History

HMS Trumpeter (D-09) was built as a Ruler Class escort carrier in the USA at the Commercial Iron Works, Seattle-Sacoma. She was laid down on 25 August 1942 as USS Bastian ACV/AVG-47, and launched on 15 December 1942, and completed 4 August 1943 by Commercial IW (Portland). She was transferred to the Royal Navy on 4 August 1943, and commissioned as HMS Trumpeter on the same day.

The Ruler Class was 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.

Trumpeter's war service was primarily as a convoy escort. Arriving in Norfolk in October 1943 she embarked 848 (Avenger) squadron and 1831 and 1833 (Corsair) squadrons  for passage to the UK, where she was allocated to Western Approaches Command as a ferry carrier and ferried aircraft from New York to the Clyde in two Atlantic crossings. Following modifications she was allocated to the Home Fleet and started work-up based on the Clyde with 846 squadron equipped Avenger and Wildcat aircraft. Sailing on 8 August 1944 for strikes against Gossan with 846 squadron, she took part in Operation Goodwood in company with Formidable, Furious, Indefatigable and Nabob. On 28 September 1944 she sailed for operations off the Norwegian coast with 846 and 852 (Avenger) squadrons embarked. Minelaying operations followed off Norway in October 1944.

In December 1944 Trumpeter took part in more operation off Norway with 881 (Wildcat) squadron. In February 1945 she sailed from Scapa Flow with escort for JW65 with 846 squadron embarked, arriving at the Kola Inlet, Russia on 21 March 1945, and returned to the UK with the RA65 convoy.

A strike on German shipping in Kilbotn occurred near Harstad, in company with Queen and Searcher in the last air strike of  the European War, when HMS Trumpeter's aircraft shared sinking of the German Submarine U711 with aircraft from HMS Queen on 4 May 1945. During May 1945, she covered the Allied liberation of Denmark. She was then refitted in the Clyde again, and was allocated to the Eastern Fleet, before sailing for Colombo.

After arriving in Colombo, she was used as a DLT carrier in the Ceylon area beginning at the end of July 1945. After the war in the Far East was officially over on 15 August 1945 the main activity for both British fleets was to accept the Japanese surrender in the numerous islands and areas of coast were they had been in control. In many cases there was still the risk of continued resistance, particularly in Malaya. On 9 September 1945 Operation Zipper, the recapture of Malaya, was put into effect, but without a previously arranged air and sea bombardment. Over 100,000 troops landed at various points escorted by HMS Nelson, Richelieu, Nigeria, Cleopatra, Royalist and Ceylon, with the escort carriers Hunter, Stalker, Archer, Khedive, Emperor, Pursuer and Trumpeter with 15 destroyers.

Trumpeter was returned to the USN on 6 April 1946. She then became USS Bastion again, then subsequently mercantile Alblasserdijk 1948, and Irene Valmas 1966. Scrapped at Castellon 1971.

Battle Honours
Atlantic 1943-1944, Arctic 1944, Norway 1945

Captains
No information on Captains.

Squadrons and Aircraft

FAA squadrons embarked	Dates	Aircraft type
846	July 1944-May 1945	Avenger I/Wildcat V
856 dt	Aug 1944	Avenger II/Wildcat V
852	Sept-Oct 1944	Wildcat VI
856	Dec 1944	Avenger II/Wildcat V
881	Dec 1944-Jan 1945	Wildcat V
828	Jan 1945	Wildcat VI
822	April-Aug 1945	Wildcat VI/Barracuda TRIII

Associations and Reunions
No information

Carrier name	HMS Trumpeter Ex USS Bastian ACV/AVG-47 Became USS Bastion again 1946, mercantile Alblasserdijk 1948, and Irene Valmas 1966.
Class	Ruler
Type	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 Aug. 1942, Launched Dec.1942. Transferred Aug. 43, Commissioned August 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	Scrapped 1971
Notes

 
 
 
 

FURTHER INFORMATION   NavSource Online: Escort Carrier Photo Archive CVE-37 HMS TRUMPETER (Ex- CVE-37 BASTIAN) CLASS - BOGUE   Career History: HMS Trumpeter  Detailed career history for Trumpeter Sturtivant, R & Ballance, T  (1994). 'The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm' Published by Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1994 ISBN: 0 85130 223 8 The World’s Warships 1941 by Francis E. McMurtrie (1944). Janes London 1941 1st ed.  Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II by Francis E. McMurtrie (Editor)(1984). 320 pages. Crescent Books; ISBN: 0517679639 World Aircraft Carrier Lists and Photo Gallery - from 1913 to 2000. Naval History Information Center, Haze Gray & Underway

       Last Modified: 23-2-2001

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