ship ships world war era british merchant ships convoys emergency stop gap sufficient escort carriers available ship acronym catapult aircraft merchant ship ship equipped rocket propelled catapult launching single dubbed ships continued carry normal conversion distinguished fighter catapult ships carried catapult launched fighters ship merchant vessel commanded merchant ship commissioned warship commanded royal_navy origin aircraft range nearly nautical miles fall france aircraft operate western france british merchant ships atlantic flying airport reach convoy lanes west britain staying outside range british land based fighters royal_navy aircraft carriers available provide close air cover convoys shadow convoys directing boat attacks drop bombs convoy ships opposition deadly effect counter threat admiralty developed fighter catapult ship converted freighter manned naval crew carrying single fighter enemy bomber sighted fighter launched air rockets fly destroy drive away bomber large slow vulnerable target combat fighter pilot bail ditch ocean near convoy picked went admiralty experimented system ordered rocket propelled aircraft fitted merchant ships planes hurricane mark converted pilots aircraft drawn royal_air_force raf raf formed merchant ship fighter unit liverpool wing commander commanded unit providing training volunteer pilots fighter direction officers airmen training crews posted liverpool glasgow assisted loading hurricanes team consisted pilot atlantic runs pilots russia gibraltar mediterranean_sea radio telephone operator worked catapult crews signed ship articles civilian crew members authority civilian ship master ship chief engineer responsible catapult mate acted catapult duty officer responsible firing catapult directed single hurricane fighter launched enemy aircraft sighted agreement reached hand flag signals pilot ship master ships taken royal_navy service auxiliary fighter catapult ships later conversions officially named manned merchant crews ship sponsored royal_navy raf working trial launch belfast sailed convoy sunk june raf trial launch hurricane landed ships joined convoys june ship arrived destination pilot usually launched landed nearby airfield flight time possible return trip pilots rotated assignments round trip avoid deterioration flying skills lack flying time assignment initially limited north american convoys aircraft maintenance performed nova_scotia ships sailed gibraltar convoys beginning september aircraft maintenance unit established raf base aircraft provided january february proved impossible maintain catapult mounted aircraft flying order north_atlantic winter resumed march north_atlantic convoys april arctic russian convoys raf aircraft maintenance unit ships ships private owners sunk sunk novelist sunk ships owned empire ships sunk sunk sunk sunk empire hudson sunk sunk sunk sunk sunk sunk sunk procedure receiving bar removed dawn airmen started aircraft warmed engine intervals pilot climbed aircraft enemy aircraft reported ship hoisted international flag code decision launch ships usually stationed head port column convoy manoeuvre wind launch removed showed pilot took pilot applied degree flaps right rudder raised blue flag head inform ship master readiness launch ship master ship wind raised blue flag head launch ship master stood starboard bridge wing avoid catapult rocket blast damaged port bridge blue flag indicating ready launch signal pilot pilot opened throttle throttle friction pressed head head rest pressed right elbow tightly hip lowered left hand signal launch counted waited bow rise trough swell moved switch fire catapult rockets combat launches total combat launches aircraft pilot lost german aircraft destroyed damaged programme termination adequate numbers escort carriers available north american arctic russian convoys discontinued august aircraft maintenance unit withdrawn september removed surviving ships remaining continued sail mediterranean convoys headquarters ordered disbanded commencing june combat launches bound convoy operational ships sail disbanded september ships sunk sailing round trip ships city briefly fitted dummy aircraft deception purposes late
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