieutenant-Commander A.J.B Forde. This was a composite squadron equipped with nine Fairey Swordfish and three Grumman Martlets. On 21 April, Biter departed Iceland with convoy ONS 4 bound for Argentia. Captain Abel-Smith had decided to shadow the convoy from a distance believing this would provide them with greater opportunities to engage shadowing U-Boats. Two Swordfish were kept at immediate readiness to take off and engage any submarine sightings. On 23 April, one of the patrolling Swordfish sighted a U-Boat on the surface but it had dived before they got into an attacking position. That same afternoon, another U-Boat was sighted by the convoy; they signalled Biter, which was 50 mi (43.4 nmi; 80.5 km) away. By the time the lone Swordfish dispatched had arrived, the U-Boat——had been sunk by . Biter kept up her anti-submarine patrols over the next days and on 25 April, the radar
operator on Biter reported a submarine contact. The destroyer dispatched to investigate could not find anything, then at 16:25 a Swordfish sighted a U-Boat on the surface only 8 mi (7 nmi; 12.9 km) from Biter. Dropping two depth charges the Swordfish reported the sighting and another Swordfish and were sent to assist. Pathfinder followed up the Swordfish attack with depth charges of her own, and at 18:40 surfaced and was abandoned by her crew. The convoy safely reached Argentia on 19 April without any loss but had sunk two U-Boats.
bad weather prevented any flying until after 16:00 on 10 May. The Swordfish responded to a sighting of a U-Boat on the surface dropping two depth charges but was hit by anti-aircraft fire from the submarine. A second Swordfish had taken off to assist but could not find the U-Boat or the convoy in the bad weather and was forced to ditch beside a straggling merchant ship. On 11 May, another U-Boat was engaged by a Swordfish on the surface which initially fought back with her guns but was eventually forced to dive. The next morning, the patrolling Swordfish reported a U-Boat sighting and was never heard from again. It was because of these last engagements that aircraft were ordered to fly in pairs, they were forbidden to fight it out with surfaced submarines and only to attack if it was diving. That afternoon a Swordfish sighted and attacked a U-Boat diving only 6 mi (5.2 nmi; 9.7 km) from the convoy. The same U-Boat——was located and sunk by two of the destroyer escorts. On 13 May, the convoy had come within range of RAF Coastal Command
Consolidated Liberators and Shorts Sunderlands. Two Swordfish took off at dawn and discovered two surfaced U-Boats, which were attacked by a patrolling Sunderland. Another U-Boat was located by a Swordfish at 09:00 and attacked her as she was diving with no visible effect.
. Their relief shadowed the submarine until it dived when it carried out another unsuccessful attack. At 13:45, Biter closed with the convoy and commenced anti-submarine patrols. The convoy reached Britain on 16 May without any loss, and Biter was ordered to the Clyde. As a result of Biter′s experiences on these early convoys, the complement of aircraft carried was increased to 15 bombers and six fighters, with a 50% increase in air crews. Homing beacons were to be fitted to all carriers together with a Type 237 blind approach beam system for use in poor visibility.
which arrived at Argentia untroubled on 5 November. They left Argentia on 7 November to support convoy HX 265. Biter was the lead ship in the 5th Escort Group, with the destroyers , Opportune and Obdurate. They—together with the 7th Escort Group—were tasked to sail 60 mi (52.1 nmi; 96.6 km) and 120 mi (104.3 nmi; 193.1 km) respectively ahead of the convoy. The intention was they would detect the two large concentrations of U-Boats, that were known to be waiting for the next eastbound convoy. Aircraft from Biter made several U-Boat sightings but did not sink any, one was reported as probably being damaged on 10 November. On 16 November, a Swordfish coming into land crashed into the sea behind Biter. The force of the crash released the plane's homing torpedo which detonated on the carrier's rudder. The explosion damaged the steering, rudder assembly and some hull plates below the waterline. Once she reached Britain, it took four weeks to repair the damage.
where she was renamed Dixmude. The Flotille 3FB equipped with Douglas Dauntless dive bomber
s served on the ship between 1945 and 1949. On 24 January 1951, she was removed from the U.S navy register and disarmed during her next refit between 1951–1953. She then became an accommodation ship until 1965, when she was returned to the U.S Navy who sunk her as a target ship on 10 June 1966.
