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HMS Ameer (D01)
Encyclopedia
The escort carrier
USS Baffins (CVE-35) (originally AVG-35, then later ACV-35) was launched 18 October 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, Tacoma, Washington
; sponsored by Mrs. Laurence Bennett, wife of Commander Bennett; and commissioned 28 June 1943, Captain W. L. Rees in command. She was named for Baffin Bay
in southern Texas
.
of 69 inch and a draught of 25 in 6 in (7.77 m). Propulsion was provided a steam turbine, two boilers connected to one shaft giving 9,350 brake horsepower (SHP), which could propel the ship at 16.5 knots (9 m/s).
Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the starboard side, two aircraft lifts 43 feet (13.1 m) by 34 feet (10.4 m), one aircraft catapult
and nine arrestor wires
. Aircraft could be housed in the 260 feet (79.2 m) by 62 feet (18.9 m) hangar below the flight deck. Armament comprised: two 4 inch Dual Purpose
guns in single mounts, sixteen 40 mm Bofors
anti-aircraft guns in twin mounts and twenty 20 mm Oerlikon
anti-aircraft cannons in single mounts. They had a maximum aircraft capacity of twenty-four aircraft which could be a mixture of Grumman Martlet, Vought F4U Corsair or Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter
aircraft and Fairey Swordfish
or Grumman Avenger anti-submarine aircraft.
, where she was decommissioned the following day and transferred to the United Kingdom
under Lend-Lease
.
Now HMS Ameer, she was refitted to Royal Navy
requirements, including a lengthened flight deck
, the installation of ASDIC
, the adaptation of fire-fighting and ventilation systems, and the alteration of bomb and torpedo storage to accommodate either American
or British ordnance.
, sailing as escort in May 1944 to convoy KMF-31 to the Mediterranean, while en route to Trincomalee
, Ceylon
. There, she joined her sister ships , , and .
In early 1945, Ameer joined Force 61 as cover for "Operation Lightning", the amphibious assault by 3 Commando Brigade
(two Royal Marine units and one Army unit) on Akyab, Burma
. In the event, Japan
ese forces had evacuated that key area 48 hours earlier, making a heavy bombardment unnecessary.
Ameers next operation was Operation Matador to capture Ramree Island
, where her aircraft spotted fall of shot for , on 21 January 1945. The bombardment was to reduce Japanese artillery batteries in advance of landings by the 71st and 4th Brigades. A few days later, Ameer covered landings on nearby Cheduba Island
by the Royal Marines (Operation Sankey) that were, once again, unopposed; indeed, the whole island was unoccupied.
On 22 February 1945, Ameer sailed from Trincomalee, in Force 62 with , the light cruiser , six destroyers and six frigates. The objective was to perform Operation Stacey, the first of three photo-reconnaissance missions designed to cover the Hastings Harbor and Phuket Island
areas of the Kra Isthmus
. The reconnaissance was done successfully without enemy interference on the 26 to 28 February. The following day, however, the task force was located and attacked. Hellcat
fighters from Ameer and Empress successfully fought off the attack.
In June, 1945, Force 63, including Ameer and her sister ships , and , left Trincomalee for Operation Balsam, the third and last series of photo-reconnaissance missions over Malaya
. On 20 June, at the end of the scheduled operation, the task force pilots executed offensive sweeps. Ameer’s Hellcats joined those from 808 Squadron and Supermarine Seafire
s from 809 Squadron and attacked Japanese air bases at Lhoksemawe, Medan
, and Bindjai, strafing installations and aircraft. Antiaircraft fire shot down one Hellcat.
Ameer's last two operations were supporting mine-sweeping activity off potential landing sites. The first, with escort carrier , light cruiser and destroyers , , and , provided air cover and bombardment off the Nicobar Islands
over the 9 and 10 July. The second, Operation Livery, starting on the 24th July, cleared the approaches to Phuket Island, off the Kra Isthmus. was part of the covering force. On the 25 July, Task Force 63 came under bomber and kamikaze
attack and the minesweeper was hit.
Japan surrendered three weeks later.
(at first called Gannet) fighters, although Grumman Wildcat V
(initially called Martlets) were also carried, as were Walrus I
amphibians at the end of the war. In detail:
at Norfolk, Virginia
on 17 January 1946 and subsequently sold into merchant service 17 September 1946 as Robin Kirk.
She was later scrapped in Taiwan
in 1969.
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
USS Baffins (CVE-35) (originally AVG-35, then later ACV-35) was launched 18 October 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
; sponsored by Mrs. Laurence Bennett, wife of Commander Bennett; and commissioned 28 June 1943, Captain W. L. Rees in command. She was named for Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay, Texas
Baffin Bay is a bay in South Texas, an inlet of the larger Laguna Madre. Located near the Gulf of Mexico, Baffin Bay forms part of the boundary between Kenedy County and Kleberg County.-Etymology:The history of the bay name is unclear...
in southern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Design and description
These ships were all larger and had a greater aircraft capacity than all the preceding American built escort carriers. They were also all laid down as escort carriers and not converted merchant ships. All the ships had a complement of 646 men and an overall length of 492 inch, a beamBeam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 69 inch and a draught of 25 in 6 in (7.77 m). Propulsion was provided a steam turbine, two boilers connected to one shaft giving 9,350 brake horsepower (SHP), which could propel the ship at 16.5 knots (9 m/s).
Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the starboard side, two aircraft lifts 43 feet (13.1 m) by 34 feet (10.4 m), one aircraft catapult
Aircraft catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to launch aircraft from ships—in particular aircraft carriers—as a form of assisted take off. It consists of a track built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached through the track to the nose gear of the aircraft, or in...
and nine arrestor wires
Arresting gear
Arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is the name used for mechanical systems designed to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBAR aircraft carriers. Similar systems...
. Aircraft could be housed in the 260 feet (79.2 m) by 62 feet (18.9 m) hangar below the flight deck. Armament comprised: two 4 inch Dual Purpose
Dual purpose gun
A dual purpose gun is a naval artillery mounting designed to engage both surface and air targets.-Description:Second World War-era capital ships had four classes of artillery: the heavy main battery, intended to engage opposing battleships and cruisers ; a secondary battery for use against enemy...
guns in single mounts, sixteen 40 mm Bofors
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
anti-aircraft guns in twin mounts and twenty 20 mm Oerlikon
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
anti-aircraft cannons in single mounts. They had a maximum aircraft capacity of twenty-four aircraft which could be a mixture of Grumman Martlet, Vought F4U Corsair or Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
aircraft and Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
or Grumman Avenger anti-submarine aircraft.
Pre-service
Baffins remained at Puget Sound Navy Yard until 18 July 1943. Her classification was changed to CVE-35 on 15 July 1943. On the 18th, she proceeded to Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where she was decommissioned the following day and transferred to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
under Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
.
Now HMS Ameer, she was refitted to Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
requirements, including a lengthened flight deck
Flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...
, the installation of ASDIC
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
, the adaptation of fire-fighting and ventilation systems, and the alteration of bomb and torpedo storage to accommodate either American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or British ordnance.
Active service
Once she arrived in Britain, she was allocated to the British Eastern FleetBritish Eastern Fleet
The British Eastern Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed from 1941 to 1971...
, sailing as escort in May 1944 to convoy KMF-31 to the Mediterranean, while en route to Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. There, she joined her sister ships , , and .
In early 1945, Ameer joined Force 61 as cover for "Operation Lightning", the amphibious assault by 3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
(two Royal Marine units and one Army unit) on Akyab, Burma
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. In the event, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese forces had evacuated that key area 48 hours earlier, making a heavy bombardment unnecessary.
Ameers next operation was Operation Matador to capture Ramree Island
Ramree Island
Ramree Island is an island off the coast of Rakhine State, Burma. The area of the island is about 1350 km². The Battle of Ramree Island took place here for six weeks during January and February 1945, as part of the British Fourteenth Army 1944/45 offensive on the Southern Front of the Burma...
, where her aircraft spotted fall of shot for , on 21 January 1945. The bombardment was to reduce Japanese artillery batteries in advance of landings by the 71st and 4th Brigades. A few days later, Ameer covered landings on nearby Cheduba Island
Cheduba Island
Cheduba Island is an island in the Bay of Bengal close to Ramree Island belonging to Burma. It has an area of approximately 523 km² and a population 63,761 as of 1983 which is composed chiefly of Burmans and Arakanese peoples.-History:...
by the Royal Marines (Operation Sankey) that were, once again, unopposed; indeed, the whole island was unoccupied.
On 22 February 1945, Ameer sailed from Trincomalee, in Force 62 with , the light cruiser , six destroyers and six frigates. The objective was to perform Operation Stacey, the first of three photo-reconnaissance missions designed to cover the Hastings Harbor and Phuket Island
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
areas of the Kra Isthmus
Kra Isthmus
The Kra Isthmus is the narrow land bridge which connects the Malay Peninsula with the mainland of Asia, and popularly named "The Devil's Neck".-Geography:...
. The reconnaissance was done successfully without enemy interference on the 26 to 28 February. The following day, however, the task force was located and attacked. Hellcat
F6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big...
fighters from Ameer and Empress successfully fought off the attack.
In June, 1945, Force 63, including Ameer and her sister ships , and , left Trincomalee for Operation Balsam, the third and last series of photo-reconnaissance missions over Malaya
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
. On 20 June, at the end of the scheduled operation, the task force pilots executed offensive sweeps. Ameer’s Hellcats joined those from 808 Squadron and Supermarine Seafire
Supermarine Seafire
The Supermarine Seafire was a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire specially adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. The name Seafire was arrived at by collapsing the longer name Sea Spitfire.-Origins of the Seafire:...
s from 809 Squadron and attacked Japanese air bases at Lhoksemawe, Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
, and Bindjai, strafing installations and aircraft. Antiaircraft fire shot down one Hellcat.
Ameer's last two operations were supporting mine-sweeping activity off potential landing sites. The first, with escort carrier , light cruiser and destroyers , , and , provided air cover and bombardment off the Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
over the 9 and 10 July. The second, Operation Livery, starting on the 24th July, cleared the approaches to Phuket Island, off the Kra Isthmus. was part of the covering force. On the 25 July, Task Force 63 came under bomber and kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attack and the minesweeper was hit.
Japan surrendered three weeks later.
Squadrons
As a fighter carrier, HMS Ameer could carry up to 24 aircraft. In her active service, she carried mostly American Grumman Hellcat IIF6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big...
(at first called Gannet) fighters, although Grumman Wildcat V
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
(initially called Martlets) were also carried, as were Walrus I
Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
amphibians at the end of the war. In detail:
| Dates | Fleet Air Arm Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters... squadrons |
Aircraft type |
|---|---|---|
| July 1944-August 1944 | 845 | Wildcat V F4F Wildcat The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940... |
| Dec 1944-March 1945 | 804 | Hellcat II F6F Hellcat The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big... |
| Dec 1944 | 845 | Wildcat V |
| April 1945-Sept 1945 | 896 | Hellcat II |
| May 1945-Oct 1945 | 804 | Hellcat II |
| June 1945 | 888 | Hellcat II |
| July 1945-Aug 1945 | 1700 Dt | Walrus I Supermarine Walrus The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New... |
Post-war
HMS Ameer was returned to the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
on 17 January 1946 and subsequently sold into merchant service 17 September 1946 as Robin Kirk.
She was later scrapped in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in 1969.