HMS Athene

HMS Athene was a Royal Navy aircraft transport. She was a merchant conversion, requisitioned by the Navy during the Second World War and returned after its end. She is the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named after the Greek goddess Athene. She was broken up in 1963.

History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Athene
BuilderGreenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company, Greenock, Scotland
Yard number444
Launched1 October 1940
Out of serviceReturned to Clan Line, 1946
FateScrapped from 19 July 1963
General characteristics
Displacement10,700 tons
Length487 ft 8 in (148.6 m) (o.a.)
Beam63 ft (19.2 m)
Draught28 ft 6 in (8.7 m)
Propulsion2 × steam triple expansion engines; 2 × low pressure exhaust turbines; twin screw, 8,300 bhp
Speed17 knots (31 km/h)
Armament
Aircraft carriedup to 40 carried, single catapult

Career

She was originally built as the Cameron-class steamship Clan Brodie, for the Clan Line at the yards of the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company Greenock, Scotland. The Navy requisitioned her and she was launched on 1 October 1940 as the aircraft transport HMS Athene.

Athene received a single catapult, and operated as a seaplane carrier in the South Atlantic over 1942/43.[1]

In June 1943 Athene departed from San Diego bound for Pearl Harbor under escort by the Barnegat Class seaplane tender USS Chincoteague (AVP-24)[2]

In 1946 the Navy returned her to Clan Line. She was reconverted for merchant service and served until 1963, when she was sold for scrap. She arrived in Hong Kong for breaking up on 19 July 1963.

See also

Notes

  1. Cocker, M. Aircraft-carrying ships of the Royal Navy. p. 126.
  2. A History of the u.s.s. Chincoteague (AVP-24), Cincpac File A7-1P, Serial 40654. National Archives

References


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