Nairana-class escort carrier
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The ''Nairana''-class escort carrier () was a British-built class of three
escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...
s. They were constructed one each in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
and
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
to the same basic design during the Second World War for service with the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
. Converted from
merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are u ...
s, they were only able to accommodate a composite squadron of about 15–20 aircraft. Their armaments were mainly
anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
weapons, with one twin 4 inch Dual Purpose, Anti Aircraft gun. One of the class, ''Campania'', was the first British carrier to be fitted with an Action Information Organisation (AIO) and a
Type 277 radar The Type 277 was a surface search and secondary aircraft early warning radar used by the Royal Navy and allies during World War II and the post-war era. It was a major update of the earlier Type 271 radar, offering much more power, better signal ...
able to detect low-level aircraft. Once completed the first carrier did not take part in active service until January 1944, but all three served as convoy escorts during the final year of the war. They had some success during their patrols, and
anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
Fairey Swordfish flying from their decks sank and damaged some German U-boats and their
fighters Fighter(s) or The Fighter(s) may refer to: Combat and warfare * Combatant, an individual legally entitled to engage in hostilities during an international armed conflict * Fighter aircraft, a warplane designed to destroy or damage enemy warplan ...
succeeded in shooting down German long-range reconnaissance aircraft.


Design and description

The ''Nairana''-class escort carriers were a class of three
escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...
s built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.Cocker (2008), pp.76–78 Escort carriers were designed to protect convoys of merchant ships from U-boat and aircraft attack. Following the successful conversion and operation of HMS ''Activity'', the
Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...
decided to take over three more
merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are u ...
s while they were still under construction and convert them into escort carriers.Poolman (1972), p.111. The three ships chosen were being built at three different shipyards around the United Kingdom, Harland and Wolff in
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, Swan Hunter in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and John Brown & Company in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. The prototype was built by John Brown who supplied the other two companies with copies of the plans. The three ships were supposed to be identical but in reality they were all slightly different. ''Nairana'' built by John Brown was launched on 20 May 1943 and completed on 12 December 1943.Poolman (1972), pp.111–112. She had a complement of 728 men and displaced . Her other dimensions were a length of , a
beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of and a draught of .Cocker (2008), p.77. Her aircraft facilities included a flight deck, a hangar by , eight arrestor wires and an aircraft lift by . ''Vindex'' built by Swan Hunter was launched on 4 May 1943 and completed on 3 December 1943. She had a complement of 700 men and displaced . Her other dimensions were a length of , a
beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of and a draught of . Her aircraft and her aircraft facilities included a flight deck, a hangar by , six arrestor wires and an aircraft lift by . ''Campania'' built by Harland and Wolff was launched on 17 June 1943 and completed on 9 February 1944. She had a complement of 700 men and displaced . Her other dimensions were a length of , a
beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of and a draught of . Her aircraft and her aircraft facilities included a flight deck, a hangar by , six arrestor wires and an aircraft lift by .Cocker (2008), p.76. Common to all three ships was a traditional
rivet A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched ...
ted hull, steel flight decks and a closed hangar.Poolman (1972), p.112. They had the same propulsion provided by diesel engines connected to two shafts giving 11,000 brake horsepower (BHP), which could propel the ship at . Their armaments concentrated on
anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
(AA) defence and comprised two 4 inch Dual Purpose, AA guns on a twin mount, sixteen 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons on eight twin mounts and sixteen 2 Pounder Pom Pom on four quadruple mounts. Aircraft assigned were either
anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
or fighter aircraft, which could be made up of a mixture of the
Hawker Sea Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. Some versions were built in Canada by the Canada Car and Foundry Co Ltd British variants Hurricane Mk I ; Hurricane Mk I ( ...
, Grumman Wildcat, Fairey Fulmar or Fairey Swordfish.Cocker (2008), p.80. The exact composition of the embarked squadrons depended upon the mission. Some squadrons were composite squadrons for convoy defence and would be equipped with anti-submarine and fighter aircraft, while other squadrons working in a strike carrier role would only be equipped with fighter aircraft.Morison (2002), p.342.


