1 9 4 2
April Contractors trials.
5th Build completion
6th Transferred to RN and commissioned at Brooklyn as HMS BITER
May Carried
out Trials and prepared for passage to UK.
Embarked six SWORDFISH aircraft for transport to UK.
Joined
Canadian Convoy NA11 during Atlantic passage to Clyde..
June Arrived in Clyde and disembarked aircraft
Taken in hand for modifications to suit RN service.
(Note: Location to be identified.)
July Under modification.
Nominated
for support of planned allied landings in North Africa (Operation TORCH)
August Embarked
800 Squadron SEA HURRICANE aircraft and personnel.
Carried out work-up for service in Clyde area.
September Three
SWORDFISH aircraft and personnel of 833 Squadron embarked.
Work-up in continuation.
October Allocated
for duty with Central Naval Task Force.
26th Joined escort for military Convoy KMF1
for passage to Gibraltar
November 800
Squadron SEA HURRICANE aircraft and personnel embarked for TORCH support.
Detached
from convoy at Gibraltar and prepared for planned landings.
8th Deployed with HM Escort Carrier DASHER
and HM Fleet Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS
to provide cover for landings at Oran.
(Operation
TORCH. For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett, Naval Staff History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
During
operations aircraft of 800 Squadron shot down five Vichy D520 aircraft and
carried out
Target reconnaissance flights.
On
completion of Assault Phase released from TORCH and nominated for return to UK.
14th Part of escort for military convoy MKF1
with HMS DASHER.
19th Detached from MKF1 on arrival in Clyde.
800 Squadron
disembarked.
December Deployed in Clyde area
(Note: Deployment for support of convoy defence to be confirmed.)
1 9 4 3
January Continuation of Clyde deployment
(Note: Atlantic convoy defence to be confirmed.)
For details of deployment of submarines and weapons used
for attack and defence
of Atlantic convoys see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO), SEEK AND
STR1KE
by W. Hackmann and THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D MacIntyre.)
February Embarked nine SWORDFISH and
three MARTLET aircraft of 811 Squadron with
personnel for
operations in Atlantic.
March Deployment for convoy
defence to be confirmed.
Nominated for operations with Support Group of Western Approaches
Command.
April Provided
cover and support for passage of Convoys HX234 and ONS4 under threat
from MEISE U-Boat Group.
23rd Deployed with HM Destroyers PATHFINDER,
OBDURATE and OPPORTUNE of 5th
Support Group
in search for U-Boats attempting attacks on ONS4.
(See
above references.)
25th SWORDFISH aircraft of 811 Squadron
sighted U203 which was then attacked and sunk
by HMS PATHFINDER in position 55.05N 42.25W. 39 survivors
were rescued from U203
(See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
May Deployment with 5th Support Group in
continuation.
9th Deployed in
support of passage of Convoy HX237.
During
Group operations with 5th and 2nd Support Groups, SWORDFISH aircraft of 811
Squadron
attacked U-Boats of RHEIN Group in front of HX237. U454 forced to submerge.
10th HX237 defence in continuation and under
fire from U403 which later was forced to
submerge by destroyers of 5th Escort Group.
12th SWORDFISH B of 811 Squadron sighted
U89 which was sunk by HM Frigate
LAGAN
and HM Destroyer BROADWAY of 2nd Escort Group in position 46.30N
25.40W, north of Azores. There were no survivors from U89.
13th Supported defence of Convoy SC129
June Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
to
August
September Embarked Six SWORDFISH and six
MARTLET aircraft and personnel of 811 Squadron.
Atlantic
Convoy defence service in continuation.
October
19th Sailed from Clyde with 7th Support Group to
provide support for passage of outward
Convoy
ON207 during passage to Newfoundland.
30th Detached from support and took passage
to Argentia
November Deployed
for Atlantic convoy defence with 7th Support Group.
(Note: Ships of 7th support Group were HM Sloops CHANTICLEER,
CRANE and
PHEASANT.
7th Sailed from Argentia
with Group for provision of cover during eastward passage of
Convoys SC146 and HX265.
(Note: These convoys were under threat of attacks by SCHILL
U-Boat Group but
too few of group were able to assemble until ships of
convoys were too near
to British Isles. See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR Vol2.
16th During cover operations a SWORDFISH
ditched alongside but damage was caused to
rudder by wreckage and ship had to be withdrawn from
service.
Taken in hand for repair.
Squadron
disembarked.
December Under repair
1 9 4 4
January On
completion resumed convoy defence in Western Approaches
Deployed
with Support Groups for provision of air cover and anti-submarine patrol
February Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation
12th Deployed in HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
Tracker for provision of anti-submarine
11
SWORDFISH and four WILDCAT aircraft and personnel of 811 Squadron embarked.
Provided
air support for 7th and 9th Escort Groups in SW Approaches
((Note: Ships in Group were HM Canadian Frigates MONNOW, SWANSEA,
STORMONT and HM Canadian
Corvette OWEN SOUND.
Cover
provided for transit of outward Convoys OS68 and ONS29.
16th During attempt by Ju290 to carry out Glider bomb attack on
convoy enemy aircraft shot
down by WILDCAT aircraft of 811 Squadron
Provided radar
guidance information to enable BEAUFIGHTER aircraft of 235 Squadron,
RAF to intercept and destroy another JU290 attempting Glider Bomb
attack
March Convoy defence operation in continuation
Provided air support in defence of
inward joint convoy SL150 and MKS41 during passage
to Liverpool from Gibraltar.
April Atlantic
deployment in Azores area
6th Deployed in
support of passage of Convoy SC156 with ships of 5th Support Group.
See
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR Vol 2.
14th Deployed with HM Sloop PELICAN and ships
of 7th Support Group to support 9th
Canadian Support Group near the Azores in search
for U-Boat.
Ship under attack by U448.
(Note: U448 later was sunk by ships of 9th Support Group
north of Azores in position
16.22N, 19.35W.
42 survivors were rescued from U448.
See
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and above reference.)
May Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation for support of convoys to and from Gibraltar
to and West Africa.
June (Note: Not detached for support of allied landings in Normandy. (Operation NEPTUNE.)
Nominated for service as a Ferry Carrier.
July Passage to Clyde to Pay-off and to be taken in hand for
conversion.
August 811
Squadron aircraft and personnel landed.
Paid-off
and de-stored at Greenock.
21st Taken in hand for conversion
(Note: Ship was to be transferred to Ministry of War
Transport for deployment
as a mercantile.)
24th Sustained serious and extensive damage
by fire at Greenock.
Withdrawn from service as repair could not be arranged.
September At Greenock awaiting decision regarding
future use,
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Laid-up
in Clyde
to
March
April
9th Returned to US
Navy without repair.
Laid-up in Clyde.
May Under
US Navy control and transfer on loan to France after repair agreed.
to
August
