HMSRajah(D10)

For other ships with the same name, seeUSS Prince.

Rajahin 1944
History
United States
Name	USSPrince
Builder	Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down	17 December 1942
Launched	18 May 1943
Fate	Transferred toRoyal Navy
United Kingdom
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	Bogue-classescort carrier(USA) Ruler-classescort carrier(UK)
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	2 ×4 "/50,5 "/38or5 "/51guns 8 × twin40 mm Bofors 35 × single20 mm Oerlikon
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

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.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).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).

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.Aircraft could be housed in the 260 feet (79.2 m) by 62 feet (18.9 m) hangar below the flight deck.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.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.

References

• 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.