Service history


HMS ''Nairana''

''Vindex'' and ''Nairana'' were both commissioned within days of each other in December 1943, and moved to Gourock for working up. ''Nairana'' with 835 Naval Air Squadron
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
on board commenced flying exercises with HMS ''Activity'' on 27 January 1944. Both carriers left the
River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
on 29 January with the 2nd Escort Group under the command of
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Frederic John Walker. They were to form a "hunter killer group" in the waters west of Ireland, providing cover for two southbound convoys OS 66 and KMS 70. Weather conditions had prohibited flying until 31 January. With clearer weather ''Nairana'' turned into the wind to send off her first
anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
patrol. At the same time ''Wild Goose'' reported contact with a submerged U-boat on her ASDIC. Warning ''Nairana'' that she had just turned into danger, the carrier took avoiding action. The U-boat ''U-592'' was sunk by ''Wild Goose'' and Walker's own ship ''Starling'', while a Fairey Swordfish from ''Nairana'' circled the area. By this stage of the war the Royal Navy had enough escort carriers available not only to double them up on a convoy escort but to permanently detach one to work with a "hunter killer group" operating outside the convoy system. The 2nd Escort Group still under the command of Walker was the group chosen with ''Vindex'' as the carrier. As she would not be supported by another carrier ''Vindex''s air group was formed from the experienced
825 Naval Air Squadron 825 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Naval Air Squadron which was re-commissioned on 10 October 2014 and currently flies the AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2. It was a carrier-based squadron that was formed on 8 October 1934 from the ...
, with a complement of 12 Fairey Swordfish Mk IIs and six Sea Hurricanes IICs. Even though there were 12 Swordfish on board they had only eight crews so the Sea Hurricanes carried out some of the daylight anti-submarine patrols. The Sea Hurricanes had been fitted with four racks for the same RP-3 rockets used by the Swordfish to attack submarines. Leaving
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
on 9 March 1944, 2nd Escort Group moved to the area believed to hold the highest concentration of U-boats. Over the night of 12 March Swordfish on patrol had 28 contacts on their airborne to surface vessel radar (ASV). Their first attack was unsuccessful dropping two
depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
s that failed to explode believed to be caused by faulty safety clips, during the attack the rear gunner in the Swordfish was killed by the U-boats anti-aircraft guns. The depth charges dropped short on a second attack and failed to explode on a third attack during the same night. On the night of 15 March two Swordfish got an ASV contact ahead of the escort group. Unable to see anything in the darkness they dropped flares and sea markers over the location. When the escort group arrived they picked up a contact on their ASDIC and the ''U-653'' was sunk.Poolman (1972). p.121. Weather conditions were still not perfect for flying and in the following days, one Swordfish returning from a night patrol landed in the sea alongside the carrier, the crew were reported missing believed killed. A pitching deck caused one Swordfish to crash into the sea on take-off and another Swordfish crashed into the sea on take-off when its engine failed. One Swordfish taking off clipped the island superstructure losing off both wing tips. The pilot managed to get the aircraft into the air circled around jettisoning his depth charges and landed again without mishap. Landing on the heaving deck was just as dangerous, two Sea Hurricanes and two Swordfish missed the arrestor wires and ended up crashing into the safety barriers. On 24 March 1944 a Swordfish with its engine shot up and crew injured attempted to land back on ''Vindex''. It crash landed onto the flight deck coming to a stop from the end of the flight deck. Leaking petrol set the wreckage on fire, the crew were rescued but the fire exploded one of two depth charges stuck on their racks. A hole  by  was blown in the flight deck. After 16 days at sea ''Vindex'' returned to port. With two days flying lost because of the weather conditions, the Swordfish had amassed a creditable 275 flying hours and 122 deck landings by day and night. The Sea Hurricanes contributed another 47 hours flying and 39 deck landings. At the end of May 1944 ''Nairana'' sailed with the 15th Escort Group. On board was 835 Naval Air Squadron equipped with nine Swordfish and six Sea Hurricanes. The Swordfish patrolled day and night and some contacts were made on the ASV. All the contact come to nothing, it is now known the older model ASV in ''Nairana''s Swordfish could be detected by receivers on board U-boats. In May they escorted convoys SL 157 (
Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
to United Kingdom) with MKS 48 (Mediterranean to United Kingdom) and the next group SL 158 with MKS 49. From 25 May the convoys were located by German Junkers Ju 290 reconnaissance aircraft. On the 25 and the morning of 26 May they were driven off undamaged but one Sea Hurricane failed to pull out of a dive killing the pilot. Later the same day another two Ju 290s appeared one was shot down and the other was probably shot down. From 1946 to 1948, the ship was in service with the
Royal Netherlands Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world an ...
as the HNLMS Karel Doorman (QH1).


HMS ''Vindex''

With ''Vindex'' damaged and needing a refit and ''Campania'' still not commissioned, ''Nairana'' was the only ship of her class fit for sea on 1 April 1944. She left in the first week of April with the outbound convoys OS 72 (West Africa) and KMS 46 (Gibraltar). She still had 825 Naval Air Squadron on board but this time she was overloaded with 18 aircraft: 12 Swordfish Mk IIs and six Sea Hurricanes IIcs. At the end of the month ''Vindex'' joined the 5th Escort Group. On 6 May a patrolling Swordfish was contacted by two of the escort
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
s, who reported they were in contact with a submerged U-boat. The frigates carried out a depth charge attack and forced ''U-765'' to the surface. The Swordfish despite the anti-aircraft fire from the U-boat dropped two of its depth charges which broke the submarine in half. Flying became dangerous in the heavy seas and poor visibility. One Sea Hurricane was damaged beyond repair after a serious crash into the safety barrier and another crashed into the sea with the loss of the pilot. The Swordfish crews fared little better. Three aircraft and one crew were lost during the same period. On 9 May ''Vindex''s aircraft lift broke down with a burnt out motor. The crew had to resort to manually cranking the lift up and down, taking an hour to go each way. They eventually repaired the lift by moving the capstan motor through holes burned into the bulkheads. During the second deployment by ''Vindex'' her aircraft flew over 400 sorties in 13 days. The strain on the aircrews began to show and only 35 per cent of the original Swordfish crews were still with the ship when they returned to port. It was during this second deployment that one of the ships officers,
Sub-Lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...
J.M. Morrison invented a blind landing system soon to be used on all the Royal Navy carriers. He modified an ASV radar set which was placed on the flight deck. The system employed the Air Directing Officer guiding aircraft to within of the ship. They could then be picked up on the ASV and brought in astern of the carrier at a height of . On 15 August 1944, ''Vindex'' and HMS ''Striker'' joined convoy JW 59 the first Arctic convoy to Russia of the year. ''Vindex'' still had 825 Naval Air Squadron on board but they were now equipped with the Swordfish Mk III. This version of the biplane had a
Rocket-assisted take off JATO (acronym for jet-assisted take-off) is a type of assisted take-off for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets. The term ''JATO'' is used interchangeably with the (more specific ...
system (RATOG) and a new ASV radar in a dome on the underside of the aircraft. The extra weight reduced the crew to two, doing away with the Telegraphist-Air-Gunner. There was a full complement of 12 Swordfish and eight Sea Hurricanes (two unassembled spares) on board. The larger ''Striker'' had 12 Swordfish and 12 Grumman Wildcats. The Swordfish claimed their first success on 22 August sinking ''U-354'' and claimed another as possibly sunk. Her rocket armed Sea Hurricanes also claimed a U-boat damaged. Neither convoy JW 59 or the returning RA 59A lost any ships. Russian convoy JW 61 which sailed on 20 October had for the first time three escort carriers, ''Vindex'', ''Nairana'' and HMS ''Tracker''. This was a large convoy of 62 merchant ships with a large escort group. Vice-Admiral
Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton Admiral Sir Frederick Hew George Dalrymple-Hamilton KCB (27 March 1890 – 26 December 1974) was a British naval officer who served in World War I and World War II. He was captain of ''HMS Rodney'' when it engaged the ''Bismarck'' on 27 May ...
was in command with ''Vindex'' as his
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
. ''Nairana'' had 835 Naval Air Squadron with 14 Swordfish IIIs and six Wildcat VIs on board for what would be their first Arctic convoy. ''Vindex'' had a re-formed
811 Naval Air Squadron 811 Naval Air Squadron was a unit of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was first founded in 1933, and served during World War II, seeing action in the battle of the Atlantic and on Russian convoys, and was eventually disbanded in 1956. S ...
with the same aircraft types and numbers. The third carrier was HMS ''Tracker'' with 10
Grumman Avenger The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) is an American World War II-era torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval av ...
s and six Wildcats. The short Arctic days meant that most flying would be at night. The three carriers worked a system of eight-hour watches. One would be the duty carrier with its aircraft aloft, the second would be on standby with its aircraft arranged on deck ready to
scramble Scramble, Scrambled, or Scrambling may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Scramble'' (video game), a 1981 arcade game Music Albums * ''Scramble'' (album), an album by Atlanta-based band the Coathangers * ''Scrambles'' (album) ...
and the third resting. The two Swordfish equipped squadrons because of their better night flying equipment shared the night time hours while ''Trackers'' Avengers worked the daylight hours.Poolman (1972), p.144. The strength of the convoys escort may have deterred the Germans and no U-boats or reconnaissance aircraft were detected until the convoy approached the Kola Inlet. Even then the heavy escort prevented any attack and the convoy reached port safely.Poolman (1972), p.145. The return convoy RA 61 was equally successful, with only one frigate damaged by a torpedo just after leaving Kola. ''Vindex'' had to take avoiding action after detecting a torpedo coming towards her. ''Vindex''s inexperienced squadron lost a Wildcat pilot when his plane crashed into the sea attempting to land back on board. A Swordfish crashed into the sea following a rocket-assisted takeoff, with the loss of the two man crew. Another Swordfish crashed on landing, with the aircraft initially hung over the ship's side from its tail hook. When the hook gave way, it crashed into the sea and only the pilot was rescued. The squadron in total lost or so severely damaged eight Swordfish and two Wildcats that they could not fly again.Poolman (1972), p.146


