2011-08-30

Bogue class escort aircraft carrier

Bogue class escort carrier

USS Bogue ACV-9.jpg
USS Bogue (CVE-9)
Class overview
Name: Bogue
Builders: (1) Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding
(2) Ingalls Shipbuilding
(3) Western Pipe & Steel
Operators: Royal Navy, US Navy
Preceded by: Long Island class escort carrier
Succeeded by: Sangamon class escort carrier
In commission: 1942-1944 - 1946
Completed: 45
General characteristics
Type: Escort carrier
Displacement: 16,620 long tons (16,890 t)
Length: 496 ft (151 m);
flight deck: 480 ft (150 m)
Beam: 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m);
flight deck: 70 ft (21 m)
Draught: 26 ft (7.9 m)
Installed power: 8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
Propulsion: 2 × geared steam turbines
2 × boilers
1 × shaft
Speed: 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Complement: 646, excluding Air Group
Armament: 2 × 4 in/ 50 caliber gun (1x2)
8 × 40 mm anti-aircraft guns (4x2)
10-35 × 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons
Aircraft carried: 19-24;
(typical complement: 12 × fighters (Grumman F4F Wildcats)
9 × torpedo bombers (Grumman TBF Avengers))
(Supermarine Seafires and Fairey Swordfish, respectively, in RN service.)
Aviation facilities: 2 × elevators

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 British operated ships were 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 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.

Ships

First group (Bogue / Attacker class)

Second group (Bogue / Ruler / Prince William class)

General characteristics as for Attacker class, except for displacement and armament.

See also

Notes

References

External references






Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogue_class_escort_carrier