Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Escort Carrier Photo Archive

(BAVG-5)  /  HMS DASHER (D37)



Battle Honours

Atlantic 1942 — North Africa 1942 — Arctic 1943

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

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
HMS Dasher
NS030100507
70k

"Launching Rio de Janeiro, April 12, 1941 — Chester, Pa., Moore-McCormack Lines, 5 Broadway — New York, N.Y."

Tommy Trampp
HMS Dasher
NS030100507a
158k
HMS Dasher
NS030100504
272k

The newly commissioned HMS Dasher (D37) underway.

Courtesy of Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers
HMS Dasher
NS030100509
114k

Two views of HMS Dasher (D37), date and location unknown.

Courtesy of Scottish Shipwrecks,
via Robert Hurst
HMS Dasher
NS030100509a
64k
HMS Dasher
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
HMS Dasher
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
HMS Dasher
NS030100512
264k

Sea Hurricane Mk. XII (JS327) of No.804 Squadron aboard HMS Dasher (D37), being inspected by U.S. Army personnel, after crash-landing on an Algerian beach after running out of fuel. Note the modified roundels with a white star applied over them for the duration of Operation Torch and here thinly outlined in yellow.

Photo courtesy of Tony O'Toole Collection. Image and text from Hawker Hurricane and Sea Hurricane. Tony O'Toole with Martin Derry and Neil Robinson. Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 47 Church Street, Barnsley South Yorkshire, S70 2AS. ISBN 978 147382 725 7.

Robert Hurst
HMS Dasher
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
HMS Dasher
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
Archer class
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
Archer class
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.

BAVG-5 / HMS Dasher
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
BAVG-5 HMS Dasher
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
BAVG-5 HMS Dasher
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
HMS Dasher
NS030100511
51k

HMS Dasher (D37) sinking in the Clyde, 27 March 1943.

Courtesy of Scottish Shipwrecks,
via Robert Hurst
HMS Dasher
NS030100511a
52k
HMS Dasher
NS030100511b
45k
HMS Dasher
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.

Main
Photo Index
Escort Carrier
Photo Index Page

Comments, Suggestions or Image submissions, E-mail Carrier Information
Problems and site related matters, E-mail Webmaster

This page was created and is maintained by Fabio Peña
All pages copyright NavSource Naval History

Last update: 20 April 2024