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.
