1
9 4 2
September
Contractors
trials
30th
Build completion and commissioned as HMS
ATTACKER.
Commanding
Officer Captain W W
P Shirley-Tolliaon,
RN.
October
Harbour Acceptance trials and
storing.
November
Embarked
SWORDFISH aircraft and personnel.
12th
Commenced Sea Trials including Deck
landings. off
San
Francisco.
December
9th
Took passage from
San Francisco
to Norfolk Va.
Carried
out flying trials with four SWORDFISH
aircraft of 838 Squadron whilst on
passage.
22nd
Transit of Panama
Canal.
1
9 4 3
January
Arrived
at Norfolk, Va
after calls at Curacoa
and Jamaica during passage.
to
Work-up in continuation off Norfolk.
February
Passage
to Jamaica
March
Embarked
four SWORDFISH aircraft and personnel of
840 Squadron.
Took passage to UK
with
Convoy CV1 from Jamaica.
Provided air cover
for convoy during passage.
(Note: Convoy
Identity to be confirmed
April
2nd
Detached from convoy on arrival in Clyde
and took passage to Liverpool.
10th
Taken in hand for
modifications to suit RN use.
(Note: This
work included:
Fitting British 4in
gun in place of US 5in mounting.
Modification of
petrol distribution system.
as
carried out in all US
built
CVE after the loss
of HMS DASHER following an explosion
in 1943.)
May
Refit and modification at Liverpool
in continuation.
June
Post refit trials.
15th
Deployed in Clyde
area for
aircraft trials and exercises.
886
Squadron and 879 Squadron SEAFIRE
aircraft and personnel embarked.
July
Clyde
deployment
in continuation.
Nominated for
service to Mediterranean.
(Note:
British Type 79B radar for aircraft
warning and Type
272 for warning of
surface
targets were fitted during this period.)
August
3rd
Took passage to Mediterranean
with HM
Escort Aircraft Carrier STALKER.
10th
Deployed in Mediterranean.
Allocated
for duty with Force V, Support Carrier
Task Force during the planned
landings on
Italian mainland at Salerno
(Operation AVALANCHE)
September
SEAFIRE
aircraft and personnel of 886 Squadron
were also embarked.
5th
Arrived at Malta
for
AVALANCHE deployment.
Joined HM Escort
Aircraft Carriers BATTLER, HUNTER,
STALKER in Task
Force 88.
(Note:
Other ships in TF88 were HM Cruisers
EURYALUS, SCYLLA
and CHARYBDIS
with HM
Destroyers CLEVELAND, HOLCOMBE,
ATHERSTONE,
LIDDESDALE,
FARNDALE, CALPE
Polish destroyers ORP SLAZAK and ORP
KRAKOWIAK.)
8th
Provided sir cover during passage of
assault convoy from Malta
9th
Provided air
cover during assault landings at Salerno.
52
sorties flown
(Note: HMS
ULSTER QUEEN, converted for use as a
Fighter
Direction Ship was used for
control of
aircraft during the landings.
10th
Retained off Beach Head instead of
planned withdrawal due to delay in
provision of airfield
ashore.
46 sorties flown.
(Note:
Enemy air attacks on the anchorage
include use of radio controlled bombs
for
the first
time in the
Mediterranean theatre. See above
references.)
11th
Deployed off Beach
Head.
24 sorties flown.
12th
Support of shore operations in
continuation
10
sorties Flown including one in which
enemy aircraft was engaged and possibly
damaged.
13th
Released from AVALANCHE and took passage
to Palermo with Force V.
(Note: High
accident rate during landings reduced
number of
aircraft available
for transfer
to shore
airfield.)
For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett and the Naval
Staff History.)
16th
Took passage to Gibraltar
when Force
V was disbanded.
30th
Part
of escort from Gibraltar for military convoy MKF24 and provided air cover during passage
to UK.
October
Nominated
for further conversion for use as an
Assault Carrier.
7th
Detached from MKF24 on arrival in Clyde
and took passage to Rosyth
for refit.
(Note: Ship
was required for future landing
operations.)
Squadron
aircraft and personnel disembarked.
10th
Taken in hand for
refit by HM Dockyard.
(Note:
Improved facilities were provided in
Operations Room
for the command and
control during
assault
operations. See RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse.)
November
On
completion of post refit trials took
passage from) Rosyth to Clyde.
December
Deployed
in Clyde
area for work-up and flying
exercises.
1
9 4 4
January
Clyde deployment
in continuation.
22nd
Sustained no damage when HM Escort
Aircraft Carrier CHASER dragged her
anchor in Clyde
during gale
and collided with ship.
24th
Sustained damage when HM Escort Aircraft
Carrier FENCER dragged anchor in Clyde
during gale
conditions and collided with ship.
February
Repair
arranged in Liverpool shipyard and disembarked aircraft.
9th
Taken in hand for
repair in Alexandra Dock.
March
Under
repair.
16th
On completion of repair resumed training
exercises in Clyde and re-embarked the aircraft of
879 Squadron.
(Note: 886
Squadron had been allocated for support
of
landings in Normandy.)
31st
At Belfast
for Leave
Period.
April
17th
Clyde
training
deployment in continuation.
Nominated
for service with Home Fleet with HMS
HUNTER and HMS STALKER in support
of attack on
Norwegian coast shipping.
30th
Sailed to join
Home Fleet at Scapa
Flow for
Operation HOOPS.
(Note: HMS
STALKER and HMS HUNTER were also to take
part in
this planned attacks on
Norwegian
coast shipping which was cancelled
)
May
Deployment
with Home Fleet changed and transferred
to Mediterranean.
14th
Sailed from Liverpool
as part of escort for
Convoys OS177/KMS51 and provided air
cover
during
passage of convoy to Gibraltar.
Deployed in Mediterranean
for
defence of convoys in western
Mediterranean.
June
Convoy defence deployment in
continuation.
July
Nominated
for support of allied landings in south
France {Operation DRAGOON)
Aircraft
disembarked during Self Maintenance
Period at Algiers.
(See
INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO).)
On
completion re-embarked Squadron and took
passage to Malta
to join Carrier Force
TF88.1).
(Note: TF88
also included HM Escort Aircraft
Carriers
EMPEROR, KHEDIVE,
SEARCHER,
PURSUER, HM Cruisers ROYALIST, DELHI
screened by five RN
destroyers
and one Greek destroyer)
August
Carried
out exercises off Malta
prior to landings in South France
(Note: Task
Group 88.1 was to provide fighter
Protection,
spotting aircraft and close support
during
landings.. See above reference.)
15th
Arrived in Assault
area and commenced flying operations.
(Note:
Sailing delayed for two hours by
steering defect.)
Deployed
in position south of Beach Head and
carried out air attacks and duties as
required by
Air
Task Force Commander.
(Note: Loss
of four aircraft during deck landings to
be
confirmed..)
Retired
to south of area after nightfall.
16th
DRAGOON Support in continuation.
to
Sorties
included strike against coastal
defences, bombardment spotting for HM
Cruiser
18th
AURORA
and
reconnaissance missions. See above reference.
19th
Took passage with TF88.1 to Maddalena
to refuel and rearm
22nd
Resumed flying operations off Beach Head
with ships of TF88.1 in position
south of Marseilles.
Carried out air
strikes as required.
24th
Returned to Maddalena
with ships of TF88.1
28th
Released from DRAGOON and returned to RN
control by CinC
Mediterranean.
Took passage to Alexandria.
{Note:
Sailing from Maddalena
was
delayed by 24 hours due to generator
defect.)
30th
Joined British Aegean Force for support
of operations to occupy islands in Eastern Mediterranean.
September
2nd
Arrived at Alexandria.
14th
Sailed from Alexandria
to relieve HMS HUNTER
deployed for air attacks on Crete
and Rhodes. (Operation OUTING).
15th
Joined HM Escort Carriers PURSUER,
EMPEROR, SEARCHER and KHEDIVE deployed
as
Force
A.
