Wragg - The Escort Carrier of The Second World War: Combustible, Vulnerable and Expendable!

Notes: All ships were prefixed HMS, His Majestys Ship. Pennant numbers are shown in bold type. Unless otherwise stated, all references to beam apply to flight deck, but unlike purpose-designed aircraft carriers, the beam varied relatively little between hull and flight deck on these ships.

Activity , D94: Laid down at Caledon Shipyard, Dundee, Scotland as refrigerated cargo vessel Telemachus for Ocean Steamship, but converted on slipway. Commissioned 29 September 1942. Displacement: 11,800 tons standard, 14,529 tons deep load. LOA: 512 feet; beam: 66 feet. Armament: 1 twin 4-in; 6 twin 20-mm Oerlikon, 8 single 20-mm Oerlikon. Machinery: Twin diesel engines driving two shafts. Speed 18 knots. Complement: 700; aircraft: 10. Short hangar 100 feet long, single lift aft, arrester gear but no catapult.

Ameer , D01: lead ship of the class, although sometimes referred to as the Ruler-class. Similar in design, but larger, to the Avenger-class and US Bogue-class, these were built as carriers rather than converted, although still using merchantman hulls, and all were built by Seattle-Tacoma, although completion was sometimes by other yards. Originally laid down as USS Baffins , AVG-34, but transferred to the Royal Navy under Lend-Lease and commissioned on 20 July 1943. Intended as a strike and anti-submarine sweep carrier. Displacement, 11,400 tons standard, 15,400 tons deep load. LOA: 494.75 feet; beam: 88 feet. Armament varied according to role, but generally included: 2 5-in; 8 twin 40-mm Bofors, 20 20-mm Oerlikon. Complement:646; Aircraft: 20; arrester gear aft and hangar with two lifts, with single accelerator on port side forward capable of handling heavier aircraft. Machinery: boilers and turbines driving a single shaft. Speed: 18 knots. Returned to US Navy on 17 January 1946 and converted to merchantman Robin Kirk .

Arbiter , D31: Ameer-class mainly used for aircraft trials and then as an aircraft transport in which role she could carry up to ninety aircraft. Originally intended to be St Simon , AVG-51, she was commissioned by the Royal Navy on 31 December 1943. Returned to the US Navy 3 March 1946 and converted to merchantman Coracero .

Archer , D78: Laid down as a US merchant vessel, Mormcamacland , using a standard C3 hull, converted at Newport News with a wooden planked flight deck and a small starboard side island for navigation and air control, but no smokestack as exhaust fumes discharged horizontally. Originally intended to enter US service as BAVG-1, but diverted to UK under Lend-Lease. Commissioned 17 November 1941, but suffered considerable technical problems that delayed entry into service. Displacement, 10,220 tons standard, 12,860 tons deep load. LOA: 492 feet; beam: 70 feet. Armament: 3 4-in; 6 20-mm twin Oerlikon; 7 20-mm single Oerlikon. Machinery: Diesel engine driving a single shaft. Speed: 16.5 knots. Complement: 550, aircraft 12 15. Quarter length hangar with single lift aft, arrester gear aft and a single hydraulic accelerator. Laid up as stores ship August 1943, decommissioned March 1945 and returned to US January 1946. Reconverted to merchant vessel as Empire Lagan .

Atheling , D51: Ameer-class escort carrier originally intended to be Glacier , AVG-33, but transferred to Royal Navy, commissioned on 1 August 1943. Returned to US Navy on 13 December 1946 and converted to merchantman Roma .

Attacker , D02: Known in the US Navy as the Bogue-class, but lead ship for Royal Navy class. Laid down as merchant vessel Steel Artisan , but renamed Barnes AVG-7 for the US Navy, then transferred under Lend-Lease to the Royal Navy. Built by Western Pipe & Steel in San Francisco. Commissioned 10 October 1942. Displacement, 10,200 tons standard, 14,400 tons deep load. LOA: 465 feet; beam: 82 feet. Armament: 2 4-in; 4 twin 40-mm Bofors; 4 twin 20-mm Oerlikon; 4 20-mm Oerlikon. Machinery: boilers and geared turbines. Speed: 18.5 knots. Complement: 646; Aircraft: 20; Arrester wires aft; 2 lifts; single hydraulic accelerator forward. Returned to US Navy, January 1946 and re-converted as Castel Forte .