BITER HMS aircraft carrier 1942
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:47 pm
Built as a cargo-passenger ship under yard No 187 by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company at Chester, Pennsylvania for the South America service of the Moore-McCormack Lines.
28 December 1939 laid down.
18 December 1940 launched as the RIO PARANA, three sisters.
20 May 1941 requisitioned by the USS Navy and converted to escort baby flattop aircraft carrier by the Atlantic Basin Iron Works at Brooklyn, New York.
Displacement: 10,366 ton standard 15,125 ton full load. Dim. 150.0 x 20.19 x 7.09m. (draught), length bpp.141.7m.
Powered by four diesel engines, 8,500 shp, one shaft, speed 16.5 knots.
Armament: 3 – 4 inch AA and 15 – 20mm AA guns.
Crew 555.
Carried 15 till 21 aircraft.
06 May 1942 commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS BITER under command of Captain Abel Smith, one of the Archer class.
After commissioning HMS BITER was being readied to leave New York when a fire broke out on 8 May 1942, in the catapult house which destroyed one of the catapult motors. Eventually believed ready for sea she left the dock on 15 May but had to return to rectify an engine problem. Ready again for sea she left on gunnery trials on the 30 May and landed her first aircraft a Fairey Swordfish on 2 June. After completing flying trials she left for Nova Scotia on the 12 June, with one of her Swordfish flying anti-submarine patrols on route. Leaving Nova Scotia for Britain on the 14 June she again suffered from engine problems which cast her adrift for three hours while they were repaired. She continued to suffer from engine problems crossing the Atlantic and on 17 September a depth charge armed Swordfish crashed into her island on landing. After an hour and a quarter they managed to safely drop the charge overboard. Arriving at Greenock on 23 June, she entered dock for modifications and to lengthen her wooden flight deck. On 2 September she took part in landing trials with a Fairey Fulmar and practiced landings and take off's with other Fleet Air Arm aircraft in the following weeks and exercised in oiling her escort vessels. On 1 October Biter arrived in Scapa Flow where she was joined on the 10 October by HMS AVENGER. Her first fighter aircraft arrived on the 14 October fifteen Sea Hurricanes belonging to No. 800 Naval Air Squadron. These planes were Sea Hurricane IB's armed with twelve .303 machine guns and IC's armed with four 20 mm cannons. The two escort carriers and the fleet carrier HMS VICTORIOUS left for Greenock on the 16 October to join the British forces taking part in the North Africa landings Operation Torch
For the Torch landings BITER was part of the covering force off Oran. The force comprised the battleship HMS RODNEY, the carriers HMS ARGUS HMS DASHER, the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS DELHI and nine destroyers. Flying operations began on 8 November and when a Sea Hurricane crashed into her bridge BITER was temporarily put out of action. One Sea Hurricane was shot down by a Vichy French Dewoitine D.520, both BITER and DASHER were sent back to Gibraltar on 10 November. BITER joined a convoy for Greenock and arrived without incident on the 19 November and went to Dundee for an overhaul. In February 1943, BITER joined ARGUS and her destroyer escorts on an anti-submarine exercise and then left for Iceland on 13 April accompanied by her two destroyer escorts HMS OBDURATE and HMS OPPORTUNE arriving on 17 April.
HMS BITER had taken aboard No. 811 Naval Air Squadron under the command of Lieutenant Commander A.J.B Forde. This was a composite squadron equipped with nine Fairey Swordfish and three Grumman Martlets. On 21 April BITER departed Iceland with convoy ONS 4 bound for Argentia. Captain Abel-Smith had decided to shadow the convoy from a distance believing this would provide them with greater opportunities to engage shadowing U-Boats. Two Swordfish were kept at immediate readiness to take off and engage any submarine sightings. On 23 April one of the patrolling Swordfish sighted a U-Boat on the surface but it had dived before they got into an attacking position. That same afternoon another U-Boat was sighted by the convoy which signaled BITER which was 50 miles (80 km) distant. By the time the single Swordfish dispatched arrived the U-Boat (U-191) had been sunk by HMS HESPERUS. BITER kept up her anti-submarine patrols over the next days and on 25 April, the radar operator on BITER reported a submarine contact. The destroyer dispatched to investigate could not find anything, then at 16:25 a Swordfish sighted a U-Boat on the surface only 8 miles (13 km) from BITER. Dropping two depth charges the Swordfish reported the sighting and another Swordfish and HMS PATHFINDER were sent to assist. PATHFINDER followed up the Swordfish attack with depth charges of her own and at 18:40 U-203 surfaced and was abandoned by her crew. The convoy safely reached Argentia 19 April without any loss but had sunk two U-Boats.
BITER and her destroyer escorts left Argentia on the 5 May to join the home bound convoy HX 237. Fog prevented any flying until 07:30 7 May when two Swordfish took off and located the convoy and provided an anti-submarine patrol. The carrier and escorts arrived an hour later. Two Martlets which until now had been idle took part in a patrol but lost the convoy and had to ditch beside a straggling merchant ship which rescued the crews. Ordered to close with the convoy by the Commander-in Chief (C-in-C) Western Approaches bad weather prevented any flying until after 16:00 on the 10 May. The Swordfish responded to a sighting of a U-Boat on the surface dropping two depth charges but was hit by anti-aircraft fire from the submarine. A second Swordfish had taken off to assist but could not find the U-Boat or the convoy in the bad weather and was forced to ditch beside a straggling merchant ship. On the 11 May another U-Boat was engaged by a Swordfish on the surface which initially fought back with her guns but was eventually forced to dive. The next morning 11 May the patrolling Swordfish reported a U-Boat sighting and was never heard from again. It was because of these last engagements that aircraft were ordered to fly in pairs, they were forbidden to fight it out with surfaced submarines and only to attack if it was diving That afternoon a Swordfish sighted and attacked a U-Boat diving only 6 miles (9.7 km) from the convoy. The same U-Boat (U-89) was located and sunk by two of the destroyer escorts. On 13 May the convoy had come within range of RAF Coastal Command B-24 Liberators and Shorts Sunderlands. Two Swordfish took off at dawn and discovered two surfaced U-Boats, which were attacked by a patrolling Sunderland. Another U-Boat was located by a Swordfish at 09:00 and attacked her as she was diving with no visible effect.
With HX 237 now under land-based aircraft cover the C-in-C Western Approaches ordered BITER and her escorts 200 miles (320 km) south where the eastbound convoy SC 129 was being threatened by a gathering wolf pack. On the 15 May light winds over the flight deck and the inability of the Swordfish to use the catapult launch rail, limited their bomb load to two 40 pounds (18 kg) bombs. Just before they closed on the convoy a Swordfish attacked a surfaced U-Boat, the two bombs caused no damage to the submarine, which returned fire damaging the plane and wounded the Air observer. Their relief shadowed the submarine until it dived when it carried out another unsuccessful attack. At 13:45 BITER closed with the convoy and commenced anti-submarine patrols. The convoy reached Britain on 16 May without any loss and BITER was ordered to the Clyde. As a result of BITER’s experiences on these early convoys, the complement of aircraft carried was increased to fifteen bombers and six fighters, with a fifty percent increase in air crews. Homing beacons were to be fitted to all carriers together with a Type 237 blind approach beam system for use in poor visibility.
On 19 October 1943, BITER with six Swordfish and six Martlets of No. 811 Naval Air Squadron on board left the Clyde to join the westbound convoy ON 207 which arrived at Argentia untroubled on 5 November. They left Argentia on the 7 November to support convoy HX 265. BITER was the lead ship in the 5th Escort Group, with the destroyers HMS PATHFINDER r, HMS OPPORTUNE and HMS OBDURATE. They together with the 7th Escort Group, were tasked to sail 60 miles (97 km) and 120 miles (190 km) respectively ahead of the convoy. The intention was they would detect the two large concentrations of U-Boats, that were known to be waiting for the next eastbound convoy. Aircraft from BITER made several U-Boat sightings but did not sink any, one was reported as probably being damaged on 10 November. On 16 November a Swordfish coming into land crashed into the sea behind BITER. The force of the crash released the plane's homing torpedo which detonated on the carrier's rudder. The explosion damaged the steering, rudder assembly and some hull plates below the waterline. Once she reached Britain it took four weeks to repair the damage.