16th
Carried out air strikes and
reconnaissance flights
19th
Carried out dive-bombing of shipping in
harbour at Rhodes,
20th
On completion of OUTING returned to Alexandria
for replenishment.
(Note: 400
sorties were made during attacks on
transport and
shipping in Rhodes.)
27th
Deployed in Aegean
for
attacks on shipping (Operation OUTING
II.)
to
30th
October
1st
OUTING II deployment in continuation
to
(Note:
102 Sorties flown included strikes on
shore positions, bombardment spotting
for
4th
HM Cruiser
ROYALIST and tactical reconnaissance.)
5th
Returned to Alexandria
to replenish
Nominated
for support of British landings in Aegean
and Greece (Operation MANNA)
13th
Sailed With HMS STALKER, HMS EMPEROR,
HMS ROYALIST and two destroyers for
Aegean operations.
18th
Returned to Alexandria.
23rd
Carrier out air strikes on shore targets
to
24th
26th
Deployed for support of landings on Mitylene
29th
Deployed for
support of landings on Piskopi.
Released from
support of military operations in
eastern Mediterranean.
(For
details see Military History of
Mediterranean operations.)
30th
Returned to Alexandria.
31st
Took passage with
HMS HUNTER and HMS STALKER to return
to UK.
November
9th
Arrived at Plymouth
to give
leave prior to service in Eastern
Fleet.
10th
Under repair by HM
Dockyard Devonport.
29th
Took passage from Plymouth
to Taranto for refit.
December
Passage
in Mediterranean
6tb
Taken in hand for
refit at Taranto.
(Note:
Squadron personnel were landed and took
passage to Egypt
in the Italian
cruiser
DUCA
D’AOSTA.)
1
9 4 5
January
Under
refit
to
Nominated for service in 21st Aircraft
Carrier Squadron in Ceylon.
March
April
1st
On completion of post refit trials
took passage to Ceylon
to join Eastern Fleet.
Embarked
879 Squadron aircraft
May
Arrived at Colombo.
(Note: Ship
not available for participation in
re-occupation
of Rangoon.
Operation
DRACULA)
Not
available for operational service due to
defects and redeployed.
879
Squadron aircraft landed for service at
Katukurinda.
Deployed
with HMS HUNTER for the transport of FAA
and RAF aircraft from Indian
and South
African ports to Ceylon.
June
Aircraft
transport duties in continuation.
to
July
Required
for Fleet service with Squadron.
Passage
to Trincomalee
August
Prepared
for support of attack on Penang.
8th
Took passage with
Squadron in Malacca Straits.
11th
Operation cancelled and returned to
Trincomalee.
(Note: For
details of the complex factors affecting
British
operations and the
delay in
execution of landings in Malaya
(Operation ZIPPER) See
REPORT
BY
SEAC
TO CHIEFS OF STAFF (HMSO),
THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton,)
and WAR WITH
JAPAN
(HMSO)
14th
Returned to Trincomalee and nominated
for support of re-occupation of Penang.
(Operation
JURIST).
15th
Sailed with HM Battleship NELSON, HM
Cruiser CEYLON,
HMS HUNTER and a destroyer
16th
Operation JURIST (delayed by Supreme
Commander (General MacArthur)
See
above references..
Anchored off Nicobars.
Operation
JURIST recommenced and took passage to Penang
with HMS NELSON, HMS
CEYLON,
three destroyers and two
Landing Ships (Infantry) PRINSES BEATRIX
26th
At Penang
for final surrender which
was signed on board HMS NELSON.
September
2nd
Took passage from Penang
for Singapore.
3rd
Landed Royal
marines.
4th
Passage to Singapore
and
anchored off-shore over night.
(Note:
Diversion to Sabang
for
re-occupation to be confirmed
See
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
5th
Entered Singapore.
11th
Took part in
ceremonial entry into Singapore
with Fleet
units prior to formal surrender.
14th
Released from Malayan operations and
took passage to Trincomalee.
19th
Arrived at Trincomalee.