1
9 4 3
June
Contractors trials and commissioning
at Puget
Sound Navy Yard as HMS AMEER.
18th
Build completion
and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On
completion took passage to Esquimalt.
July
Taken
in hand for repairs and trials in HM
Canadian Dockyard, Esquimalt
to suit RN use.
to
commenced.
November
December
Passage
to New York
(Note:
Embarkation of aircraft for
transport to UK to be confirmed.)
1
9 4 4
January
2nd
Took passage to UK
On arrival in Clyde taken
in hand
by commercial shipyard for changes
to suit deployment as an
Assault Carrier by
alterations to Operations Room.)
(Note:
Work undertaken included
modification to petrol
supply system carried out in all US
built
CVE following loss
of HM Escort Carrier DASHER.)
This
reduced volume of aviation fuel
carried by some 50%.)
February
Under conversion.
to
Nominated for service with Escort
Aircraft Carrier Squadron, Eastern
Fleet.
April
Carried
out trials on completion of
modifications, worked-up for
operational use in Clyde.
(Note:
One source records damage
sustained
after boiler explosion in March
delayed completion
of work due
to additional repair work require.).
May
Carried out trials and
work-up in Clyde
(Note:
Embarked aircraft for transport
to Ceylon
to be confirmed.).
6th
Took passage to join Eastern Fleet
in Ceylon.
(Note:
Pennant Number R302 was
allocated for visual
signalling purposes to
conform
with US Navy identity for warships of
this type.)
June
Passage
in Indian Ocean
27th
Arrived at Trincomalee
(Note:
Disembarkation of aircraft at
Cochin to be confirmed.).
Joined Escort
Carrier Squadron, Eastern Fleet at
Trincomalee.
July
Deployed for Ferry Carrier duties in
Eastern
Fleet.
26th
Embarked 845 Squadron AVENGER aircraft
and personnel for convoy defence
deployment in
Indian Ocean.
August
Deployment for convoy defence in
continuation.
to
(Note: Did not take part in
Fleet
operations against Japanese airfields.
November
See WAR
WITH JAPAN
(HMSO) and OPERATION PACIFIC
by E Gray.)
December
Nominated
for support of landings by 26th Indian
Division on Ramree
Island.
(Operation
MATADOR. See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J
Winton and
WAR
WITH JAPAN
(HMSO)
845
Squadron and personnel disembarked.
(Note: : Refit
at Trincomalee to be confirmed.).
1
9 4 5
January
Resumed
Fleet duties. 804 Squadron HELLCAT
aircraft embarked.
18th
Sailed from
Trincomalee escorted by HM Destroyer
RAIDER for MATADOR support.
21st
Embarked aircraft provided gunfire
spotting during bombardment by HM
Battleship QUEEN
ELIZABETH.
(Note:
Force 64 also included HM
Cruiser PHOEBE for Fighter
Direction duties, HM Destroyers
PATHFINDER,
RAIDER and RAPID, HM Sloops FLAMINGO,
REDPOLE and
KISTNA
(RIN).)
25th
Joined HM Cruisers KENYA, NEWCASTLE
and NIGERIA escorted by HM Destroyer
PALADIN
with HM
Cruiser PHOEBE, HM Destroyers NORMAN
and RAIDER, HM Frigates SPEY and
TEVIOT
to provide air cover during landings
on Cheduba
Island south of Ramree
by Royal
Marines (Operation
SANKEY).
26th
Embarked aircraft provided air cover
during assault.
February
Nominated
for deployment in Force 64 for
Photo-reconnaissance flights prior to
the
planned
landings in
Malaya (Operation STAGEY).
22nd
Sailed from Trincomalee with Force 64.
(Note:
Others ships included HM Escort
Carrier EMPRESS, HM
Cruiser KENYA, HM
Destroyers
VOLAGE, VIRAGO and VIGILANT, HM
Frigates PLY,
SPEY and SWALE.
24th
Provided fuel for
destroyers and frigates during
passage.
26th
Commenced photo reconnaissance flying
operations.
March
Reconnaissance
flights in continuation.
1st
Under attack by Japanese aircraft
during which embarked aircraft
destroyed two of the enemy
force.
HMS
EMPRESS aircraft
destroyed a third.
7th
Returned to Trincomalee with Ships of
Force 62. (Note:
See above references for
details.)