BITER was returned to the U.S. Navy on 9 April 1945, and was laid up. Loaned to the French Navy where she was renamed DIXMUDE (A609) and commissioned in the French Navy on 28 January 1947. She was named after the Belgium town of DIXMUDE where in 1914 the Battle on the Yser took place. After a refit in France she left Toulon and reached Saigon on 3 March1947 with the on board 9 torpedo bombers and 29 aircraft of the French Air Force, which took part in attacks on targets on the coast of Annam and patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin. After the DIXMUDE got problems with her catapult she returned to France in April 1947. Thereafter was she used for the transport of aircraft from France to Vietnam, and she took part in combat missions off the coast of Cochin and her planes carried out bombings raids on the Viet Minh stronghold Tuyen Quang.
She delivers as transport of aircraft plains to French Indochina during the summer of 1948 and during the summer of 1950 she made an other transport voyage with plains to Vietnam.
The last take off and landings on the deck of her were made by Seafire MK III on 28 November 1949. 1952 Was she re-classed as a transport aircraft carrier, and made regular voyages between the USA, French Indochina, the Indian Ocean and North Africa as transport of fighter plains. At the same time she delivers to India from France export plains. In 1954 she takes part in the evacuation of Tonkin. 1960 Laid up in Saint-Mandrier and used as a accommodation ship for the French Amphibious Corps until 30 January 1965. Then placed in reserve. 10 June 1966 handed back to the USA. 14 June she left France under the name BAVG 3 for use as a target by the US Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. 17 June it was sunk as a target.
Isle of Man 1995 20p sg643, scott637.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Biter_(D97) http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixmude_(porte-avions)
.
28 December 1939 laid down.
18 December 1940 launched as the RIO PARANA, three sisters.
20 May 1941 requisitioned by the USS Navy and converted to escort baby flattop aircraft carrier by the Atlantic Basin Iron Works at Brooklyn, New York.
Displacement: 10,366 ton standard 15,125 ton full load. Dim. 150.0 x 20.19 x 7.09m. (draught), length bpp.141.7m.
Powered by four diesel engines, 8,500 shp, one shaft, speed 16.5 knots.
Armament: 3 – 4 inch AA and 15 – 20mm AA guns.
Crew 555.
Carried 15 till 21 aircraft.
06 May 1942 commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS BITER under command of Captain Abel Smith, one of the Archer class.
After commissioning HMS BITER was being readied to leave New York when a fire broke out on 8 May 1942, in the catapult house which destroyed one of the catapult motors. Eventually believed ready for sea she left the dock on 15 May but had to return to rectify an engine problem. Ready again for sea she left on gunnery trials on the 30 May and landed her first aircraft a Fairey Swordfish on 2 June. After completing flying trials she left for Nova Scotia on the 12 June, with one of her Swordfish flying anti-submarine patrols on route. Leaving Nova Scotia for Britain on the 14 June she again suffered from engine problems which cast her adrift for three hours while they were repaired. She continued to suffer from engine problems crossing the Atlantic and on 17 September a depth charge armed Swordfish crashed into her island on landing. After an hour and a quarter they managed to safely drop the charge overboard. Arriving at Greenock on 23 June, she entered dock for modifications and to lengthen her wooden flight deck. On 2 September she took part in landing trials with a Fairey Fulmar and practiced landings and take off's with other Fleet Air Arm aircraft in the following weeks and exercised in oiling her escort vessels. On 1 October Biter arrived in Scapa Flow where she was joined on the 10 October by HMS AVENGER. Her first fighter aircraft arrived on the 14 October fifteen Sea Hurricanes belonging to No. 800 Naval Air Squadron. These planes were Sea Hurricane IB's armed with twelve .303 machine guns and IC's armed with four 20 mm cannons. The two escort carriers and the fleet carrier HMS VICTORIOUS left for Greenock on the 16 October to join the British forces taking part in the North Africa landings Operation Torch
For the Torch landings BITER was part of the covering force off Oran. The force comprised the battleship HMS RODNEY, the carriers HMS ARGUS HMS DASHER, the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS DELHI and nine destroyers. Flying operations began on 8 November and when a Sea Hurricane crashed into her bridge BITER was temporarily put out of action. One Sea Hurricane was shot down by a Vichy French Dewoitine D.520, both BITER and DASHER were sent back to Gibraltar on 10 November. BITER joined a convoy for Greenock and arrived without incident on the 19 November and went to Dundee for an overhaul. In February 1943, BITER joined ARGUS and her destroyer escorts on an anti-submarine exercise and then left for Iceland on 13 April accompanied by her two destroyer escorts HMS OBDURATE and HMS OPPORTUNE arriving on 17 April.
