History

HMS Tracker was built as an Attacker Class escort carrier in the USA at Seattle-Tacoma, San Francisco, being laid down on 3 November 1941 as mercantile Mormacmail, BAVG-6. She was transferred on completion to the Royal Navy on 31 January 1943 and commmissioned the same day as HMS Tracker.

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; unlike their predecessors they were powered by steam turbines instead of diesels. Speed was increased to18 knots, although overall size and displacement were much the same as the earlier classes. Once the ships were ready for action they soon proved themselves, both as convoy escorts and fighter support ships for amphibious landings.

HMS Tracker saw war service in the Atlantic, Arctic, and Normandy, primarily providing convoy escort 1943-45. She was damaged in a collision 3 June 1943 during a patrol in the South Western approaches. On her return to active duty in August 1943, she resumed convoy escort, and during subsequent patrols her aircraft from 846 squadron assisted in sinking the German submarine U-355 on 4 April 1944, then sinking U-288 two days later.

Tracker was returned to the USN on 29 November 1945 and became mercantile Corrientes 1949 and scrapped 1964.

For a complete history of the ship 1943-1945 see LIFE OF THE TRACKER
Story of the escort carrier HMS Tracker 1943-1945

Battle Honours
Atlantic 1943 - 4, Arctic 1944, Normandy 1944

Captains
See LIFE OF THE TRACKER
Story of the escort carrier HMS Tracker 1943-1945

Squadrons and Aircraft

FAA squadrons embarked	Dates	Aircraft type
816	Aug-Dec 1943	Seafire Ib
846	Jan-June 1944	Avenger I
853	Sept-Dec 1944	Avenger I/Wildcat

Associations and Reunions
None at present

 

Carrier name	HMS Tracker Ex Mormacmail became mercantile Corrientes 1949
Class	Attacker
Type	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 1964
Notes

 

FURTHER INFORMATION   LIFE OF THE TRACKER - Story of the escort carrier HMS Tracker 1943-1945 Story of the escort carrier HMS Tracker as told at the time by Don W.J.Woolman and printed in the Tracker Tribune. Modern editorial in 2002 by the son of one of Tracker's crew, Barton Dolding. 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    NavSource Photo Archives Escort Carriers: http://www.navsource.org/archives/03idx.htm HMS TRACKER (BAVG 6)   World Aircraft Carrier Lists and Photo Gallery - from 1913 to 2000. Naval History Information Center, Haze Gray & Underway

       Created: 23-2-2001, Last modified 31-5-2002

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