Bogue-class escort carrier


The Bogue class were a class of escort carriers built in the United States for service with the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy during World War II. Following the war, ten Bogue-class ships were kept in service by the U.S. Navy and were used for helicopter and aircraft transport operations.
The ships operated by the Royal Navy were renamed and grouped as the and the. Following the war, those ships that served with the Royal Navy were returned to the United States and were either scrapped or converted for mercantile use.

Origins

The Bogue-class escort carriers were based on the Maritime Commission's Type C3 cargo ship hull. Most were built by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, but some of the early examples were produced by Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi, and by the Western Pipe and Steel Company of San Francisco, California. They all were named for sounds, and were equipped with derricks for retrieving seaplanes and loading and unloading aircraft.
These vessels were equipped with a variety of weapons, including one or two main guns of 4"/50 caliber, 5"/38 caliber or 5"/51 caliber, plus 40 mm Bofors and 20 mm Oerlikons. The type of main gun and number of smaller guns changed over the course of the war. They could carry as many as 28 aircraft operationally, or more if operating as an aircraft transport with additional aircraft secured to the flight deck.
The 10 remaining Bogue-class escort carriers in US service were re-designated as "helicopter escort carriers" in 1955 and five of these were re-designated as "utility escort carriers" in 1958, then aircraft ferry in 1958 and operating under US Maritime Sea Transportation Service during the Vietnam War.

Transfer to the Royal Navy

Most of the ships of the class were transferred to the Royal Navy under the provisions of the Lend-Lease program; they were given new names for their RN service and returned to the U.S. Navy after the war. The first group to be transferred were known by the RN as the Attacker class; in their place replacements were constructed with the same names for the American fleet. A second group of ships were built and sent almost in its entirety to the Royal Navy, known as the Ameer or "Ruler" class in British service, and sometimes as the Prince William class in the U.S. Navy.
As delivered, these carriers required modifications to conform to Royal Naval standards and, for some ships, the initial works were done by Burrard Dry Dock at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. These included extending the flight deck, fitting redesigned flying controls and fighter direction layout, modifications to the hangar, accommodation and store rooms, extra safety measures, oiling at sea arrangements, gunnery and other internal communications, extra wireless and radio facilities, ship black-out arrangements and other items deemed necessary for British service.
The consequential delays in getting these ships into active service caused critical comments from some in the U.S. Navy.

Ships

First group (USN ''Bogue'' / RN ''Attacker'' class)

Second group (USN ''Bogue'' / RN ''Ameer'' or Ruler class)

General characteristics as the Attacker class, except for displacement and armament.
NumberUS namePennant
number		British nameBuilderLaid downLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedFate
CVE-31Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation18 May 194223 August 19429 April 194329 August 1946Sold for scrapping, 1961
CVE-32D26SlingerSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation25 May 194219 September 194211 August 194312 April 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-33D51AthelingSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation9 June 19427 September 194228 October 19436 December 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-34D98EmperorSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation23 June 19427 October 19426 August 194328 March 1946Returned to US, sold for scrapping 1946
CVE-35D01AmeerSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation18 July 194218 October 194220 July 194320 March 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-36D38BegumSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation3 August 194211 November 19422 August 194326 February 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-37D09TrumpeterSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation25 August 194215 December 19424 August 194319 June 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-38D42EmpressSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation9 September 194230 December 194212 August 194328 March 1946Returned to US, sold for scrapping 1946
CVE-39D62KhediveSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation22 September 194230 January 194325 August 194319 July 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-40D90SpeakerSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation9 October 194220 February 194320 November 194325 September 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-41D77NabobSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation20 October 194222 March 19437 September 194310 October 1944Torpedoed by, judged not worth repair. Later salvaged and sold for mercantile use.
CVE-42D23PremierSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation31 October 194222 March 19433 November 194321 May 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-43D21ShahSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation13 November 194221 April 194327 September 19437 February 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-44D07PatrollerSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation27 November 19426 May 194325 October 19437 February 1947Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-45D10RajahSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation17 December 194218 May 194317 January 19447 February 1947Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-46D03RaneeSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation5 January 19432 June 19438 November 194322 January 1947Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-47D85TrouncerSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation1 February 194316 June 194331 January 194412 April 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-48D48ThaneSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation23 February 194315 July 194319 November 19431945Torpedoed by, declared a total loss and sold for scrap.
CVE-49D19QueenSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation12 March 19432 August 19437 December 19431946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-50D72RulerSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation25 March 194321 August 194322 December 194329 January 1946Returned to US, sold for scrapping 1946
CVE-51D31ArbiterSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation26 April 19439 September 194331 December 194312 April 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-52D55SmiterSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation10 May 194327 September 194320 January 19446 May 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-53D79PuncherSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation21 May 19438 November 19435 February 194416 February 1946Returned to US, sold for mercantile use
CVE-54D82ReaperSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation5 June 194322 November 194318 February 19442 July 1946Used for captured aircraft transport after May 1945,
then returned to US, sold for mercantile use.