April
Deployment with Eastern Fleet in
continuation.
to
(Note: Did not take
part in allied landings at Rangoon
(Operation DRACULA) or in
May
Fleet operations to intercept
evacuation of
Japanese from Burmese coast or
Andamans.
See
SINK THE HAGURO by J Winton).
June
Deployed
in Force 63 with HM Escort Aircraft
Carrier KHEDIVE and STALKER escorted
by
HM
Cruisers SUFFOLK and ROYALIST,
screened by HM Destroyers RACEHORSE,
REDOUBT,
RELENTLESS, ROEBUCK and ROTHERHAM to carry out photographic
Reconnaissance
missions
over
southern Malaya
and attacks on airfields in
northern Sumatra. (Operation BALSAM).
888
Squadron HELLCAT aircraft were
embarked.
18th
Launched aircraft for reconnaissance
from position in northern approaches
to the Malacca
Straits.
19th
Photo reconnaissance flights in
continuation.
20th
Fighter aircraft carried out strikes
on
airfields without Japanese opposition.
Photo-reconnaissance
flights completed. (For
details see above references.)
July
Nominated for support
of operations in preparation for
landings in Malaya with
21st Aircraft
Carrier Squadron.
(Note:
896 Squadron of HELLCATS were
embarked.)
2nd
Deployed with HM Escort Aircraft
Carrier EMPEROR as part of Force 61 to
provide
cover for a
major minesweeping operation off Car Nicobar
and to carry out attacks by
embarked
aircraft on airfields in North Sumatra
(Operation COLLIE).
(Note:
HM Cruiser NIGERIA
was also part of Force 61 with HM
Destroyers ROEBUCK,
ESKIMO and
VIGILANT as screen.)
5th
Carried out air strikes during
bombardments by HMS NIGERIA and
destroyers.
to
Six
aircraft were lost.
10th
11th
Launched
further air strikes with
HMS EMPEROR on airfields at Kota
Raja and Lho
Nga
in NW
Sumatra.
Single
Japanese aircraft which approached
shot down.
14th
Returned to
Trincomalee with ships of Force 61.
(See above references for details.)
19th
Deployed with HM Battleship NELSON, BM
Cruiser SUSSEX,
HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
EMPRESS,
screened by HM Destroyers PALADIN, ROTHERHAM,
RACEHORSE and
RAIDER to cover
minesweeping operation off Phuket
Island (Operation
LIVERY).
24th
During minesweeping operations
aircraft
carried out attacks on Kra
Isthmus.
to
(Note:
HM Minesweeper SQUIRREL was lost
during the clearance on 24th.)
25th
26th
Air strikes
continued during final
day of minesweeping.
Force
63 came under air attacks by suicide
bombers. One VAL
bomber destroyed by ship’s
fire
and another
by HMS SUSSEX. Later HM Minesweeper
VESTAL was
hit by another attack and
set on
fire. HMS VESTAL was sunk by gunfire
from HMS
RACEHORSE after crew rescued.
28th
Returned to
Trincomalee with ships of Force 63.
(Note:
Operation LIVERY was the last
offensive operation carried out by the
East
Indies
Fleet in WW2.
August
East Indies Fleet deployment in
continuation.
Prepared for
support of planned landings in Malaya
(Operation ZIPPER).
(Note:
This operation was delayed by US
insistence on execution of planned
assault on
Malayan territory
and use of atom bomb. In
addition the
implementation for the
PYTHON Scheme to
return service personnel to UK after
long service in the Far
East. See
the above references
and FINAL
REPORT BY SUPREME COMMANDER
SEAC
TO CHIEFS
OF STAFF (HMSO).)
September
Embarked 808 Squadron HELLCAT
aircraft and personnel with WALRUS
aircraft of 1700
Squadron
4th
Sailed from Trincomalee to join
assault convoy during passage to Malacca
Strait.
6th
Joined Convoy ME1F
8th
On arrival at beach head provided air
cover during
unopposed landings (Operation ZIPPER)
See BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.
October
On release from ZIPPER
returned to Trincomalee.
Nominated for
return to UK
for Paying-off.
30th
Took passage to UK
November
On passage.
18th
Arrived in Clyde.
De-stored
and British Equipment removed.
(Note:
Majority of ship’s company left
ship leaving only
Steaming Party’ needed
for
Atlantic passage.)
December
Prepared
for passage.
22nd
Sailed for Norfolk,
Va
1
9 4 6
January
Arrived
at Norfolk Navy Yard
17th
Formally returned to US Navy.