January
Contractors
trials,
9th
Commissioned and transferred to Royal
Navy as HMS HUNTER.
11th
Build completion and acceptance trials
31st
Carried out post-build trials in West
Indies)
February
Post
Build trials and shakedown in West Indies continued.
March
Passage
to Norfolk Va.
5th
Joined US Convoy UGF6 from Norfolk
for passage to Casablanca.
Detached
from UGF6 and took passage to Clyde
Nominated for refit
in Dundee
commercial
shipyard.
April
Passage from Clyde to Dundee.
12th
On arrival at Dundee
taken in
hand for modifications to suit RN use.
May
Under refit for modifications to suit
RN use
including petrol supply system.
to
July
August
On
completion of modifications worked-up
for operational service.
Allocated for
service in Western
Approaches Command for Atlantic convoy
defence.
Nominated for service in support of
planned allied
landings on Italian mainland
and prepared
for foreign
service (Operation AVALANCHE).
834 Squadron SWORDFISH aircraft and
personnel
embarked.
(Note:
During passage in
heavy weather several aircraft were
badly damaged another
aircraft
broke loose.
Ship returned to Clyde to embark
replacement
aircraft and took passage
again to
Gibraltar
899 Squadron SEAFIRE aircraft embarked.
17th
Part of escort for
joint military convoy KMF22/WS33 from
Clyde
with.
HM Cruiser SHROPSHIRE,
HM Destroyer WRESTLER, HM
Sloops CHANTICLEER,
NARBADA (RIN), WESTON, HM Cutter TOTLAND, HM Frigates BARLE, ETTRICK
and USK.
Cover for Atlantic passage was provided
by HM Cruiser
CHARYBDIS in Bay
of Biscay
between 20th and
22nd August.
On arrival at Gibraltar took passage to
join Force V
(Carrier Task Force).
September
5th
Joined
Force V (Designated Force 88 for
AVALANCHE) and took part in exercises in
preparation
for landings at Salerno)
(Force V comprised HM Cruisers EURYALUS,
CHARYBDIS
and SCYLLA, HM Light
Fleet
Carrier
UNICORN, HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
BATTLER,
ATTACKER and
STALKER. HM
Destroyers
CLEVELAND, HOLCOMBE, ATHERSTONE,
LIDDESDALE,
FARNDALE, CALPE, HAYDON,
Polish
destroyers ORP SLAZAK and ORP
KRAKOWIAK
deployed as
screen).
6th
Deployed at Malta
with Force V.
8th
Provided air
cover during passage of assault
convoys to Salerno.
(Operation AVALANCHE. For details see
ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
C. Barnett, Naval Staff History. and
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.).
9th
Deployed
off Salerno during assault landings for gunnery
observation
and defence of the
anchorage
against air
attacks.
(Note:
During this
operation air attacks using radio
controlled bombs were used for the
first time in
the Mediterranean. See above
references.)
12th
Five SEAFIRE aircraft were landed at Paesrum
when shore airfield was available.
14th
After release from AVALANCHE Force V
disbanded.
Took passage to UK
with call
at Gibraltar.
Repair arranged at Dundee.
30th
Arrived at Dundee.
October
Under
repair
to
November
December
3rd
Sustained damage during undocking at Dundee.
Repair arranged in Clyde shipyard.
Atlantic convoy
defence in
continuation.
Nominated
for further refit to improve
facilities for use as an Assault
carrier.
(For details
of improvements to Command and Control
facilities see RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse.)
1
9
4 4
January
Under refit and on completion
deployed in Western Approaches to
work-up and for
to
further service in Mediterranean.
March
April
Took part in preparatory exercises in NW
Approaches prior to planned landings in
the South of
France (Operation ANVIL).
Embarked 807
Squadron SEAFIRE
aircraft and personnel.
May
Deployed
at Scapa
Flow
for
planned operation HOOPS
(Note: HMS
ATTACKER and HMS
HUNTER were also to take part in this
attack
on Norwegian
coast shipping
which was cancelled )
Passage to Mediterranean
for convoy
defence.
807 squadron aircraft carried.
(Note: RN
ships taking part
in Operation DRAGOON were under overall
command of
Vice Admiral HK Hewitt, US Navy. See
INVASION OF THE
SOUTH OF
FRANCE.)
June
Convoy
defence for military convoys during
passage to assembly ports continued.
July
Joined
Carrier Task Force ships in Malta
for preparatory exercises.
Allocated for service in Task Group 88.2
with HMS
STALKER to provide air cover
and gunfire
spotting during
landings.
(Note:
Other ships in TG88.2 included:
US
aircraft carriers USS TULAGI
and KASAN BAY, HM Cruisers CALEDON
and COLOMBO
with screen of six US Navy
destroyers.
27th
Codename for landings changed to
Operation DRAGOON.
August
Carried
out exercises off Malta
prior to landings in South France.
(See ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and above
reference.)
15th
Arrived in Assault area south of beaches
and carried out patrols flying
operation*.
to
Deployed
in position south of beaches and carried
out patrols, gunfire spotting,
27th
shore attacks and
other duties as required by Air Task
Force Commander.
(Note:
Carriers retired to
south of beach heads overnight and went
to Maddalena
to replenish.
See INVASION
OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO) and ENGAGE
THE
ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett.)
Released from DRAGOON and returned to RN
control by CinC
Mediterranean.
30th
Joined British Aegean Force for support
of operations to occupy islands in East
(Note:
Other ships in
British Aegean Force included HM Escort
Aircraft
Carriers STALKER.