HMS ''Campania''

''Campania'' was commissioned in February 1944, her delay in construction meant she was the first British carrier to be fitted with Action Information Organisation (AIO) and a
Type 277 Radar The Type 277 was a surface search and secondary aircraft early warning radar used by the Royal Navy and allies during World War II and the post-war era. It was a major update of the earlier Type 271 radar, offering much more power, better signal ...
able to detect low-level aircraft. She had
813 Naval Air Squadron 813 Naval Air Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II and again post-war. It initially operated Swordfish Mk Is from the aircraft carrier '' Illustrious'' and took part in the successful raid on Ta ...
on board, equipped with 12 Swordfish Mk III, four Grumman Wildcats and three Fairey Fulmars. Her first convoy supported by the escort carrier ''Striker'' was the uneventful JW 60 to Russia. The return convoy RA 60 did have two merchant ships torpedoed for the loss of ''U-921''. Between the two carriers five Swordfish and two Wildcats were lost. On 1 November 1944, ''Campania'' took part in Operation Golden convoys JW and RA 61A this was a small convoy with only the escorts and two passenger liners repatriating 11,000 Russians who were released prisoners of war. They left Russia 10 November with the liners bringing back Russian sailors, crews for ships being loaned to the Russian navy. Both journeys were relatively uneventful no U-boats interfered with their progress and the only action was the shooting down of two Blohm and Voss 138s by the Wildcats of 813 Naval Air Squadron. One Wildcat was lost when it crashed on take-off. The normal Arctic convoys restarted at the end of November, ''Campania'' and ''Nairana'' were paired as part of the escort. Both ships still had their established squadrons on board 813 and 835, with Swordfish IIIs and Wildcat VIs. The first convoy JW and RA 62 were subjected to the first joint U-boat and torpedo bomber attacks since
convoy PQ 18 Convoy PQ 18 was an Arctic convoy of forty Allied freighters from Scotland and Iceland to Arkhangelsk in the Soviet Union in the war against Nazi Germany. The convoy departed Loch Ewe, Scotland on 2 September 1942, rendezvoused with more ships an ...
two years previously. No ships in the convoy were lost but they did sink ''U-365'' and shot down two Junkers Ju 88s and one Blohm and Voss 138. Two Swordfish and one Wildcat with the pilot were lost. On 6 February 1945, ''Campania'', ''Nairana'', the
cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
HMS ''Bellona'' and eight fleet destroyers joined 26 merchant ships in convoy JW64. This time the squadrons had spare aircrews for their aircraft and ''Campania''s squadron included a Fairey Fulmar fitted with a
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
AI air-to-air interception radar, for use as a dedicated night fighter.Poolman (1972), p.147. Shortly after the escorts and convoy came together ''Campania''s radar operator reported a target approaching. Both carriers scrambled two Wildcats, to intercept the intruder. ''Campania''s Wildcats got there first and shot down a Junkers Ju 88, one of the Wildcats was also shot down with the loss of the pilot. The next morning as 07:45 ''Campania''s radar detected aircraft approaching. Two groups of Junkers Ju 88 torpedo bombers appeared and the convoys escorts opened fire. The ships manoeuvred to avoid the torpedo attack and ''Nairana''s Wildcats were airborne by 08:10. No ships were hit during the attacks and the bombers evaded the fighters in the heavy cloud cover. ''Campania''s Swordfish were flying the daylight anti-submarine patrols, with a mixed armament of four RP-3 rockets and two depth charges. On 7 November 835 Squadron claimed a Junkers Ju 88 damaged. The long Arctic night with only four hours of light a day together with heavy seas and low visibility hampered any operations by the Wildcats. During darkness the ships could hear the engines of the shadowing German aircraft closing in. ''Campania''s night fighting Fulmar took off at 17:30, but its electrics failed as it was approaching the German aircraft and it was forced to return to the carrier. The Fulmar landed off centre crashed into the safety barrier putting itself and the carrier out of action. On 10 November a Swordfish on anti-submarine patrol reported 30 Junkers Ju 88s approaching the convoy. The Wildcats took off to intercept the torpedo bombers and the escorts opened fire on them. The combined fire from the escorts and the Wildcats shot down four Ju 88s, two more were claimed as probably shot down by the Wildcats and another was severely damaged. Those Ju 88s that did release their torpedoes failed to hit any of the ships and a number of the torpedoes were seen to detonate in the ships wakes, as they turned away from the attack. Two of the Wildcats were also shot down by the barrage from the escorts. The combined losses had reduced the escorts fighter cover three aircraft, one on ''Campania'' and two on ''Nairana'' at 11:30 another group of Junkers Ju 88 torpedo bombers were discovered approaching. ''Nairana''s Wildcats took off and shot one down the others under fire from the escorts dropped their torpedoes too soon and they all missed. The return convoy RA 64 left Kola Inlet on the morning of 17 February, one of the escorts and a merchant ship were torpedoed almost immediately. Another merchant ship was torpedoed that afternoon. Terrible weather conditions kept all aircraft grounded until 20 November, when it began to clear the Luftwaffe also appeared and the Wildcats were scrambled to intercept them. Two Ju 88s were shot down by the fighters another two by the escorts and three were damaged. The convoys had lost to enemy action two fighters, two escorts and two merchant ships. In return they claimed 15 aircraft destroyed, seven aircraft probably destroyed and one U-boat sunk.Poolman (1972), p.154. ''Campania'' did one more Russian convoy JW 65 in March 1945, which had two merchant ships torpedoed and sunk on their approach to Kola Inlet. These were the last losses on a Russian convoy.


