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What were CAM-ships?

Hurricane on catapult of CAM-ship
(Picture I)
https://pimeakronikka.blogspot.fi/p/what-were-cam-ships.html

Kimmo Huosionmaa

In some books, what is written by Alistair MacLean are mentioned the ship type, called CAM-ships. Many people don't even know about those ships, what are used before the escort-aircraft carriers took their place. Casablanca-class escort carriers took those ships place during World War II after the USA took part in the war after Pearl Harbor incident.

But we can only admire those brave men, who served with CAM-ships Hurricane I fighters. The CAM-ship was the merchant ship, what was equipped with the holder, what could send Hurricane I fighter to airborne and shoot down Focke-Wulf Fw-200 "Condors", what were used to find targets for German submarines and that long-range maritime patrol aircraft were so important for Germans, that the loss of Hurricane was accepted.

Hurricane lifts-off from CAM-ship
(Picture II)


So CAM-ships were equipped with the racks, where the Hurricane fighter could send to airborne and the objective for those missions was shoot down those Condors. Fw-200 were the only aircraft in German air force, what could patrol at long distances, and send the information of the convoys to the headquarters of German U-boats. Of course, U-boats could locate convoys, by using hydrophones.


But that would mean, that U-boat must send the messages by using the radio. And that could be fatal because the location of those submarines could be tracked, and they would target the attack by floatplanes. That's why FW-200 was so important. And that's why Hurricanes wait on the deck of CAM-ships for their mission. They were sent to airborne by using 45 solid fuel rockets and after shooting down "Condor", they were land to water, where the pilots were rescued. Hurricane I was chosen to those missions because it would have no effect against Luftwaffes fighters.

FW-200 Condor
(Picture III)


When escort carriers were combined to convoy systems, the pilots of those aircraft, what was sent to air from CAM-ships started to land to those aircraft carriers. In that time Hurricanes replaced by Hellcats or sometimes Seafires, what was actually Spitfire with stopping hook. Those aircraft operated from escort carriers, but sometimes I have thought that maybe in some later operations they were used from CAM-ships.


But in fact, all mentioned planes, what were used with CAM-ships were Hurricanes, what used during all World War II, and their mission was to be trapped for German long-range aircraft. The last victory, what is in the list of victories, what aircraft, what were send from CAM-ships were in 28. July. 1943 (Wikipedia, CAM ships), and maybe they were used after that case. Those ships missions were mainly transferred to escort carriers, what operated with Avenger-torpedo bombers, what were used to find and kill U-boats.


Those hunter-killer units were very effective, and in modern life, some British military men have given an idea, that Royal Navy's destroyers or merchant ships would be equipped with "Harrier" VTOL-fighters, what could use for surprise attacks against Russian "Bear"-class maritime recon airplanes. Those big aircraft looks targets for Russian cruise missile submarines and surface combat units. TU-95 is very big aircraft, what is used in similar missions as FW-200, and if some Harrier would attack against that plane, that would be the end of its missions.


Big maritime reconnaissance aircraft are very expensive, and their mission is vital for targeting convoys, and that's why they are attractive targets for that kind of attacks. of course, those Tupolevs could have fighter escorts in their maritime reconnaissance missions, what could make them difficult targets for Harriers. But in theory, Harrier could be effective aircraft for those missions, if the target patrols alone. But fighter escort can make shooting down those Tupolevs quite difficult.  VTOL-aircraft can operate from any platform. They can also land to those ships, so that means that they would not lose in those operations.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAM_ship

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_aircraft_carrier

http://www.theworldwars.net/weapons/pictures/air/de/photos/photo_de_fw200_2.jpg


Picture I

https://defenceoftherealm.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/cam-ship_hurricaneoncatapult.jpg

Picture II

http://www.hornby.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/ImageL.jpg

Picture III

http://www.theworldwars.net/weapons/pictures/air/de/photos/photo_de_fw200_2.jpg

https://pimeakronikka.blogspot.fi/p/what-were-cam-ships.html

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