Fighter catapult ships (FCS) also known asCatapult Armed Ships were an attempt by theRoyal Navy to provide air cover at sea. Five ships were acquired and commissioned as Naval vessels early in theSecond World War, and these were used to accompanyconvoys.The concept was extended to merchant ships which were also equipped with rocket-assisted launch systems and known as Catapult Aircraft Merchantmen (CAM ships). Both classes could launch a disposable fighter (usually aHawker Hurricane) to fight off a threat, with the pilot expected to be rescued after either ditching the aircraft or bailing out close to the launching ship.
There were five fighter catapult ships, collectively known as thePegasus class. Two,Patia andSpringbank, were lost during the war. They were each equipped with aFulmar or "Hurricat" (an adaptedHurriane Mk.1A).
| Ship | Launched | Converted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ariguani | 1925 | 1940 | Formerocean boarding vessel, converted to a catapult ship in 1940, war service in the Atlantic[1] After repairs in 1943, returned to merchant use. |
| Maplin | 1940 | Former ocean boarding vessel.Maplin saw war service in the Atlantic in 1940. She was a training ship from 1941 to 1944, in reserve from September 1944 and subsequently an accommodation ship.Maplin's war service was on Atlantic convoys and her "Hurricat" was the first to destroy aLuftwaffe aircraft, aFocke-Wulf Fw 200 in August 1941. The pilot wasRobert Everett of804 NAS.[2][3] | |
| Patia | 1922 | 1941[4] | Former ocean boarding vessel. Lost 1941[5][6] Foundered after bombing attack |
| Pegasus | 1914 | 1940 | Commissioned asseaplane carrierHMS Ark Royal in 1914, renamedPegasus in 1934. Used as seaplane training vessel until converted, returned to training in 1941[7][8] |
| Springbank | 1926 | 1940 | Cargo ship converted to auxiliary anti-aircraft cruiser then to catapult ship. Torpedoed byU-201 on 27 September 1941 and sunk by HMSJasmine.[5][9][10] |
| Date | Ship | Convoy | Pilot | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 July 1941 | HMS Maplin | LtRobert Everett | Focke-Wulf Condor shot down by ship anti-aircraft guns, as Hurricane was about to attack. Pilot flew to Northern Ireland, landedRAF St Angelo.[11] | |
| 3 August 1941 | HMS Maplin | OG 17 | Lt Robert Everett | Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor shot down; pilot recovered by a destroyer[12] |
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