HMS BITER had taken aboard No. 811 Naval Air Squadron under the command of Lieutenant Commander A.J.B Forde. This was a composite squadron equipped with nine Fairey Swordfish and three Grumman Martlets. On 21 April BITER departed Iceland with convoy ONS 4 bound for Argentia. Captain Abel-Smith had decided to shadow the convoy from a distance believing this would provide them with greater opportunities to engage shadowing U-Boats. Two Swordfish were kept at immediate readiness to take off and engage any submarine sightings. On 23 April one of the patrolling Swordfish sighted a U-Boat on the surface but it had dived before they got into an attacking position. That same afternoon another U-Boat was sighted by the convoy which signaled BITER which was 50 miles (80 km) distant. By the time the single Swordfish dispatched arrived the U-Boat (U-191) had been sunk by HMS HESPERUS. BITER kept up her anti-submarine patrols over the next days and on 25 April, the radar operator on BITER reported a submarine contact. The destroyer dispatched to investigate could not find anything, then at 16:25 a Swordfish sighted a U-Boat on the surface only 8 miles (13 km) from BITER. Dropping two depth charges the Swordfish reported the sighting and another Swordfish and HMS PATHFINDER were sent to assist. PATHFINDER followed up the Swordfish attack with depth charges of her own and at 18:40 U-203 surfaced and was abandoned by her crew. The convoy safely reached Argentia 19 April without any loss but had sunk two U-Boats.
BITER and her destroyer escorts left Argentia on the 5 May to join the home bound convoy HX 237. Fog prevented any flying until 07:30 7 May when two Swordfish took off and located the convoy and provided an anti-submarine patrol. The carrier and escorts arrived an hour later. Two Martlets which until now had been idle took part in a patrol but lost the convoy and had to ditch beside a straggling merchant ship which rescued the crews. Ordered to close with the convoy by the Commander-in Chief (C-in-C) Western Approaches bad weather prevented any flying until after 16:00 on the 10 May. The Swordfish responded to a sighting of a U-Boat on the surface dropping two depth charges but was hit by anti-aircraft fire from the submarine. A second Swordfish had taken off to assist but could not find the U-Boat or the convoy in the bad weather and was forced to ditch beside a straggling merchant ship. On the 11 May another U-Boat was engaged by a Swordfish on the surface which initially fought back with her guns but was eventually forced to dive. The next morning 11 May the patrolling Swordfish reported a U-Boat sighting and was never heard from again. It was because of these last engagements that aircraft were ordered to fly in pairs, they were forbidden to fight it out with surfaced submarines and only to attack if it was diving That afternoon a Swordfish sighted and attacked a U-Boat diving only 6 miles (9.7 km) from the convoy. The same U-Boat (U-89) was located and sunk by two of the destroyer escorts. On 13 May the convoy had come within range of RAF Coastal Command B-24 Liberators and Shorts Sunderlands. Two Swordfish took off at dawn and discovered two surfaced U-Boats, which were attacked by a patrolling Sunderland. Another U-Boat was located by a Swordfish at 09:00 and attacked her as she was diving with no visible effect.
