HMSQueen(D19)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSSt. Andrews |
| Namesake | St. Andrews Bayin Florida |
| Builder | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation |
| Laid down | 12 March 1943 |
| Launched | 2 August 1943 |
| Fate | Transferred toRoyal Navy |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSQueen |
| Commissioned | 7 December 1943 |
| Decommissioned | July 1947 |
| Identification | Pennant number:D19 |
| Fate | Sold as merchant ship; scrapped 1972 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | |
| Displacement | 8,333 tons |
| Length | 496 ft (151 m) |
| Beam | 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) |
| Draught | 23 ft 3 in (7.09 m) |
| Propulsion | Steam turbines, 1 shaft, 8,500 shp (6.3 MW) |
| Speed | 17 knots (31 km/h) |
| Complement | 646 officers and men |
| Armament |
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| Aircraft carried | 18-24 |
TheUSSSt. Andrews(CVE-49)(originallyAVG-49,laterACV-49) was assigned to MC hull 260 on 23 August 1942, a ship to be built to modified C3-S-A1 plans. She was laid down on 12 March 1943 by theSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding CorporationofTacoma, Washington;redesignated CVE-49 on 15 July; and launched on 31 July; sponsored by Mrs. Robert W. Morse; transferred to theUnited KingdomunderLend-Leaseon 7 December; and commissioned the same day asHMSQueen(D19)in theRoyal Navy.
HMSQueenserved British and Allied escort forces in protecting the vital convoy supply effort across the NorthAtlanticin 1944, and in thePacificcampaigns in 1945. On 4 May 1945 aircraft ofQueen's 853 Squadron,Fleet Air Arm,took part inOperation Judgement,the last air-raid of the European war, atKilbotn,Norway.After hostilities ceased, she was converted to a troop carrier and used to bring British forces back from the Far East, before being returned to theUnited StatesatNorfolk, Virginia,31 October 1946.
On arrival,Queenwas decommissioned by the Royal Navy and was taken over by theU.S. Navy.In excess of Navy needs, CVE-49 was slated, in December, for disposal; struck from theNavy Registerin July 1947, sold to the N.V. Stoomv, Maats, Nederland Co.,Amsterdam,Netherlandsand pressed into merchant service asRoebiahon 29 July 1947 (renamedPresident Marcosin 1967 andLucky Onein 1972). She was scrapped inTaiwanin 1972.
Design and description
[edit]These ships were all larger and had a greater aircraft capacity than all the preceding American built escort carriers. They were also all laid down as escort carriers and not convertedmerchant ships.[1]All the ships had a complement of 646 men and anoverall lengthof 492 feet 3 inches (150.0 m), abeamof 69 feet 6 inches (21.2 m) and a draught of 25 ft 6 in (7.8 m).[1]Propulsion was provided a steam turbine, two boilers connected to one shaft giving 9,350brake horsepower(SHP), which could propel the ship at 16.5knots(30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[2]
Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on thestarboardside, two aircraft lifts 43 feet (13.1 m) by 34 feet (10.4 m), oneaircraft catapultand ninearrestor wires.[1]Aircraft could be housed in the 260 feet (79.2 m) by 62 feet (18.9 m) hangar below the flight deck.[1]Armament comprised: two4 "/50,5 "/38or5 "/51Dual Purposeguns in single mounts, sixteen40 mm Boforsanti-aircraft gunsin twin mounts and twenty20 mm Oerlikonanti-aircraft cannons in single mounts.[1]They had a maximum aircraft capacity of twenty-four aircraft which could be a mixture ofGrumman Martlet,Vought F4U CorsairorHawker Sea Hurricanefighter aircraftandFairey SwordfishorGrumman Avengeranti-submarineaircraft.[1]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- Cocker, Maurice (2008).Aircraft-Carrying Ships of the Royal Navy.Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press.ISBN978-0-7524-4633-2.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.- The Attack on 'Black Watch'(Harald Isachsen, Harstad, 2009,ISBN978-82-998024-2-0- in Norwegian)
External links
[edit]- Retired CIP brings aircraft carrier back to lifeAn article about David Weaver's detailed bookHistory of HMS Queen
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 Royal Navy |
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