History

HMS Ravager (D-70) was built as an Attacker class escort carrier in the USA at Seattle-Tacoma, being laid down on 11 April 1942, purchased by the USN in May 1942, completed by Commercial Iron Works and commissioned as AVG-24 (later as ACV 24 - CVE 24). Transferred and commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Ravager on 26 April 1943.

The "Attacker" Class were the second batch of escort carriers built in the USA for the Royal Navy, the lead ship - Attacker - having originally been intended to be one of the "Avenger" Class. They were also the first escort carriers to be ordered after the USA entered the war; the USN kept the other 10 vessels ordered at the same time, as these became the "Bogue" Class. Like their predecessors they were converted from mercantile hulls. The RN undertook essential alterations to the aviation fuel systems, and lengthened the flight deck. Once the ships were ready for action they soon proved themselves, both as convoy escorts and fighter support ships for amphibious landings.

HMS Ravager saw war service in the Atlantic with 835 (wildcat) and 804 (hellcat) squadrons embarked between September and October 1943, but subsequently she was used mainly as a DLT training, Ravager becoming one of the main RN training carriers which was operating in the North Sea off the Scottish coast. Training DLTs training of Ravager included many squadrons over the period, and included such as the Sea Hurricane of 760 squadron from RNAS Inskip in October, 1944.

Ravager was returned to the USN on 26 February 1946, and became mercantile Robin Trent 1948, Trent 1971, scrapped Kaohsiung 1973.

Battle Honours
Atlantic 1943

Captains
No information on Captains.

Squadrons and Aircraft

FAA squadrons embarked	Dates	Aircraft type
835	Sept-Oct 1943	Wildcat VI
804	Oct 1943	Hellcat I

Associations and Reunions
No information

Carrier name	HMS Ravager became mercantile Robin Trent 1948, Trent 1971
Class	Attacker
Type	Training Escort Carrier (US built)
Ships in Class	Attacker, Battler, Chaser, Fencer, Hunter, Pursuer, Ravager, Searcher, Stalker, Striker, Tracker
Launched
Tonnage	Net displacement 9,800 tons, Gross displacement, Load 6,900 tons
Engines	2 Foster-Wheeler boilers, 2 Westinghouse geared turbines driving 1 shaft at 8500 shp
Speed in Knots	18.5 knots
Armament	Gun 1 x 2 x 4" L/50 AA, 4x 2 x 40mm Bofors AA 10-35 x 20mm Oerlikon AA
Crew Complement	646 Officers & Ratings excluding Air Group
Range
Length (ft/inches)	496
Beam (ft/inches)	69'6''
Draught (ft/inches)	26
Flight Deck length (ft/inches)	480
Flight Deck width (ft/inches)	70
Armour
Number of aircraft carried	up to 24
Fate of carrier	scrapped Kaohsiung 1973
Notes

 

FURTHER INFORMATION   NavSource Photo Archives Escort Carriers http://www.navsource.org/archives/03idx.htm   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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