HMS Fencer (D64)

	HMS Fencer c. 1945
History
United States
Name	Croatan
Namesake	Croatan Sound, North Carolina
Ordered	as type (C3-S-A1) hull, MC hull 197
Awarded	30 September 1940
Builder	Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Francisco, California
Cost	$7,992,456
Yard number	77
Way number	4
Laid down	5 September 1941
Launched	4 April 1942
Commissioned	20 February 1943
Decommissioned	27 February 1943
Reclassified	ACV, 20 Aug 1942; CVE, 15 July 1943;
Identification	Hull symbol: AVG-14; ACV-14; CVE-14;
Fate	Transferred to the Royal Navy, 27 February 1943
United Kingdom
Name	Fencer
Namesake	One who participates in the sport of fencing
Acquired	27 February 1943
Commissioned	1 March 1943
Decommissioned	11 December 1946
Identification	Pennant number: D64 (Atlantic service); R308 (Pacific service);
Honours &; awards	Atlantic 1943–1944; Salerno 1943; South France 1944; Aegean 1944;
Fate	Returned to the US Navy, 11 December 1946
United States
Name	CVE-14
Acquired	11 December 1946
Stricken	28 January 1947
Fate	Sold for commercial use, 30 December 1947
General characteristics
Class & type	Bogue-class escort carrier (USA); Attacker-class escort carrier (UK);
Displacement	10,200 long tons (10,360 t) (standard); 14,400 long tons (14,630 t) (full load);
Length	465 ft (142 m) (wl); 496 ft (151 m) (oa); 440 ft (130 m) (fd);
Beam	69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) wl; 82 ft (25 m) (fd); 111 ft 6 in (33.99 m) (extreme width);
Draught	23 ft 3 in (7.09 m) (mean); 26 ft (7.9 m) (deep load);
Installed power	2 × Foster-Wheeler 285 psi (1,970 kPa) boilers; 8,500 shp (6,300 kW);
Propulsion	1 × General Electric or Westinghouse steam turbine; 1 × Screw;
Speed	18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range	27,300 nmi (50,600 km; 31,400 mi) at 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Capacity	3,100 long tons (3,150 t) (fuel oil); 50,000 US gal (190,000 L; 42,000 imp gal) (Avgas);
Complement	646
Armament	2 × single 5 in (127 mm)/51 caliber gun (removed by RN); 2 × single QF 4 in (100 mm) Mk V dual-purpose guns (installed by RN); 4 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors antiaircraft (AA) guns; 8 × twin 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons; 10 × single 20 mm Oerlikon cannons;
Aircraft carried	24
Aviation facilities	1 × hydraulic catapult; 2 × elevators;
Service record
Part of:	British Pacific Fleet (1944–1945)
Operations:	Battle of the Atlantic (1943–1944); Operation Tungsten (1944);

HMS Fencer (D64/R308) was an American-built Attacker-class escort carrier that served with the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

Acquired by the United States Navy for conversion to a Bogue-class escort carrier; she was transferred to the Royal Navy and commissioned as Fencer on 1 March 1943, under the Lend-Lease agreement. She spent most of her career escorting convoys in the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, she transferred to the British East Indies Fleet in October 1944.

History
HMS Fencer c. 1945
United States
Name	Croatan
Namesake	Croatan Sound, North Carolina
Ordered	as type (C3-S-A1) hull, MC hull 197
Awarded	30 September 1940
Builder	Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Francisco, California
Cost	$7,992,456
Yard number	77
Way number	4
Laid down	5 September 1941
Launched	4 April 1942
Commissioned	20 February 1943
Decommissioned	27 February 1943
Reclassified	ACV, 20 Aug 1942 CVE, 15 July 1943
Identification	Hull symbol: AVG-14 ACV-14 CVE-14
Fate	Transferred to the Royal Navy, 27 February 1943
United Kingdom
Name	Fencer
Namesake	One who participates in the sport of fencing
Acquired	27 February 1943
Commissioned	1 March 1943
Decommissioned	11 December 1946
Identification	Pennant number: D64 (Atlantic service) R308 (Pacific service)
Honours & awards	Atlantic 1943–1944 Salerno 1943 South France 1944 Aegean 1944
Fate	Returned to the US Navy, 11 December 1946
United States
Name	CVE-14
Acquired	11 December 1946
Stricken	28 January 1947
Fate	Sold for commercial use, 30 December 1947
General characteristics
Class & type	Bogue-class escort carrier (USA) Attacker-class escort carrier (UK)
Displacement	10,200 long tons (10,360 t) (standard) 14,400 long tons (14,630 t) (full load)
Length	465 ft (142 m) (wl) 496 ft (151 m) (oa) 440 ft (130 m) (fd)
Beam	69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) wl 82 ft (25 m) (fd) 111 ft 6 in (33.99 m) (extreme width)
Draught	23 ft 3 in (7.09 m) (mean) 26 ft (7.9 m) (deep load)
Installed power	2 × Foster-Wheeler 285 psi (1,970 kPa) boilers 8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × General Electric or Westinghouse steam turbine 1 × Screw
Speed	18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range	27,300 nmi (50,600 km; 31,400 mi) at 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Capacity	3,100 long tons (3,150 t) (fuel oil) 50,000 US gal (190,000 L; 42,000 imp gal) (Avgas)
Complement	646
Armament	2 × single 5 in (127 mm)/51 caliber gun (removed by RN) 2 × single QF 4 in (100 mm) Mk V dual-purpose guns (installed by RN) 4 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors antiaircraft (AA) guns 8 × twin 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons 10 × single 20 mm Oerlikon cannons
Aircraft carried	24
Aviation facilities	1 × hydraulic catapult 2 × elevators
Service record
Part of:	British Pacific Fleet (1944–1945)
Operations:	Battle of the Atlantic (1943–1944) Operation Tungsten (1944)