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NavSource Online: Escort Carrier Photo Archive

(BAVG-5) / HMS DASHER (D37)

Battle Honours

Atlantic 1942 — North Africa 1942 — Arctic 1943

Ordered	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned
*Archer (similar to US Long Island) Class Escort Carrier*
-	14 Mar 1940	12 Apr 1941	2 Jul 1942
Builder: Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, Pa.

Laid down as the US mercantile Rio de Janeiro, under a Maritime Commission contract (hull number 62).
Acquired by the USN, 22 November 1941, for conversion into an aircraft escort vessel.
Converted and completed by Tietjens & Lang Drydock Company.
Completed and handed over to the USN at Hoboken Navy Yard, 1 July 1942. Transferred to the Royal Navy and commissioned as HMS Dasher the following day.

Fate: Sunk in the Clyde, off Arran, following a massive, accidental aviation fuel explosion, 27 March 1943. She sank in only 3 minutes and left only 149 survivors. The explosion was deemed to be due to the inadequate protection provided for avgas tanks in this class. All subsequent CVEs allocated to the RN were modified to British standards, with a consequent reduction of about 50% in the quantity of aviation fuel carried.

Specifications
(As converted, 1942)
Displacement: 8,200 tons standard; 15,700 tons full load
Dimensions (wl): 465' x 69.5' x 26.33' / 141.7 x 21.2 x 8 meters
Dimensions (max.): 492' x 102' / 150 x 31.1 meters
Armor: None
Power plant: 2 Doxford diesels (6-cylinder); 1 shaft; 8,500 bhp
Speed: 16 knots
Endurance: 14,550 nautical miles @ 10 knots
Armament: 3 single 4"/50 gun mounts; 4(?) twin and 7(?) single 20-mm/70-cal gun mounts
Aircraft: 15
Aviation facilities: 1 elevator; 1 hydraulic catapult (H 2); 9 arresting wires and 3 barriers
Crew: 555

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
NS030100507	70k	"Launching *Rio de Janeiro*, April 12, 1941 — Chester, Pa., Moore-McCormack Lines, 5 Broadway — New York, N.Y."	Tommy Trampp
NS030100507a	158k		Tommy Trampp
NS030100504	272k	The newly commissioned HMS *Dasher* (D37) underway.	Courtesy of Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers
NS030100509	114k	Two views of HMS *Dasher* (D37), date and location unknown.	Courtesy of Scottish Shipwrecks, via Robert Hurst
NS030100509a	64k		Courtesy of Scottish Shipwrecks, via Robert Hurst
NS030100510	64k	The Royal Navy during the Second World War. On board the escort carrier HMS *Dasher* (D37) at Liverpool, Lancashire, England. From inside the galley sailors can be seen being served with dinner at the cafeteria counter. The ship was one of the first British warships to have American style cafeterias tried replacing the traditional method of messing. Royal Navy official photographer, Smith, J H (Lt). This photograph A 13684 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums. This image was created and released by the Imperial War Museum on the IWM Non Commercial Licence.	Robert Hurst
NS030100501	93k	HMS *Dasher* (D37) underway in 1942, showing her single lift. The port-side catapult can just be made out forward on the camouflaged flight deck. Note the single US-pattern 4"/50 gun at the stern. Two Swordfish Mk.II strike aircraft with wings folded can be seen parked forward. U.S. National Archives photo. Photo and text from Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, by Roger Chesneau.	Robert Hurst
NS030100503	96k	HMS *Dasher* at Hvalfjord, Iceland in February 1943 with convoy JW53. The photo was taken from the deck of the cruiser HMS Belfast.	Collection of Sub-Lieutenant (A) John Vallely RNVR, via Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers
NS030100505	86k	HMS *Dasher* underway in February 1943 with convoy JW53. Both this picture and the one above were taken on the first two days of the convoy. The photo was taken from the deck of the cruiser HMS Belfast.	Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers
NS030100108	292k	Archer-class. From ONI 201, "Warships and Landing Craft of the British Commonwealth," Division of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, 1 July 1943. Condensed and printed for FM 30-50, NAVAER 00-80V-57. Photos show HMS Archer, HMS Biter and HMS *Dasher*.	Gerd Matthes, Germany
NS030100108a	278k	Archer-class. From ONI 201, "Warships and Landing Craft of the British Commonwealth," Division of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, 1 July 1943. Condensed and printed for FM 30-50, NAVAER 00-80V-57.	Gerd Matthes, Germany
NS030100502	43k	Escort carrier HMS *Dasher* (D37) underway at sea during northern convoy duty, 14 February–March 1943. Photo taken by Lieutenant J.A. Hampton, Royal Navy official photographer. IWM photo # A 15348.	Robert Hurst
NS030100508	104k	Pilot's view of HMS *Dasher* (D37), as his Fairey Swordfish approaches the ship in the landing pattern. *Dasher, here in March 1944, was on convoy escort duty. Photo from the Imperial War Museums Admiralty Official Collection, © IWM (A 22717). (Note: The Imperial War Museums have this photo captioned as HMS Biter* (D97), but this is incorrect, as the "D" idenfied *Dasher*. Thanks to Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers.)	Mike Green
NS030100508a	105k	Pilot's close-up view of HMS *Dasher* (D37), as his Fairey Swordfish is in the landing pattern final approach. Just discernible on the port side landing platform is the ship's Landing Signal Officer, giving instructions to the pilot. Photo from the Imperial War Museums Admiralty Official Collection, © IWM (A 22718). (Note: The Imperial War Museums have this photo captioned as HMS Biter (D97), but this is incorrect, as the "D" idenfied *Dasher*. Thanks to Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers.)	Mike Green
NS030100511	51k	HMS *Dasher* (D37) sinking in the Clyde, 27 March 1943.	Courtesy of Scottish Shipwrecks, via Robert Hurst
NS030100511a	52k
NS030100511b	45k
NS030100511c	352k

BAVG-5 / HMS Dasher (D37) History
This vessel was not listed in DANFS.
To read another vessel's entry visit DANFS Index
(Located on the Naval History & Heritage Command website)

Crew Contact and Reunion Information

Date:
Place:
Contact:	Mr Ron Marston, Secretary, HMS Dasher (1943) Association
Address:
Phone:
E-mail:	hmsdasher(1943)association@tesco.net
Web site:
Remarks:	The HMS Dasher (1943) Association exists to remember the 379 lives that were lost when HMS *Dasher* blew up off the Isle of Arran. We meet each year on the anniversary (27th March) of the sinking.

Related Links

Hazegray & Underway World Aircraft Carrier Pages By Andrew Toppan.
HMS Dasher, Royal Navy Escort Carriers, by Tony Drury.

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Last update: 5 January 2024