HMS Tracker (D24) was an Attacker-class escort carrier built in the United States, originally intended as a merchant vessel before being acquired by the US Navy and transferred to the Royal Navy during World War II. She was laid down on November 3, 1941, by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding in Tacoma, Washington. Initially designated as MC hull 233 and intended to replace the merchant ship Mormacmail, she was purchased before completion and converted into an escort carrier at Willamette Iron & Steel in Portland, Oregon. Launched on March 7, 1942, she was commissioned on January 31, 1943, and subsequently renamed HMS Tracker. Measuring approximately 495 feet 8 inches in length (151.1 meters) with a beam of 69 feet 6 inches (21.2 meters) and a draught of 24 feet 8 inches (7.5 meters), HMS Tracker had a crew complement of around 646 men. Her propulsion system consisted of two boilers connected to a steam turbine driving a single shaft, producing 8,500 shaft horsepower, enabling her to reach a maximum speed of 18 knots (33 km/h). Her flight facilities included a small combined bridge and flight control on the starboard side, two aircraft lifts measuring 43 by 34 feet (13.1 by 10.4 meters), a single aircraft catapult, and nine arrestor wires. The hangar below the flight deck spanned 260 by 62 feet (79.2 by 18.9 meters), capable of housing up to 24 aircraft, including fighters such as Martlets, Corsairs, or Sea Hurricanes, and anti-submarine torpedo bombers like the Swordfish or Avenger. HMS Tracker’s armament comprised two dual-purpose 4"/50, 5"/38, or 5"/51 guns, sixteen 40mm Bofors AA guns in twin mounts, and twenty 20mm Oerlikon cannons. Her service history included convoy escort duties across the North Atlantic and Arctic, initially operating with Swordfish torpedo-bombers and Seafire fighters, later switching to Grumman Avengers and Wildcats. Notably, in April 1944, her aircraft contributed to the sinking of the German U-boat U-288 east of Bear Island during convoy JW 58. During the D-Day preparations in June 1944, HMS Tracker was part of the antisubmarine screen for Western Approaches Command but collided with the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Teme, sustaining damage to her bows. Despite this, she continued operations until repairs at Liverpool until September 1944. Later, she was repurposed as an aircraft transport for Pacific operations, ferrying aircraft and personnel until the end of the war. After returning to the US in 1945 and being sold in 1946, she served as the merchant ship Corrientes in Argentina until her scrapping in 1964. HMS Tracker's service exemplifies the vital role of escort carriers in Atlantic and Arctic convoy protection during WWII.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.