Bogue-class escort carrier

The Bogue class were a group of escort carriers built in the United States for service with the U.S. Navy and (under lend-lease) the Royal Navy during World War II.

The ships operated by the Royal Navy were renamed and grouped as the Attacker class and the Ruler class; the latter all having names of "Ruler"s.

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.

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-class or the 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 at Burrard Dry Dock at Vancouver, Canada. These included extending the flight deck, fitting redesigned flying controls and fighter direction layout, modifications to 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.

First group (USN Bogue/RN Attacker class)

 * USS Altamaha (CVE-6) became HMS Battler (D18)
 * USS Barnes (CVE-7) became HMS Attacker (D02)
 * USS Block Island (CVE-8) became HMS Hunter (D80)
 * USS Bogue (CVE-9)
 * USS Breton (CVE-10) became HMS Chaser (D32)
 * USS Card (CVE-11)
 * USS Copahee (CVE-12)
 * USS Core (CVE-13)
 * USS Croatan (CVE-14) became HMS Fencer (D64)
 * USS Hamlin (CVE-15) became HMS Stalker (D91)
 * USS Nassau (CVE-16)
 * USS St. George (CVE-17) became HMS Pursuer (D73)
 * USS Altamaha (CVE-18)
 * USS Prince William (CVE-19) became HMS Striker (D12)
 * USS Barnes (CVE-20)
 * USS Block Island (CVE-21) was sunk by the German U-549 northeast of the Canary Islands on 29 May 1944.
 * USS Breton (CVE-23)
 * USS Croatan (CVE-25)
 * HMS Ravager (D70)
 * HMS Searcher (D40)
 * HMS Tracker (D24)

Second group (USN Bogue/RN Ameer or Ruler class)
General characteristics as the Attacker class, except for displacement and armament.
 * USS Prince William (CVE-31)
 * USS Chatham (CVE-32) became HMS Slinger (D26)
 * USS Glacier (CVE-33) became HMS Atheling (D51)
 * USS Pybus (CVE-34) became HMS Emperor (D98)
 * USS Baffins (CVE-35) became HMS Ameer (D01)
 * USS Bolinas (CVE-36) became HMS Begum (D38)
 * USS Bastian (CVE-37) became HMS Trumpeter (D09)
 * USS Carnegie (CVE-38) became HMS Empress (D42)
 * USS Cordova (CVE-39) became HMS Khedive (D62)
 * USS Delgada (CVE-40) became HMS Speaker (D90)
 * USS Edisto (CVE-41) became HMS Nabob (D77)
 * USS Estero (CVE-42) became HMS Premier (D23)
 * USS Jamaica (CVE-43) became HMS Shah (D21)
 * USS Keweenaw (CVE-44) became HMS Patroller (D07)
 * USS Prince (CVE-45) became HMS Rajah (D10)
 * USS Niantic (CVE-46) became HMS Ranee (D03)
 * USS Perdido (CVE-47) became HMS Trouncer (D85)
 * USS Sunset (CVE-48) became HMS Thane (D48)
 * USS St. Andrews (CVE-49) became HMS Queen (D19)
 * USS St. Joseph (CVE-50) became HMS Ruler (D72)
 * USS St. Simon (CVE-51) became HMS Arbiter (D31)
 * USS Vermillion (CVE-52) became HMS Smiter (D55)
 * USS Willapa (CVE-53) became HMS Puncher (D79)
 * USS Winjah (CVE-54) became HMS Reaper (D82)

External references

 * Bogue class at UBoat.net
 * repeat Bogue class at UBoat.net
 * Aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy