AVG-7 was named Barnes, for a sound located on the southern tip of the state of Florida (NS0300725, map courtesy of Google Maps).

Reallocated to the United Kingdom on 1 March 1942, she was reclassified a British auxiliary aircraft carrier and redesignated BACV-7 on 20 August 1942. Delivered to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 30 September 1942, the ship was commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Attacker (D02). An "Attacker" is one who assaults or assails an opponent—the butting ram in the ship's badge design is an illustration of this act. (Image of the ship's badge courtesy of Tommy Trampp.)

"The original design suggested by the ship's officers depicted a stylised seahorse, having the head and neck of a horse, the body and tail of a griffon with feathered wigs and two hind legs with talons. Volant, ready to dive. It also carried the unofficial motto 'Oppugnare, vincere est'—['To attack is to win.'] A bronze cast of this design was made by her builder and was displayed on the quaterdeck until the official design was approved in 1943." (Text courtesy of Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers.)

Views of the launching of Steel Artisan, a C3SA1 cargo vessel, on 27 September 1941 at Western Pipe and Steel, South San Francisco yard. She was sponsored by Mrs. William A. Ross, wife of the president of Columbia Steel Company, the Pacific Coast subsidiary of United States Steel Corporation.

Steel Artisan was taken over by the Navy and thereafter became Barnes, then HMS Attacker in World War II.

Photo series by Horace Bristol, LIFE magazine. Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.

"Set of four plans of HMS Attacker from a booklet of general plans from the ship's US builders."

"Page 1 shows the title sheet, and the internal profile (below) has an extensive listing of the ship's dimension, together with a list of fire hose connections and the ship's boats (two 26ft motor whalers and two 30ft motor launches)."

"Page 2 shows the outboard profile (top) and the island structure (below). The gun armament consists of a single 4in/50 mounting on each side of the main deck aft, twin 40mm Bofors, two at the after end of the main deck and one each side of the flight deck forward, and ten 20mm Oerlikons, two on the forecastle and the remainder around the periphery of the flight deck. The radar outfit shown is British. This includes the radar lantern for Type 272 surface warning on the island and Type 79M (a single aerial version of Type 79, later redesignated Type 79B) air warning radar fitted at the masthead."

"Page 3 the ship's flight deck (top), walkways and gun platforms (centre) and gallery deck (bottom). Note that the two aircraft lifts are the same size at 43ft x 34ft but are orientated in different directions. Other flight deck features include the expansion joints (shown as two dark lines bridging the deck) and a single aircraft catapult on the port side, forward. The projections extending outboard on each side amidships are the machinery uptakes."

"Page 4 shows the ship's forecastle deck and deck house flats (top), main deck (centre) and second deck (bottom)."

All images were first photocopied and then scanned from British Warships of the Second World War: Detailed in the original builder's plans, by John Roberts, pub. by Seaforth Publishing; an imprint of Pen & Sword Book Ltd., 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS. ISBN 978-1-4738-9068-8.

ACV-7. Plan view, superstructure amidships. Completion. San Francisco, Cal., 26 November 1942 (photo # 7269-42).

Source: Mare Island Naval Shipyard Ship Files, NARA San Francisco.

Barnes (CVE-7) as HMS Attacker, underway shortly after commissioning. Note the Swordfish strike aircraft in front of the aft lift. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of A.D. Baker III.

Photo and partial text from Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, by Roger Chesneau.

Barnes (CVE-7) as HMS Attacker.

Photo from Navies of the Second World War, by H.T. Lenton (Doubleday & Co., 1968).

HMS Attacker underway, date and location unknown (FAAM CARS A/126).

From The Fleet Air Arm Handbook, by David Wragg.

Burial at sea of a rating struck by an aircraft propeller while working on the flight deck of HMS Attacker. Photo FAAM CARS/238.

Photo and text from The Fleet Air Arm Handbook, by David Wragg.

HMS Attacker (D02) at anchor at Greenock, Scotland. Note the two crewmen standing at the end of the flight deck. Photo taken by Lt S. J. Beadell, Royal Navy official photographer. Photo # A 17507 from the collections of the Imperial War Museum.

HMS Attacker (D02), ex-Barnes (ACV-7), underway on 12 November 1942. Division of Naval Intelligence, Identification and Characteristics Section, June 1943.

Port broadside view of HMS Attacker, ex-Barnes (ACV-7), at anchor in San Francisco Bay on 13 November 1942. US Navy photo #7043-42.

A Swordfish of 838 Naval Air Squadron can be seen on deck. 838 NAS operated four Swordfish Mk.I and was based at US Naval Air Station Alameda in preparation for Attacker entering service as soon as possible after her completion. The Squadron officially joined Attacker for operational duties on December 12, when the ship sailed for the Panama Canal. (Thanks to Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers, who provided this information.)

Picture of a Swordfish Mk II (HS547) of No.886 Squadron, as it powers away, having for some reason abandoned an attempt to land on the flight deck of the escort carrier HMS Attacker; the safety barrier is raised and flight-deck personnel are keeping their heads well down. Photo courtesy Philip Jarrett.

Photo and text from Swordfish: From The Cockpit, by Donald Payne.

Picture of a Supermarine Seafire L.Mk.IIC belonging to No.879 Sqd., that has flipped over on to its back after a landing accident onboard the escort aircraft carrier HMS Attacker (D02). In this case, the aircraft has missed two other Seafires ranged on the flight deck for ready take-off. Photograph probably taken in the Mediterranean circa July 1943. Photo courtesy Rick Harding Collection.

Photo and text from Supermarine Seafire by Kev Darling.

HMS Attacker (D02), ex-Barnes (ACV-7), tied up to a mooring buoy, circa 1944, location unknown. After participating in the invasion of Southern France and a sweep into the Aegean Sea, Attacker became involved in carrying aircraft to the East Indies Fleet, based at Trincomalee, Ceylon (Sri Lanka). She can be seen loaded with Supermarine Seafires, which appear to have been painted with East Indies Fleet recognition markings around the wings. Note the resupply barge moored alongside.

Photo and text from 100 Years of British Naval Aviation, by Christopher Shores.

HMS Attacker at anchor in Bangor Bay, Northern Ireland, March 1944. Imperial War Museum photo (# FL 1185).

Text courtesy of Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers.

View from the escort carrier HMS Pursuer (D73) of other assault carriers in the force which took part in the landings in the south of France on 15 August 1944. Leading are HMS Attacker (D02) and HMS Khedive (D62). Three Grumman Wildcats can be seen parked on the edge of Pursuer's flight deck. Photo taken by Lt. J.A. Hampton, Royal Navy Official photographer. Photo # A 25184 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums.

Four undated images of immigrant and cruise ship Fairsky (ex-Castel Forte, ex-Castelforte, ex-HMS Attacker, ex-US Navy Barnes, ex-Steel Artisan), locations unknown.

Passenger liner Fairsky. Auckland, New Zealand, c.1970s.

Fairsky, from an early 1970's Sitmar Line promotional brochure.

Passenger liner Fairsky, Liberian registry. Auckland, New Zealand, 1975.