Everything about Merchant Aircraft Carrier totally explained
Merchant aircraft carriers (MAC) were minimal
aircraft carriers used during
World War II by
Britain and the
Netherlands as an emergency measure until
United States-built
escort carriers became available in useful numbers.
They were bulk grain carriers or tankers built with flight decks and small islands, but no catapult or other aircraft support facilities. The nature of the cargoes removed the need for the type of deck mounted cargo-handling gear needed by general freighters. They operated with civilian crews, under merchant colors, and carried their regular cargo while serving as aircraft carriers. Their
Fairey Swordfish aircraft carried out anti-submarine patrols around the convoy.
The scale of the conversion was small, hence it could be completed in a short time; five months has been quoted as being typical.
The tanker conversions had no hangar and carried three
Fairey Swordfish on deck, the grain ships had a small hangar and carried four. Flight decks were around long on the tankers and between 413 and 424 for the grain ships, width was in all cases. Aircrew accommodation was minimal and ammunition and fuel stores were neither armoured nor partitioned.
Work on the first two (
Empire MacAlpine and
Empire MacAndrew) was started in June 1942. By October of that year a decision had been made in favour of ten more (four tankers, six grainers) and a total of 32 was eventually planned although only the nineteen below actually were completed. Many of the ships were given names with the prefix "Mac-", in a reference to their designation as MACs; the "Empire" prefix was used on ships built by the
Ministry of War Transport to distinguish them from pre-war privately owned ships. Since these ships were owned by the government and only on loan to the shipping companies it was easier to take them out of service for conversion.
The 'Air Party' consisted of an Air Staff Officer (Lt-Commander), the aircrew, a
doctor, a
batsman (landing control officer), ten ship's gunners, four signalmen, and three or four
Able Seamen. The
Merchant Navy part of the crew might have an extra
mate and/or
wireless operator but was otherwise unchanged.
The aircrew on each ship formed one
flight of
836 Naval Air Squadron, which was based at
RNAS Maydown in
Northern Ireland, or from
860 (Dutch) Squadron or
861 (Dutch) Squadron.
In practice, the MAC ships were successful. The antiquated, but robust, Swordfish aircraft were suited to the conditions and their patrols were very effective. Flying more than 4,000 sorties in all, wartime records show that no convoy with an accompanying MAC ship ever lost a vessel to U-boats.
The first British-built successors to the MACs were the escort carriers built on cargo ship hulls such as
HMS Audacity (D10).
Ships
Empire class grain carriers
8,000 tons, 12 knots, 4 aircraft, crew not known, launched December 1942-January 1944. Equipped with hangar and lift
Empire class oil tankers
9,000 tons, 12 knots, 3 aircraft, crew not known, launched May-July 1943. No hangar and lift; aircraft maintained and stored on deck
MV Empire MacCabe
MV Empire MacColl
MV Empire MacKay
MV Empire MacMahon
Rapana class oil tankers
12,000 tons, 12 knots, 3 aircraft, crew not known, converted 1942-44. Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company tankers. No hangar and lift; aircraft maintained and stored on deck
MV Acavus
MV Adula
MV Alexia
MV Amastra
MV Ancylus: operated Swordfish Mk 2 from ‘O’ Flight of 860 (Dutch) squadron
MV Gadila: operated under the Dutch ensign, with Fairey Swordfish of 'S' flight, 860 (Dutch) Squadron and of 861 (Dutch) Squadron
MV Macoma: operated under the Dutch ensign with Fairey Swordfish of 860 (Dutch) Squadron
MV Miralda
MV Rapana: operated Swordfish Mk 2 from ‘L’ Flight of 836 Squadron Further Information
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