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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSPybus |
| Builder | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation |
| Laid down | 23 June 1942 |
| Launched | 7 October 1942 |
| Commissioned | 31 May 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 6 August 1943 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Transferred toRoyal Navy |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSEmperor |
| Commissioned | 6 August 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 28 March 1946 |
| Identification | Pennant number:D98 |
| Fate | Returned to US, sold for scrap 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | |
| Displacement | 15,126 tons (full load) |
| Length | 492 ft (150 m) |
| Beam | 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) |
| Draught | 26 ft 3 in (8.00 m) |
| Propulsion | Steam turbines, 1 shaft, 8,500 shp (6,300 kW) |
| Speed | 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) |
| Complement | 646 officers and men |
| Armament | 2 ×4"/50,5"/38 or5"/51 guns |
| Aircraft carried | 24 |
| Service record | |
| Operations: |
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USSPybus (CVE-34) was initially aUnited States NavyBogue-classescort carrier. The ship was transferred to theUnited Kingdom for service in theRoyal Navy as theRuler-class escort carrierHMSEmperor (D98) as part of theLend-Lease program ofWorld War II. Entering service in 1943, the ship took part in operations against theTirpitz and the invasions ofNormandy andsouthern France. Returned to the United States following the war, the carrier was sold forscrap in 1946.
TheBogue class were all larger and had a greater aircraft capacity than all the preceding American built escort carriers. They were also all laid down as escort carriers and not convertedmerchant ships.[1] All the ships had a complement of 646 and anoverall length of 492 feet 3 inches (150.0 m), abeam of 69 feet 6 inches (21.2 m) and adraught of 25 ft 6 in (7.8 m).[1] Propulsion was provided a steam turbine, two boilers connected to one shaft giving 9,350shaft horsepower (6,970 kW), which could propel the ship at 16.5knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[2]
Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on thestarboard side, two aircraft lifts 43 feet (13.1 m) by 34 feet (10.4 m), oneaircraft catapult and ninearrestor wires.[1] Aircraft could be housed in the 260 feet (79.2 m) by 62 feet (18.9 m) hangar below the flight deck.[1] Armament comprised two4"/50,5"/38 or5"/51dual purpose guns in single mounts, sixteen40 mm Boforsanti-aircraft guns in twin mounts and twenty20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons in single mounts.[1] They had a maximum aircraft capacity of twenty-four aircraft which could be a mixture ofGrumman Martlet,Grumman F6F Hellcat,Vought F4U Corsair orHawker Sea Hurricanefighter aircraft andFairey Swordfish orGrumman Avengeranti-submarine aircraft.[1]
Pybus, originally designated AVG-34, waslaid down on 23 June 1942 as MC Hull No. 245 bySeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding,Washington. Reclassified as ACV-34 on 20 August 1942, the ship waslaunched on 7 October 1942 andcommissioned into the United States Navy on 31 May 1943 at thePuget Sound Navy Yard, Washington.Pybus was reclassified as CVE-34 on 15 July 1943 and assigned for transfer to the United Kingdom under the Lend-Lease agreement. From March to April 1945 she was attached to the21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron.
Pybus reported for duty with the Pacific Fleet after shakedown, in a temporary status, before shedecommissioned on 6 August 1943 atNew York. She was accepted that day by the UK and placed in service as HMSEmperor with thepennant number D98. During her British service, she helped provide fighter cover for airstrikes onTirpitz, served onanti-submarine detail duringOperation Overlord, and helped support the invasion of Southern France (Operation Dragoon).
Following the war,Emperor was returned to the United States Navy on 12 February 1946, struck from theNaval Vessel Register on 28 March 1946, and sold 14 May to Patapsco Scrap Co.,Baltimore, Maryland for scrapping.
 United States Navy | |||||
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 Royal Navy |
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