History

HMS Ranee (D-03) was a Ruler class escort carrier built in the USA at Seattle-Tacoma as USS Niantic AVG 46 - ACV 46 - CVE 46, laid down 5 January 1943, and launched 2 June 1943. She was transferred to the Royal Navy and commissioned the same day, 8 November 1943.

The Ruler class ships were the third group of escort carriers built in the USA for the Royal Navy, and were generally similar to the preceding "Attacker" Class. The modifications carried out to the earlier class after their arrival in the UK were incorporated in the "Ruler" Class during construction. Many of the class were used as amphibious support carriers, taking part in the invasion of Southern France. Others supported Eastern Fleet operations against Burma and Malaya, and some served with the British Pacific Fleet as escorts for the Fleet Train.

HMS Ranee's war service commenced after outfitting as an assault/strike carrier, but she largely served as a transport carrier and a training carrier. The carrier was exercising in the
Strait of Georgia, Esquimalt, British Columbia on 24 January 1944, when the Canadian manned escort carrier HMS Nabob ran aground, and she was soon on the scene along with HMC Ships Armentieres and Haro which tried unsuccessfully to tow off the stranded vessel. Canadian and American salvage tugs arrived and, on the fifth attempt the ship was refloated on 28 January, 1944. Ranee was soon after loaned to the USN as a transport carrier on 4 February 1944, joining the Pacific Fleet as a Ferry carrier, and arrived at Cochin on 18 March 1944.  She was returned to the Royal Navy shortly thereafter. Her battle honours included her role in the support for the landings in Southern France in August 1944, then she was again loaned to the USN as a transport carrier on 21 January 1945, sailing in company with the USN destroyer USS Hugh W. Hadley (DD-774) on 21 February 1945 from California for Pearl Harbor. The ships arrived 27 February 1945 sailing 8 days later for Ulithi and the Okinawa invasion, March-April 1945. Ranee was returned to the Royal Navy in May 1945.

Ranee returned to the USN on 21 November 1946, and subsequently became mercantile Friesland 1948, Pacific Breeze 1967. Sold and scrapped 1974 in Taiwan.

Battle Honours
Southern France 1944, Okinawa, 1945, Pacific 1944-1945

Captains
No information on Captains.

Squadrons and Aircraft
No Information

Associations and Reunions

Burma Star Association: HMS Ranee Crew:  LEN MAWBY (Click for more information - Len is available on: Tel: 00 44 0116-2911879), CURLEY HUGHES (please click here), HARY FLEMMING (please click here)

Hi ..Shipmates this is great..Served on the following ships WW 2.Hms Sheffield..Hms
Striker..HMS Smiter..HMS Ranee..Splice the main brace!..Russian Convoys..Atlantic
And Pacific Combat areas! CPO.Keith Livermore..R.N. Retired <k2054@gateway.net>
Charleston, SC USA - Sunday, April 23, 2000 at 18:26:25 (CDT) The Goat Locker website

 

Carrier name	HMS Ranee Built as USS Niantic ACV-46 became mercantile Friesland 1948, Pacific Breeze 1967.
Class	Ruler
Type	Assault Escort Carrier (US built)
Ships in Class	Ameer, Arbiter, Atheling, Begum, Emperor, Empress, Khedive, Nabob, Patroller, Premier, Puncher, Queen, Rajah, Ranee, Reaper, Ruler, Shah, Slinger, Smiter, Speaker, Thane, Trouncer, Trumpeter
Launched	Laid down 5 Jan 1943, Launched 2 June 1943. Transferred 8 Nov December 1943, Commissioned 8 Nov 1943
Tonnage	8,333 tons Gross displacement 14,000 tons Load 5667 tons
Engines	2 x Foster-Wheeler boilers; 2 x Westinghouse geared turbines at 8500 shp, 1 shaft
Speed in Knots	18 knots
Armament	Gun 2 x 1 x 5"/38-cal DP 8 x 2 x 40mm AA 27-35 x 1 x 20mm AA
Crew Complement	646 Officers & Ratings including Air Group
Range
Length (ft/inches)	496
Beam (ft/inches)	69' 6"
Draught (ft/inches)	23'3"
Flight Deck length (ft/inches)	470'
Flight Deck width (ft/inches)	70'
Armour
Number of aircraft carried	18-24
Fate of carrier	Sold and scrapped 1974
Notes

 
 
 
 

FURTHER INFORMATION   Burma Star Association Website and HMS Ranee NavSource Online: Escort Carrier Photo Archive  CVE-46 HMS RANEE (Ex- CVE-46 NIANTIC) CLASS - BOGUE   USS Hugh W Hadley by Haze & Gray USN destroyer which went to the Pacific with HMS Ranee 1945 Escort Carriers of World War Two - by Poolman, Kenneth (1989). Published by Arms & Armour. ISBN 0853689520

        Last Modified: 23-2-2001

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