HMSRajah(D10)
![]() Rajahin 1944
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History | |
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Name | USSPrince |
Builder | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation |
Laid down | 17 December 1942 |
Launched | 18 May 1943 |
Fate | Transferred toRoyal Navy |
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Name | HMSRajah |
Commissioned | 17 January 1944 |
Decommissioned | 7 February 1947 |
Identification | Pennant number:D10 |
Fate | Sold as a merchant ship; sold for scrap 1975 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | |
Displacement | 9,800 tons |
Length | 495 ft 7 in (151.05 m) |
Beam | 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) |
Draught | 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m) |
Propulsion | Steam turbines, one 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 | 24 |
USSPrince(CVE-45)(originally namedMcClure,designated AVG-45 then later ACV-45) was anescort carrierlaid down on 17 December 1942 by theSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding CorporationofTacoma, Washington.She was renamedPrinceon 13 November 1942 and launched on 18 May 1943. She was sponsored by Mrs. J. L. McGuigan, reclassified CVE-45 on 15 July 1943 and transferred to theUnited KingdomunderLend-Leaseon 17 October 1943.
Princeserved the United Kingdom asHMSRajah(D10).She was returned to theUnited States NavyatNorfolk, Virginiaon 13 December 1946. She was struck from theNaval Vessel Registryon 7 February 1947 and delivered to her purchaser,Waterman Steamship Corporation,on 7 July. She became the merchant shipDrente(later renamedLambros,thenUlysses) in 1948. She was scrapped inTaiwanin 1975.
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 by two boilers connected to a steam turbine, which was connected to one shaft, giving 9,350brake horsepower(SHP). This 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), onecatapultand 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]The ship's 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]Each ship had a maximum capacity of twenty-four aircraft which could be a mixture ofGrumman Martlet,Vought F4U CorsairorHawker Sea HurricanefightersandFairey 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.
External links
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