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...
escort carrier during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was laid down as a merchant ship at the Sun Shipbuilding & 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...
yard at 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 :...
. Launched on 28 December 1939, she was converted to an escort carrier and commissioned in the Royal Navy on 6 May 1942.
Design and description
Biter was an Avenger-class escort carrierAvenger class escort carrier
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...
. These carriers were converted American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
merchant ships. Their design was based on the U.S. 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...
′s Long Island-class
Long Island class escort carrier
The Long Island-class escort carrier was a two-ship class, originally listed as "AVG" . They were converted from merchant ships....
(AVG); to differentiate between the two classes, the Royal Navy added the prefix "B" (BAVG). HMS Biter (BAVG3) was built by 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...
, originally named the Rio-Parana; she was laid down on 28 December 1939, launched on 18 December 1940 and delivered on 4 September 1941. She was converted to an escort carrier in the Atlantic Basin Iron Works
Atlantic Basin Iron Works
The Atlantic Basin Iron Works was an ironworks that operated in Brooklyn, New York, in the early to mid-20th century. It built U.S. Navy warships during World War I and II.Founded before 1910, the yard had its headquarters at 18-20 Summit Street...
at Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 6 May 1942, under the command of Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Abel-Smith.
Biter had a complement of 555 men and an overall length of 492 ft (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 in 3 in (20.19 m) and a height of 23 in 3 in (7.09 m). She displaced 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 engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s connected to one shaft giving 8500 hp, which could propel the ship at 16.5 kn (20.1 mph; 32.3 km/h).
Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the starboard side and above the 410 ft (125 m) long wooden flight deck, one 43 by 34 ft (13.1 by 10.4 m) aircraft lift
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
, 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 wire
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...
s. Aircraft could be housed in the 190 by 47 ft (57.9 by 14.3 m) half hangar below the flight deck. Armament comprised three single mounted 4 in (101.6 mm)
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 gun
Dual purpose gun
A dual purpose gun is a naval artillery mounting designed to engage both surface and air targets.-Description:Second World War-era capital ships had four classes of artillery: the heavy main battery, intended to engage opposing battleships and cruisers ; a secondary battery for use against enemy...
s 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. She had the capacity for fifteen aircraft which could 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...
s 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 torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
s (also used for anti-submarine patrol
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
s).
Service history
After commissioning, Biter was being readied to leave New York when a fire broke out on 8 May 1942, in the catapult house which destroyed one of the catapult motors. Eventually believed ready for sea, she left the dock on 15 May but had to return to rectify an engine problem. Ready again for sea, she left on gunnery trials on 30 May and landed her first aircraft—a Fairey SwordfishFairey 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...
—on 2 June. After completing flying trials, she left for Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
on 12 June, with one of her Swordfish flying anti-submarine patrols en route. Leaving Nova Scotia for Britain on 14 June, she again suffered from engine problems which cast her adrift for three hours while they were repaired. She continued to suffer from engine problems crossing the Atlantic, and on 17 September a 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...
-armed Swordfish crashed into her island on landing. After 75 minutes, they managed to safely drop the charge overboard. Arriving at Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
on 23 June, she entered dock for modifications and to lengthen her wooden flight deck. On 2 September, she took part in landing trials with a Fairey Fulmar
Fairey Fulmar
The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942...
and practised landings and takeoffs with other Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
aircraft in the following weeks and exercised in oiling her escort vessels. On 1 October, Biter arrived in Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
where she was joined on 10 October by . Her first fighters arrived on 14 October; 15 Sea Hurricanes belonging to No. 800 Naval Air Squadron
No. 800 Naval Air Squadron
800 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed on 3 April 1933 by amalgamating No's 402 and 404 Flights.-1930s:...
