Bogue class escort carrier

The "Bogue" class were a group of escort aircraft carriers built in the United States for service with the US Navy and (under lend-lease) the Royal Navy during World War II.

Origins

The Bogue class escort carriers were based on the Maritime Commission's Type C3 cargo ship hull. Most were built by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, but some of the early examples were produced by Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi and by the Western Pipe and Steel Company of San Francisco, California. They all were named for sounds, and were equipped with derricks for retrieving seaplanes.

Transfer to the Royal Navy

Most of the ships of the class were transferred to the Royal Navy under the provisions of the Lend-Lease program; they were given new names for their RN service and returned to the U.S. Navy after the war. The first group to be transferred were known by the RN as the "Attacker" class; in their place replacements were constructed with the same names for the American fleet. A second group of ships were built and sent almost in its entirety to the Royal Navy, known as the "Ameer" class or the "Ruler" class in British service, and sometimes as the "Prince William" class in the U.S. Navy.

As delivered, these carriers required modifications to conform to Royal Naval standards and, for some ships, the initial works were done at Burrards at Vancouver, Canada. These included extending the flight deck, fitting redesigned Rying controls and fighter direction layout, modifications to hangar, accommodation and store rooms, extra safety measures, oiling at sea arrangements, gunnery and other internal communications, extra wireless and radio facilities, ship black-out arrangements and other items deemed necessary for British service.

The consequential delays in getting these ships into active service caused critical comments from some in the U.S. Navy.

Ships

First group ("Bogue" / "Attacker" class)

*USS|Altamaha|CVE-6 became HMS|Battler|D18
*USS|Altamaha|CVE-18
*USS|Barnes|CVE-7 became HMS|Attacker|D02
*USS|Barnes|CVE-20
*USS|Block Island|CVE-8 became HMS|Hunter|D80
*USS|Block Island|CVE-21 was sunk by the German "U-549" northeast of the Canary Islands on 29 May 1944.
*USS|Bogue|CVE-9
*USS|Breton|CVE-10 became HMS|Chaser|D32
*USS|Breton|CVE-23
*USS|Card|CVE-11
*USS|Copahee|CVE-12
*USS|Core|CVE-13
*USS|Croatan|CVE-14 became HMS|Fencer|D64
*USS|Croatan|CVE-25
*USS|Hamlin|CVE-15 became HMS|Stalker|D91
*USS|Nassau|CVE-16
*USS|Prince William|CVE-19 became HMS|Striker|D12
*USS|St. George|CVE-17 became HMS|Pursuer|D73
*HMS|Ravager|D70
*HMS|Searcher|D40
*HMS|Tracker|D24

Second group ("Bogue" / "Ameer" / "Ruler" / "Prince William" class)

General characteristics as for "Attacker" class, except for displacement and armament.
*USS|Baffins|CVE-35 became HMS|Ameer|D01
*USS|Bastian|CVE-37 became HMS|Trumpeter|D09
*USS|Bolinas|CVE-36 became HMS|Begum|D38
*USS|Carnegie|CVE-38 became HMS|Empress|D42
*USS|Chatham|CVE-32 became HMS|Slinger|D26
*USS|Cordova|CVE-39 became HMS|Khedive|D62
*USS|Delgada|CVE-40 became HMS|Speaker|D90
*USS|Edisto|CVE-41 became HMS|Nabob|D77
*USS|Estero|CVE-42 became HMS|Premier|D23
*USS|Glacier|CVE-33 became HMS|Atheling|D51
*USS|Jamaica|CVE-43 became HMS|Shah|D21
*USS|Keweenaw|CVE-44 became HMS|Patroller|D07
*USS|Niantic|CVE-46 became HMS|Ranee|D03
*USS|Perdido|CVE-47 became HMS|Trouncer|D85
*USS|Prince|CVE-45 became HMS|Rajah|D10
*USS|Prince William|CVE-31
*USS|Pybus|CVE-34 became HMS|Emperor|D98
*USS|St. Andrews|CVE-49 became HMS|Queen|D19
*USS|St. Joseph|CVE-50 became HMS|Ruler|D72
*USS|St. Simon|CVE-51 became HMS|Arbiter|D31
*USS|Sunset|CVE-48 became HMS|Thane|D48
*USS|Vermillion|CVE-52 became HMS|Smiter|D55
*USS|Willapa|CVE-53 became HMS|Puncher|D79
*USS|Winjah|CVE-54 became HMS|Reaper|D82

External references

* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/class.html?ID=113 UBoat.NET]
* [http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Ships/Aircraftcarrierindex.html Aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy]