Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
Encyclopedia
The Merchant Ship Fighter Unit (MSFU) was a Royal Air Force
operational aircraft unit based at RAF Speke
during World War II
. The aircraft operated by the MSFU were Hawker Sea Hurricane
s. These planes were operated from 35 merchant ships outfitted with a catapult on the bow, referred to as Catapult Aircraft Merchant ships CAM ship
s. The MSFU was formed at Speke on May 5, 1941 and provided detachments to the CAM ships, each vessel being equipped with one Sea Hurricane plus an RAF pilot and support crew.
The single catapult consisted of an eighty-five-foot runway, along which a trolley carrying a Hurricane (later Hurricats were used for this) would be forced by a battery of three-inch rockets over a diameter of sixty feet. Using thirty-degree wing flaps, a pilot could make a perfect takeoff without losing height.
Most notable was the inability of the CAM ship to recover the aircraft, and as a result launches beyond the range of the aircraft were one way rides that required the pilot to bail out and use an inflatable dingy until a passing ship happened by. Eventually CAM ships were replaced beginning in 1943 with the completion of escort carriers.
CAM fighters were credited with seven Luftwaffe kills and numerous scare offs.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
operational aircraft unit based at RAF Speke
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport serving the city of Liverpool and the North West of England. Formerly known as Speke Airport, RAF Speke, and Liverpool Airport the airport is located within the City of Liverpool adjacent to the estuary of the River Mersey some southeast...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The aircraft operated by the MSFU were Hawker Sea Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s. These planes were operated from 35 merchant ships outfitted with a catapult on the bow, referred to as Catapult Aircraft Merchant ships CAM ship
CAM ship
CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...
s. The MSFU was formed at Speke on May 5, 1941 and provided detachments to the CAM ships, each vessel being equipped with one Sea Hurricane plus an RAF pilot and support crew.
The single catapult consisted of an eighty-five-foot runway, along which a trolley carrying a Hurricane (later Hurricats were used for this) would be forced by a battery of three-inch rockets over a diameter of sixty feet. Using thirty-degree wing flaps, a pilot could make a perfect takeoff without losing height.
Most notable was the inability of the CAM ship to recover the aircraft, and as a result launches beyond the range of the aircraft were one way rides that required the pilot to bail out and use an inflatable dingy until a passing ship happened by. Eventually CAM ships were replaced beginning in 1943 with the completion of escort carriers.
CAM fighters were credited with seven Luftwaffe kills and numerous scare offs.