The Ships
Many escort carriers were Lend-Leased to the United Kingdom, this list specifies the breakdown in service to each navy.
- Long Island class: Two ships, one in USN service (USS Long Island) and one in British service (HMS Archer).
- Avenger class: Four ships, one mainly in USN service (as USS Charger) and three in British service.
- Sangamon class: Four ships, all in USN service.
- Bogue class: 45 ships, 11 in USN service, 34 in British service as Attacker class (first group) and Ruler class (second group).
- Casablanca class: 50 ships, all in USN service.
- Commencement Bay class: 19 ships, all in USN service, including two which were accepted but not commissioned and laid up for many years after the war. Four more units were canceled and scrapped on the building slips. The Commencement Bay-class ships were seen as the finest escort carriers ever built, and several units continued in service after the war as training carriers, aircraft ferries and other auxiliary uses.
In addition, six escort carriers were produced by the British during the war (all converted from other vessels).
The table below lists escort carriers and similar ships performing the same missions. The first four were built as early fleet aircraft carriers. Merchant aircraft carriers (MAC) carried trade cargo in addition to operating aircraft. Aircraft transports carried larger numbers of planes by eliminating accommodation for operating personnel and storage of fuel and ammunition.
| Name | Date | Nation | Displacement | Speed | Aircraft | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Argus | 1918 | UK | 14,000 tons (net) | 20 knots | 18 | converted liner |
| USS Langley | 1922 | United States | 11,500 tons | 15 knots | 30 | converted collier |
| Hōshō | 1923 | Japan | 7,500 tons (standard) | 25 knots | 12 | early fleet carrier |
| HMS Hermes | 1924 | UK | 10,850 tons (standard) | 25 knots | 12 | early fleet carrier |
| HMS Audacity | 1941 | UK | 5,540 tons (gross) | 15 knots | 6 | merchant conversion |
| USS Long Island, HMS Archer | 1941 | United States and UK | 9000 tons | 17 knots | 15–21 | merchant conversions |
| HMS Avenger, Biter, Dasher, USS Charger | 1941 | United States and UK | 8,200 tons | 17 knots | 15–21 | merchant conversions |
| Taiyō, Unyō, Chūyō | 1941 | Japan | 17,830 tons (standard) | 21 knots | 27 | converted liners |
| USS Kitty Hawk, Hammondsport, Lakehurst | 1941 | United States | 8,100 tons | 17 knots | merchant conversion aircraft ferries | |
| HMS Activity | 1942 | UK | 11,800 tons (standard) | 18 knots | 10–15 | merchant conversion |
| Bogue class | 1942 | United States and UK | 9,800 tons | 18 knots | 15–21 | 45 conversions of C-3 merchant hulls |
| USS Sangamon, Suwanee, Chenango, Santee | 1942 | United States | 11,400 tons (standard) | 18 knots | 31 | converted oilers |
| Campania | 1943 | UK | 12,400 tons (standard) | 18 knots | 18 | merchant conversion |
| Vindex | 1943 | UK | 13,400 tons (standard) | 16 knots | 15–20 | merchant conversion |
| Nairana | 1943 | UK | 14,000 tons (standard) | 16 knots | 15–20 | merchant conversion |
| Rapana class (Acavus, Adula, Alexia, Amastra, Ancylus, Gadila, Macoma, Miralda, Rapana) | 1943 | UK | 12,000 tons | 12 knots | 3 | tankers converted to Merchant aircraft carriers |
| Casablanca class | 1943 | United States | 7,800 tons | 19 knots | 28 | 50 built as escort aircraft carriers |
| Kaiyo | 1943 | Japan | 13,600 tons (standard) | 23 knots | 24 | converted liner |
| HMS Pretoria Castle | 1943 | UK | 17400 tons (standard) | 18 knots | 21 | merchant conversion |
| Empire MacAlpine, Empire MacAndrew, Empire MacRae, Empire MacKendrick, Empire MacCallum, Empire MacDermott | 1943 | UK | 8,000 tons (gross) | 12 knots | 4 | grain carrying Merchant aircraft carriers |
| Empire MacCabe, Empire MacKay, Empire MacMahon, Empire MacColl | 1943 | UK | 9,000 tons (gross) | 11 knots | 3 | tanker Merchant aircraft carriers |
| Commencement Bay class | 1944 | United States | 10,900 tons | 19 knots | 34 | 19 built as escort aircraft carriers |
| Shinyo | 1944 | Japan | 17,500 tons | 22 knots | 33 | converted liner |
Read more about this topic: Escort Carrier
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We’ll call him so, if not plain Ralph,
For Rhime the Rudder is of Verses,
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—Samuel Butler (1612–1680)