EMPEROR,
ATTACKER, SEARCHER, PURSUER, KHEDIVE,
HM Cruisers BLACK PRINCE, ARGONAUT,
ROYALIST, AURORA, AJAX, ORION
and COLOMBO
with destroyers of 24th
Flotilla and HUNT Class Escort
Destroyers.
See
WINE DARK SEA by Lew
Lind.)
September
9th
Deployed
with same CVE for attacks on air
defences and ships evacuating German
forces
from Crete,
Scarpanto
and Rhodes
(Operation
OUTING I).
15th
Returned to Alexandria
to replenish
30th
Sailed from Alexandria
to resume Aegean operations
(Operation OUTING II)
October
5th
Aircraft
provided observation for bombardment of
Levitha by
HM
Cruiser AURORA.
7th
Aircraft attacked evacuation shipping.
9th
Aircraft attacks made on Cos
and evacuation ships.
11th
Relieved by HMS ATTACKER and returned to
Alexandria.
31st
Released from Mediterranean Fleet
deployment and took passage to UK
with HMS
ATTACKER and
STALKER.
November
11th
Arrived
in UK
Nominated for refit prior to transfer to
East Indies
Fleet based in Ceylon
Passage to Malta
December
6th
Under refit.
1
9 4 5
January
On
completion of refit work carried out
post refit trials.
February
21st
Took passage to Ceylon.
March
8th
Joined 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron,
East
Indies Fleet at Trincomalee
(Note:
Other ships in Squadron were:
HM Cruiser ROYALIST (Flag), HM Escort
Aircraft
Carriers STALKER, KHEDIVE
Nominated for
support of landings
at Rangoon
(Operation
DRACULA).
(See OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray, THE
FORGOTTEN
FLEET, by J.Winton
and
Naval Staff History.
but this
latter reference does not include HMS
HUNTER as
taking part.)
April
Deployed
at Trincomalee and prepared for service
with Squadron.
23rd
Squadron
sailed from Trincomalee with ships of
Squadron and HM Cruiser PHOEBE to Akyab
to provide
air cover during
passage of assault convoys to Rangoon.
(Note:
Screened by HM
Destroyers SAUMAREZ, VIGILANT, VENUS and
VIRAGO.
30th
Squadron provided air cover during
passage of assault convoys until 4th
May.
May
Squadron Experience poor weather
conditions during covering
operations.
2nd
Assault landings covered by aircraft
from Squadron commenced.
4th
Squadron released from DRACULA.
6th
Squadron carried out air attacks on
targets between Mergui
and Victoria
Point.
7th
On completion of air strikes Squadron
took passage to Trincomalee.
9th
Squadron returned to Trincomalee with
East Indies Fleet ships.
10th
Deployed
with HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH,
French battleship RICHELIEU, ships
of 21st
Squadron, HM
Cruisers ROYALIST and CUMBERLAND,
Dutch Cruiser TROMP and
screen of
eight destroyers
from Trincomalee as Force 61.
(Operation DUKEDOM to intercept and
destroy enemy
ships evacuating Andamans
and
Nicobar
Islands.)
13th
Provided fuel for
escorting destroyers.
14th
Detached from Force 61 with HMS
CUMBERLAND and destroyers of
26th Flotilla.
Carried out search
for Japanese
ships (Operation MITRE).
15th
Aircraft took part in search operations
for Japanese evacuation ships.
(Note:
Enemy ships sighted
by an AVENGER aircraft of 351 Squadron
which carried
out an attack
and was shot
down. These were KUROSHIO with SC57 as
escort
on passage
from Nancowry
to Malaya.
Search for crew failed and
they were taken
prisoner
after drifting on
to coast of Burma.
Another AVENGER aircraft of 851 Squadron
also
operating from HMS EMPEROR sighted
the Japanese
cruiser HAGURO
and destroyer KAMIKAZE. A subsequent
attack by
three
AVENGER aircraft from HMS EMPEROR caused
no major
damage. HAGURO then
altered
course to east. For
details see Naval Staff History.)
HAGURA was sunk in outstanding night
destroyer attack
by 26th Destroyer Flotilla.
(For full details of the search
operations and
sinking of HAGURO see references
above and
SINK THE HAGURO by
J Winton.)
16th
Carried out air attacks on Andaman
Island with HMS KHEDIVE.
17th
Passage to
Trincomalee with Squadron.
June
Deployed
with HM Escort Carrier ATTACKER for
transport of aircraft from India
to
to
Ceylon
for use during future
operations.
July
Nominated
for support of landings in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER)
Prepared for support
of landings.
(Note:
These landings were
delayed by the need to implement policy
relating to
return of
military personnel
from Far
East
under the PYTHON Scheme.
Revised date for ZIPPER became 9th
September
See above references and BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS by J
de Winser,)
August
15th
Sailed from
Trincomalee with East Indies Fleet to
implement ZIPPER.
Fleet commanded by Admiral Walker, 3rd
Battle
Squadron in HM Battleship NELSON.
(Operation JURIST - Setting up of
advanced base at Penang.)
16th
JURIST delayed for 48 hours at US
insistence.
19th
JURIST again delayed until after signing
of surrender in Tokyo.
28th
East
Indies ships arrived off Penang.
September
1st
Present at
formal surrender at Penang
on board
HM Battleship NELSON.
4th
Passage to Singapore
with occupation ships
9th
Provided air cover during landings
near Port Swettenham
with the other carriers
of Squadron.
(Note:
Ships deployed
during occupation included HMS ROYALIST,
HM Escort Carriers
STALKER, ARCHER, KHEDIVE, EMPEROR and
STALKER with
HMS NELSON
and the
French battleship RICHELIEU,
See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET, OPERATION
PACIFIC and
BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS.)
10th
Deployed at Singapore
for re-occupation.