1
9 4 3
August
Contractors trials
11th
Build completion and transferred to RN as
HMS SLINGER.
September
On completion of sea trials took passage
to east coast USA
29th
Transit of Panama
Canal
October
Passage to Norfolk,
Va.
6th
Arrived at Norfolk
Navy Yard.
9th
Embarked CORSAIR aircraft for transport
to UK.
Passage to New York
15th
Sailed for Clyde
(Note Passage with routine convoy to be
confirmed.)
31st
Arrived at Belfast
and disembarked aircraft.
November
Nominated for refit at Chatham
20th
Took passage to Sheerness.
Taken hand for refit and modifications to
suit RN deployment.
(Note: Modification
to improve bomb
stowage safety carried out as carried
out in all
US
Built Escort Carriers transferred were
after HMS AVENGER was
lost in November
1942.)
December
Under refit
1
9 4 4
January
Under refit.
February
Carried out post refit trials
5th
During passage to Clyde
for work-up sustained major damage after
detonating a mine
off Lowestoft.
6th
Towed to Sheerness by tugs.
(Note:
Largest warship successfully salvaged
after damage by mine in North Sea.)
11th
Extensive repair work arranged at
commercial shipyard in London.
(Note: In
view of delay in availability of
operational service and prior to passage
to London
some items of
equipment were removed in Chatham
for use in repair of other US Built
CVE. See
HMS STALKER Chronology.)
12th
Passage from Chatham
to Thames shipyard.
(Note: It is
presumed tow was necessary.)
14th
Taken in hand for repair.
March
Under repair
to
September
October
Carried out post repair trials and
prepared for work-up in Clyde.
17th
Took passage to Clyde
November
Embarked aircraft and carried out flying
trials.
Deployed for work-up
in NW Approaches.
3rd
Deployed for deck landing for aircraft
of 768 Squadron.
December
Clyde deployment in continuation.
Nominated for service as replenishment
carrier for support of British Pacific
Fleet
operations as
part of Fleet Train
1
9 4 5
January
Embarked 1845 Squadron aircraft and
personnel for passage to Australia.
11th
Sailed from Clyde
with sister ships HMS KHEDIVE and SPEAKER
Called at Gibraltar.
17th
During passage in Mediterranean
with HMS SPEAKER both ships launched
aircraft
to carry our
search for U-Boat off North African coast.
Calls made at Port Said and Colombo
February
11th
Diverted during passage to Sydney
and deployed with HM Escort Carrier
SPEAKER, US
Frigate USS HUTCHINSON, Australian
Corvettes WARRNAMBOOL and CASTLEMAINE
to carry out
air search for two mercantiles
off west coast of Australia.
(Note: search
was unsuccessful)
22nd
On arrival at Sydney
joined HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
SPEAKER, RULER, STRIKER
and CHASER in
30th Aircraft Carrier Squadron for service
in Fleet Train.
(Note: Fleet
Train had been created to support Royal
Navy warships deployed with
US Navy for operations
in SW Pacific. It was designated
Task Force 112.)
For details of function and composition of
Fleet Train see THE FORGOTTEN
FLEET BY J Winton and
Naval Staff History.
Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes was changed to R313 to conform
with US Navy
identity for this type of warship.)
March
Embarked 23 aircraft for delivery to Fleet
aircraft carriers.
11th
Passage to British Forward Base at
Manus, Admiralty
Islands.
19th
Sailed from Manus to US Navy Forward Base
at Leyte.
Allocated for
transport of replacement aircraft to
operational area.
23rd
British Pacific Fleet joined US Fifth
Fleet at Leyte and designated Task Force 57.
26th
Arrived at Leyte.
29th
Sailed from Leyte
with replacement aircraft.
30th
Deployed with HM Escort Carrier STRIKER IN
Fleet Train during replenishment of BPF
ships carrying
out air operations against Japanese
airfields in the Sakishima-Gunto
Group (Operation
ICEBERG ONE).
(Note: Ships
of Fleet Train transferred to the US
Forward Base at Leyte which was
nearer to
operational area.)
April
Deployed with Fleet Train for aircraft
delivery during replenishment period.
5th
Supplied 22 replacement aircraft to ships
of Task Force 57 and recovered two flyable
but
unserviceable.
(Note: HMS
SLINGER and HMS STRIKER carried 56
replacement aircraft during ICEBERG
ONE,
of which 43 were delivered to Fleet
carriers.)
6th
Passage to Leyte.
8th
Arrived at Leyte.
May
Deployed for transport of aircraft to
Manus for delivery to Fleet during further
joint attacks
by TF37 and US ships on Sakishima-Gunto
(Operation ICEBERG TWO).
June
Replacement ferry duties in continuation
during preparations for attacks by BPF on
Japanese mainland.
July
Passage to Sydney from Manus.
August
After withdrawal of the majority of BPF
from operations off Japan
took passage to
Hong
Kong for support of re-occupation