With HX 237 now under land-based aircraft cover the C-in-C Western Approaches ordered BITER and her escorts 200 miles (320 km) south where the eastbound convoy SC 129 was being threatened by a gathering wolf pack. On the 15 May light winds over the flight deck and the inability of the Swordfish to use the catapult launch rail, limited their bomb load to two 40 pounds (18 kg) bombs. Just before they closed on the convoy a Swordfish attacked a surfaced U-Boat, the two bombs caused no damage to the submarine, which returned fire damaging the plane and wounded the Air observer. Their relief shadowed the submarine until it dived when it carried out another unsuccessful attack. At 13:45 BITER closed with the convoy and commenced anti-submarine patrols. The convoy reached Britain on 16 May without any loss and BITER was ordered to the Clyde. As a result of BITER’s experiences on these early convoys, the complement of aircraft carried was increased to fifteen bombers and six fighters, with a fifty percent increase in air crews. Homing beacons were to be fitted to all carriers together with a Type 237 blind approach beam system for use in poor visibility.
On 19 October 1943, BITER with six Swordfish and six Martlets of No. 811 Naval Air Squadron on board left the Clyde to join the westbound convoy ON 207 which arrived at Argentia untroubled on 5 November. They left Argentia on the 7 November to support convoy HX 265. BITER was the lead ship in the 5th Escort Group, with the destroyers HMS PATHFINDER r, HMS OPPORTUNE and HMS OBDURATE. They together with the 7th Escort Group, were tasked to sail 60 miles (97 km) and 120 miles (190 km) respectively ahead of the convoy. The intention was they would detect the two large concentrations of U-Boats, that were known to be waiting for the next eastbound convoy. Aircraft from BITER made several U-Boat sightings but did not sink any, one was reported as probably being damaged on 10 November. On 16 November a Swordfish coming into land crashed into the sea behind BITER. The force of the crash released the plane's homing torpedo which detonated on the carrier's rudder. The explosion damaged the steering, rudder assembly and some hull plates below the waterline. Once she reached Britain it took four weeks to repair the damage.
BITER was returned to the U.S. Navy on 9 April 1945, and was laid up. Loaned to the French Navy where she was renamed DIXMUDE (A609) and commissioned in the French Navy on 28 January 1947. She was named after the Belgium town of DIXMUDE where in 1914 the Battle on the Yser took place. After a refit in France she left Toulon and reached Saigon on 3 March1947 with the on board 9 torpedo bombers and 29 aircraft of the French Air Force, which took part in attacks on targets on the coast of Annam and patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin. After the DIXMUDE got problems with her catapult she returned to France in April 1947. Thereafter was she used for the transport of aircraft from France to Vietnam, and she took part in combat missions off the coast of Cochin and her planes carried out bombings raids on the Viet Minh stronghold Tuyen Quang.
She delivers as transport of aircraft plains to French Indochina during the summer of 1948 and during the summer of 1950 she made an other transport voyage with plains to Vietnam.
The last take off and landings on the deck of her were made by Seafire MK III on 28 November 1949. 1952 Was she re-classed as a transport aircraft carrier, and made regular voyages between the USA, French Indochina, the Indian Ocean and North Africa as transport of fighter plains. At the same time she delivers to India from France export plains. In 1954 she takes part in the evacuation of Tonkin. 1960 Laid up in Saint-Mandrier and used as a accommodation ship for the French Amphibious Corps until 30 January 1965. Then placed in reserve. 10 June 1966 handed back to the USA. 14 June she left France under the name BAVG 3 for use as a target by the US Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. 17 June it was sunk as a target.
Isle of Man 1995 20p sg643, scott637.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Biter_(D97) http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixmude_(porte-avions)
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