HMSThane
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSThane |
| Builder | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation |
| Laid down | 23 February 1943 |
| Launched | 15 July 1943 |
| Commissioned | 19 November 1943 |
| Decommissioned | October 1945 |
| Identification | Pennant number:D48 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | |
| Displacement | 7,800 tons[citation needed] |
| Length | 495 ft 8 in (151.08 m) |
| Beam | 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) |
| Draught | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
| Speed | 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h) |
| Complement | 890 officers and men |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 28 |
| Service record | |
| Operations: | Battle of the Atlantic |
USSSunset(CVE-48)(previouslyAVG-48thenACV-48) was aBogue-classescort carrier.Assigned on 23 August 1942 to MC hull 259, a modified C3-S-A1 laid down on 23 February 1943 bySeattle-Tacoma ShipbuildingofTacoma, Washington;launched on 15 July and redesignated CVE-48 the same day; sponsored by Mrs. C.E. Taylor. She was transferred to theUnited KingdomunderLend-Leaseagreement on 19 November; and commissioned the same day asHMSThane(D48),aRuler-classescort carrier in theRoyal Navy.
HMSThaneoperated in the NorthAtlanticprotecting convoys and ferrying aircraft for use in the European Theater. On 15 January 1945, while ferrying aircraft in theIrish Sea,she wastorpedoedby theGerman submarineU-1172and severely damaged, losing her starboard aft 5 inch gun and its sponson, disabling propulsion, and losing 10 men. Taken toGare Lochin the Firth of Clyde, southwestScotland,she was examined, declared a constructive total loss and decommissioned to reserve. She was returned to United States custody while in the United Kingdom on 12 May. Determined to be of no use to theUnited States Navy,she was slated for disposal in October; and she was subsequently scrapped.
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 9,350shaft horsepower(6,970 kW), 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]
The last voyage ofThanebrought the first helicopters to the UK. NineSikorsky R-4B Hoverflyswere flown on atNorfolk, Virginiaon 29–30 December 1944, snowy weather delaying the loading of half of them to the following day. On arrival of the damagedThane,seven were flown off toRDU Abbotsinchand two, thought to be damaged, were craned off.[3]
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 entry can be foundhere.
External links[edit]
- Photo galleryat navsource.org
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