. These planes were Sea Hurricane IB's armed with twelve 0.303 in (7.7 mm)
M1919 Browning machine gun
The M1919 Browning is a .30 caliber medium machine gun that was widely used during the 20th century. It was used as a light infantry, coaxial, mounted, aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine gun by the U.S. and many other countries, especially during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War...
machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s and ICs armed with four 20 mm cannons. The two escort carriers—joined by the fleet carrier
Fleet carrier
A fleet carrier is an aircraft carrier that is designed to operate with the main fleet of a nation's navy. The term was developed during the Second World War, to distinguish it from the escort carrier and other lesser types...
—left for Greenock on 16 October to join the British forces taking part in the North Africa landings Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
.
Operation Torch
For the Torch landings, Biter was part of the covering force off OranOran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
. The force comprised the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, the carriers and , the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
and nine destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s. Flying operations began on 8 November, and when a Sea Hurricane crashed into her bridge Biter was temporarily put out of action. One Sea Hurricane was shot down by a Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
Dewoitine D.520
Dewoitine D.520
The Dewoitine D.520 was a French fighter aircraft that entered service in early 1940, shortly after the opening of World War II. Unlike the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, which was at that time the Armée de l'Airs most numerous fighter, the Dewoitine D.520 came close to being a match for the latest...
, both Biter and Dasher were sent back to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 10 November. Biter joined a convoy for Greenock and arrived without incident on 19 November and went to 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...
for an overhaul. In February 1943, Biter joined Argus and her destroyer escorts on an anti-submarine exercise and then left for Iceland on 13 April accompanied by the destroyers and arriving on 17 April.
Convoy ONS 4
Biter had taken aboard No. 811 Naval Air SquadronNo. 811 Naval Air Squadron
811 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of Britain's Fleet Air Arm.The squadron was flying the Fairey Swordfish in 1939 from . When that ship was lost the survivors were drafted to help form 815 Naval Air Squadron....
under Lieutenant-Commander A.J.B Forde. This was a composite squadron equipped with nine Fairey Swordfish and three Grumman Martlets. On 21 April, Biter departed Iceland with convoy ONS 4 bound for Argentia. Captain Abel-Smith had decided to shadow the convoy from a distance believing this would provide them with greater opportunities to engage shadowing U-Boats. Two Swordfish were kept at immediate readiness to take off and engage any submarine sightings. On 23 April, one of the patrolling Swordfish sighted a U-Boat on the surface but it had dived before they got into an attacking position. That same afternoon, another U-Boat was sighted by the convoy; they signalled Biter, which was 50 mi (43.4 nmi; 80.5 km) away. By the time the lone Swordfish dispatched had arrived, the U-Boat——had been sunk by . Biter kept up her anti-submarine patrols over the next days and on 25 April, the radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
operator on Biter reported a submarine contact. The destroyer dispatched to investigate could not find anything, then at 16:25 a Swordfish sighted a U-Boat on the surface only 8 mi (7 nmi; 12.9 km) from Biter. Dropping two depth charges the Swordfish reported the sighting and another Swordfish and were sent to assist. Pathfinder followed up the Swordfish attack with depth charges of her own, and at 18:40 surfaced and was abandoned by her crew. The convoy safely reached Argentia on 19 April without any loss but had sunk two U-Boats.
Convoy HX 237
Biter and her destroyer escorts left Argentia on 5 May to join the home bound convoy HX 237. Fog prevented any flying until 07:30 on 7 May, when two Swordfish took off and located the convoy and provided an anti-submarine patrol. The carrier and escorts arrived an hour later. Two Martlets which until now had been idle took part in a patrol but lost the convoy and had to ditch beside a straggling merchant ship which rescued the crews. Ordered to close with the convoy by the Commander-in Chief (C-in-C) Western ApproachesWestern Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
bad weather prevented any flying until after 16:00 on 10 May. The Swordfish responded to a sighting of a U-Boat on the surface dropping two depth charges but was hit by anti-aircraft fire from the submarine. A second Swordfish had taken off to assist but could not find the U-Boat or the convoy in the bad weather and was forced to ditch beside a straggling merchant ship. On 11 May, another U-Boat was engaged by a Swordfish on the surface which initially fought back with her guns but was eventually forced to dive. The next morning, the patrolling Swordfish reported a U-Boat sighting and was never heard from again. It was because of these last engagements that aircraft were ordered to fly in pairs, they were forbidden to fight it out with surfaced submarines and only to attack if it was diving. That afternoon a Swordfish sighted and attacked a U-Boat diving only 6 mi (5.2 nmi; 9.7 km) from the convoy. The same U-Boat——was located and sunk by two of the destroyer escorts. On 13 May, the convoy had come within range of RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
Consolidated Liberators and Shorts Sunderlands. Two Swordfish took off at dawn and discovered two surfaced U-Boats, which were attacked by a patrolling Sunderland. Another U-Boat was located by a Swordfish at 09:00 and attacked her as she was diving with no visible effect.
Convoy SC 129
With HX 237 now under land-based aircraft cover, the C-in-C Western Approaches ordered Biter and her escorts 200 mi (173.8 nmi; 321.9 km) south where the eastbound convoy SC 129 was being threatened by a gathering wolfpack. On 15 May, light winds over the flight deck, and the inability of the Swordfish to use the catapult launch rail, limited their bomb load to two 40 lb (18.1 kg) bombs. Just before they closed on the convoy a Swordfish attacked a surfaced U-Boat, the two bombs caused no damage to the submarine, which returned fire damaging the plane and wounded the Air observerAir observer
An air observer is a British term for a military aircrew member whose duties are predominantly reconnaissance. The term originates in the First World War in the Royal Flying Corps, and was maintained by its successor, the Royal Air Force...
. Their relief shadowed the submarine until it dived when it carried out another unsuccessful attack. At 13:45, Biter closed with the convoy and commenced anti-submarine patrols. The convoy reached Britain on 16 May without any loss, and Biter was ordered to the Clyde. As a result of Biter′s experiences on these early convoys, the complement of aircraft carried was increased to 15 bombers and six fighters, with a 50% increase in air crews. Homing beacons were to be fitted to all carriers together with a Type 237 blind approach beam system for use in poor visibility.
Convoy HX 265
On 19 October 1943, Biter with six Swordfish and six Martlets of No. 811 Naval Air Squadron on board left the Clyde to join the westbound convoy ON 207Convoy ON 207
ON 207 was a North Atlantic convoy of the ONS/ON series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II.It was the subject of a major U-boat attack in October 1943, the fourth battle in the German Navy’s autumn offensive....
which arrived at Argentia untroubled on 5 November. They left Argentia on 7 November to support convoy HX 265. Biter was the lead ship in the 5th Escort Group, with the destroyers , Opportune and Obdurate. They—together with the 7th Escort Group—were tasked to sail 60 mi (52.1 nmi; 96.6 km) and 120 mi (104.3 nmi; 193.1 km) respectively ahead of the convoy. The intention was they would detect the two large concentrations of U-Boats, that were known to be waiting for the next eastbound convoy. Aircraft from Biter made several U-Boat sightings but did not sink any, one was reported as probably being damaged on 10 November. On 16 November, a Swordfish coming into land crashed into the sea behind Biter. The force of the crash released the plane's homing torpedo which detonated on the carrier's rudder. The explosion damaged the steering, rudder assembly and some hull plates below the waterline. Once she reached Britain, it took four weeks to repair the damage.
French service
Biter was returned to the U.S. Navy on 9 April 1945. She underwent a refit and was loaned to the French NavyFrench Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
where she was renamed Dixmude. The Flotille 3FB equipped with Douglas Dauntless dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s served on the ship between 1945 and 1949. On 24 January 1951, she was removed from the U.S navy register and disarmed during her next refit between 1951–1953. She then became an accommodation ship until 1965, when she was returned to the U.S Navy who sunk her as a target ship on 10 June 1966.