Ruler-class escort carrier

The Ruler class of escort aircraft carriers served with the Royal Navy during the Second World War. All twenty-three ships were built by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation in the United States as Bogue-class escort carriers, supplied under Lend-Lease to the United Kingdom.[1] They were the most numerous single class of aircraft carriers in service with the Royal Navy.[2]

HMS Puncher
Class overview
NameRuler class
BuildersSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded byAttacker class
Succeeded byNone
Built1942–1943
Planned23
Completed23
Lost2
General characteristics
TypeEscort carrier
Displacement11,420 long tons (11,600 t)
Length492 ft 3 in (150.0 m)
Beam69 ft 6 in (21.2 m)
Draught25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
Installed power9,350 shp (6,970 kW)
Propulsion1 shaft geared steam turbines
Speed17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Complement646
Armament
Aircraft carried24
Aviation facilities
  • Hangar 260 ft × 62 ft (79 m × 19 m)
  • Two 42 ft × 34 ft (13 m × 10 m) lifts
  • Nine arrestor wires
NotesBuilt in two groups of 8 and 15

As built they were intended for three types of operations, "Assault" or strike, convoy escort, or aircraft ferry.[3]

After the Second World War some of the escort carriers were scrapped, while others had their flight decks removed and were converted to merchant ships (and all eventually scrapped by the 1970s).

Design and description

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These ships were all larger and had greater aircraft capacity than all preceding American built escort carriers. They were laid down as escort carriers and were not converted merchant ships.[4] All the ships had a complement of 646 men and an overall length of 492 feet 3 inches (150.0 m), a beam of 69 feet 6 inches (21.2 m) and a draught of 25 ft 6 in (7.8 m).[4] Propulsion was provided by one shaft, two boilers and a steam turbine giving 9,350 shaft horsepower (6,970 kW), which could propel the ship at 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[5]

Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the starboard side, two aircraft 43-by-34-foot (13.1 by 10.4 m) lifts, one aircraft catapult and nine arrestor wires.[4] Aircraft could be housed in the 260-by-62-foot (79.2 by 18.9 m) hangar below the flight deck.[4] Armament comprised: two 4-inch (102 mm)/50-calibre dual purpose guns in single mounts, sixteen 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns in twin mounts and twenty 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon in single mounts.[4] They had a maximum capacity for twenty-four carrier-based aircraft which could be a mixture of Grumman Martlet, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft, or Vought F4U Corsair, another type of American carrier-based fighter aircraft, or Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter aircraft (a navalised Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft), and Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber, or Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber / anti-submarine aircraft.[4]

Ships

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First group

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Second group

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X = Fitted for anti-submarine warfare.[4]
XX = Fitted for strike-operations.[4]
All the others were mainly used for aircraft transport with an added strike capability.[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ Cocker (2008), p. 81.
  2. ^ Cocker (2008), pp. 74–84.
  3. ^ Gordon Smith (ed.), "US-built escort aircraft carriers", Lt Cmdr G Mason - His Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2 and Other Researches, naval-history.net
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cocker (2008), p.82.
  5. ^ Cocker (2008), p. 79.
  6. ^ a b Cocker (2008), p.83.
  7. ^ "HMS Nabob (D 77) (British Escort carrier) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net".
  8. ^ "HMS Thane (D 83) (British Escort carrier) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net".

Bibliography

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  • Cocker, Maurice (2008). Aircraft-Carrying Ships of the Royal Navy. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-4633-2.