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The Hawker Sea Hurricane W9182 on the catapult of a CAM ship

A CAM ship was a World War II-era British merchant ship used in convoys as a quick emergency solution to the shortage of escort carriers. "CAM" was an acronym for "Catapult Aircraft Merchantman"¹ and a CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane, dubbed a "Hurricat" or "Catafighter". CAM ships continued to carry their normal cargoes after conversion.

Origin

After the fall of France in June 1940, long range German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 reconnaissance aircraft of I/KG40 shadowed and bombed merchant shipping from the French airfield at Bordeaux-Merignac.¹ The Admiralty ordered 50 rocket-propelled catapults for fitting aboard merchant ships and 50 Hawker Hurricane Mark I aircraft were converted to Sea Hurricane IAs as a temporary measure to provide fighter protection beyond the range of bases on the British Isles. The ship was not fitted for landings so the pilot would bail out or ditch in the sea at the end of the flight and the plane would be lost.¹

The RAF formed the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit (MSFU) on 5 May 1941 at RAF Speke by the River Mersey at Liverpool.¹ Wing Commander E.S. Moulton-Barrett commanded the unit providing training for volunteer pilots, Fighter Direction Officers (FDOs), and airmen.¹ When training was completed, each MSFU crew proceeded to the embarkation ports of Liverpool, Glasgow, or Avonmouth where they would assist loading their Hurricane aboard the catapult.¹ Each team consisted of one pilot for Atlantic runs (or two pilots for voyages to Russia, Gibraltar, or the Mediterranean Sea) with one fitter, one rigger, one radio-telephone operator, one FDO, and a seaman torpedoman who worked on the catapult as an electrician.¹

MSFU crews signed ships articles as members of the crew under the jurisdiction of the civilian ship's master.¹ The ship's chief engineer became responsible for the catapult, and the first mate was designated the Catapult Duty Officer (CDO) tasked with throwing the catapult firing switch when directed.¹ The single Hurricane fighter was launched only when enemy aircraft were sighted and agreement was reached via hand and flag signals between the pilot, CDO, and ship's master.¹

The first CAM ship, Michael E, was sponsored by the Royal Navy while the RAF MSFUs were working up. After a trial launch off Belfast, Michael E sailed with convoy OB 327 on 28 May 1941, and was sunk by U-108 on 2 June.²

The first RAF trial CAM launch was from Empire Rainbow at Greenock on the River Clyde on 31 May 1941, and the Hurricane landed at Abbotsinch.¹ Six CAM ships joined convoys in June 1941.¹ When a CAM ship arrived at its destination, the pilot usually launched and landed at a nearby airfield to get in as much flight time as he could before his return trip.¹ Pilots were rotated out of CAM assignments after two round-trip voyages to avoid potential flying skills deterioration from the lack of flying time afforded during the assignment.²

CAM sailings were initially limited to North American convoys with aircraft maintenance performed by the Royal Canadian Air Force at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. CAM ships sailed on Gibraltar and Freetown convoys beginning in September, 1941, after an aircraft maintenance unit was established at Gibraltar's North Front airstrip. No CAM aircraft were provided during January and February of 1942 after it proved impossible to maintain the catapult-mounted aircraft in flying order during North Atlantic winters. CAM sailings resumed on 6 March 1942. CAM sailings on Arctic Russian convoys began in April 1942 with a RAF aircraft maintenance unit in Archangel.²

Take-Off Procedure

• Trolley receiving bar was removed at dawn.
• Aircrew started and warmed up engine at intervals.
• Pilot climbed into aircraft when enemy aircraft were reported.
• Ship hoisted international flag code F when decision was made to launch. (CAM ships were usually stationed in the lead of the outboard port column of a convoy so they could maneuver into the wind for launch.)
• Aircrew removed pins, showed them to the pilot, and took them to the CDO.
• Pilot applied 30 degree flaps and 1/3 right rudder.
• CDO raised blue flag above head to inform ship's master of readiness to launch.
• Ship's master maneuvered ship into the wind and raised blue flag above head to authorize launch. (The ship's master stood on the starboard bridge wing to avoid the catapult rocket blast which sometimes damaged the port side of the bridge
• CDO waved his blue flag indicating ready to launch upon signal from pilot.
• Pilot opened full throttle, tightened throttle friction nut, pressed head back into the head rest, pressed right elbow tightly against hip, and lowered left hand as signal to launch.
• CDO counted to three, waited for the bow to rise from the trough of a swell, and moved the switch to fire the catapult rockets.¹

CAM Combat Launches

• 3 August 1941 - Lieutenant Everett from Maplin shot down a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 and was recovered by the destroyer Wanderer.¹
• 1 November 1941 - Flying Officer Varley from Empire Foam chased away a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 and was recovered by the destroyer Broke.¹³
• 26 April 1942 - Flying Officer Kendal from Empire Morn in convoy QP 12 chased away a Blohm & Voss BV 138 and shot down a Junkers Ju 88 and died from injuries received while bailing out of his aircraft.¹³ Pilot Officer Hay from Empire Lawrence in convoy PQ 16 shot down two Heinkel He 111 before being shot down and recovered by the destroyer Volunteer.¹³
• 14 June 1942 - Pilot Officer Sanders from Empire Moon in convoy HG 84 chased away a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 and was recovered by the sloop Stork.¹³
• 18 September 1942 - Flying Officer Burr from Empire Morn destroyed two Heinkel He 111 and flew to the Russian Keg Ostrov aerodrome.¹³
• 1 November 1942 - Flying Officer Taylor from Empire Heath in convoy HG 91 shot down a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 and narrowly avoided drowning before recovery.¹³
• 28 July 1943 - Flying Officer Stewart from Empire Darwin in convoy SL 133 damaged a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 and was recovered by the sloop Enchantress.¹³ Flying Officer Flynn from Empire Tide in convoy SL 133 destroyed a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 and was recovered by the sloop Leith.¹³

Program Termination

As adequate numbers of escort carriers became available, CAM sailing on North American and Arctic Russian convoys were discontinued in August 1942. The aircraft maintenance unit was withdrawn from Archangel in September 1942. Catapults were removed from ten of the 26 surviving CAM ships while the remaining 16 continued to sail with Mediterranean and Freetown convoys.² RAF Headquarters Fighter Command ordered all MSFUs disbanded commencing 8 June 1943.¹ The combat launches from homeward bound convoy SL 133 were from the last two operational CAM ships to sail, and the last MSFU was disbanded 7 September 1943.¹ Twelve of the 35 CAM ships had been sunk while sailing on 170 round trip voyages.¹ Two more ships, Cape Clear and City of Johannesburg, were briefly fitted with dummy catapults and aircraft for deception purposes in late 1941.³

See also

• Merchant aircraft carrier

Notes

References

Wikipedia content modification information:

• This page was last modified on 30 December 2008, at 19:28.

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