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NavSource Online: Escort Carrier Photo Archive

(BAVG-6) / HMS TRACKER (D24)

Battle Honours

Atlantic 1943-1944 — Arctic 1944 — Normandy 1944

Ordered	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Returned to US	Stricken
*Attacker (US Bogue) Class Escort Carrier*
-	3 Nov 1941	7 Mar 1942	31 Jan 1943	29 Nov 1945	2 Nov 1946
Builder: Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle-Tacoma, Wash.

Built as the US mercantile Mormacmail (2nd), under a Maritime Commission contract (hull number 233,) for the Moore-McCormack Lines.
Taken over incomplete and finished as BAVG-6 by Willamette Iron & Steel Corp., Portland, OR; intended for service in the Royal Navy.
Lent to the USN as a ferry carrier for the US Pacific Fleet, 10 November 1944. Ferried aircraft from the US west coast to forward areas for six months, January-July 1945.
Allocated to the Reserve Fleet, 9 August 1945.
Returned to USN in Norfolk Navy Yard, 29 November 1945.
Fate: Sold into merchant service as Corrientes. Scrapped at Antwerp starting 24 September 1964.

Specifications
(As converted, 1943)
Displacement: 7,800 tons standard; 14,170 tons full load
Dimensions (wl): 465' x 69.5' x 24' 8" / 141.7 x 21.2 x 7.5 meters
Dimensions (max.): 495' 8" x 111.5' / 151.1 x 34 meters
Armor: None
Power plant: 2 boilers (285 psi); 1 steam turbine; 1 shaft; 8,500 shp
Speed: 18+ knots
Endurance: 27,300 nautical miles @ 11 knots
Armament: 2 single 4"/50 gun mounts; 4 twin 40-mm/56-cal gun mounts; 8 twin and 10 single 20-mm/70-cal gun mounts
Aircraft: 15+
Aviation facilities: 2 elevators; 1 hydraulic catapult (H 2); 9 arresting wires and 3 barriers
Crew: 646

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
*HMS Tracker* (D24)**
NS030100605t	238k	Three views of soon-to-be HMS *Tracker* during trials in the Columbia river conducted by her builders, Willamette Iron & Steel Corporation, Portland, Oregon, before being accepted by the Admiralty on January 31, 1943. *Tracker* was the first of 10 RN CVE's to be completed at Portland — five each at Willamette Iron & Steel Corporation, and Commercial Iron Works. These were (in order of completion): *Tracker* (WI&SC), Searcher (CIW), Ravager (CIW), Trumpeter (CIW), Slinger (WI&SC), Premier (WI&SC), Speaker (WI&SC), Arbiter (CIW), Rajah (WI&SC), and Trouncer (CIW).	Courtesy of Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers
NS030100606t	284k
NS030100607t	29k
NS030100602t	169k	From "All Hands" magazine, May 1943 issue.	Joe Radigan
NS030100604t	43k	HMS *Tracker* (D24).	Haze Gray & Underway
NS030100608t	80k	HMS *Tracker* underway whilst escorting a convoy, with Avenger torpedo-bombers on the deck, aft. Date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst
NS030100601t	87k	Good overhead showing the location and look of the anti-aircraft gun mounts. Swordfish on deck belong to 816 Squadron. 1943.	IWM
NS030100610t	78k	HMS *Tracker* underway circa 1943 with Seafire and Swordfish aircraft of 816 Sqd, FAA on deck, location unknown.	Robert Hurst
NS030100609t	79k	Starboard quarter view of HMS *Tracker* underway circa August 1943, location unknown.	Robert Hurst
Commercial Service
NS030100603t	358k	Post-war, as mercantile *Corrientes. Alberto, then 4 years old, was a passenger aboard Corrientes* in June 1952, from Genoa, Italy to Buenos Aires, Argentina.	Alberto de la Vega (Chile)

BAVG-6 / HMS Tracker (D24) History
Located at Navsource

Crew Contact and Reunion Information

Date:
Place:
Name:	Mrs C Smalley
Address:	33 St Marys Road Kelvedon Essex CO5 9DW
Phone:	01376 572529
E-mail:	cherry@smalley4816.fsnet.co.uk
Web site:
Remarks:

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Last update: 3 February 2008