Later careers

With the war over there was no further need for escort carriers. HMS ''Nairana'' was transferred to the
Royal Netherlands Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world an ...
in 1946. In Dutch service she was renamed the HNLMS ''Karel Doorman'' until 1948 when she was converted back into a merchantman named the ''Port Victor''. HMS ''Vindex'' was sent out to the
Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...
as the flagship for
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
Cunninghame Graham. On her return she was placed in reserve and bought back by her original owner the
Port Line Port Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company, initially formed as the Commonwealth and Dominion Line in 1914, and in operation in one form or another until 1982. Formation The Commonwealth and Dominion Line was formed as an amalgamation ...
. She was renamed ''Port Vindex'' and converted into a refrigerated cargo ship on the United Kingdom to Australia route. HMS ''Campania'', still in escort carrier configuration, toured around the ports of Europe as the
Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says the Festival was a "triumphant success" during which people: ...
ship in 1951. In October 1952, she carried the equipment to the
Montebello Islands The Montebello Islands, also rendered as the Monte Bello Islands, are an archipelago of around 174 small islands (about 92 of which are named) lying north of Barrow Island (Western Australia), Barrow Island and off the Pilbara region of We ...
for
Operation Hurricane Operation Hurricane was the first test of a Nuclear weapons of the United Kingdom, British atomic device. A plutonium Nuclear weapon design#Implosion-type weapon, implosion device was detonated on 3 October 1952 in Main Bay, Trimouille Island ...
, the first British nuclear weapons test on 3 October 1952. She returned to Britain in December 1952, and was broken up at Blyth in November 1955.


See also

*
List of ship classes of the Second World War The List of ship classes of World War II is an alphabetical list of all ship classes that served in World War II. Only actual classes are included as opposed to unique ships (which are still included if they were the only one of a class to be buil ...


Notes


References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nairana Class Escort Carrier Escort aircraft carrier classes