HMS Reaper British Aircraft Carrier

HMS Reaper (D82)

HMS Reaper (D82) was a Bogue-class escort carrier of the United States Navy, leased to the Royal Navy during World War II. In the Royal Navy, the class was known as the Ruler Class escort carrier.

Originally laid down as Maritime Commission C3 type freighter hull number 49 she was purchased by the US navy to become the auxiliary aircraft carrier USS Winjah. Laid down on 5 June 1943 at Tacoma, Washington, by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, she was assigned to the United Kingdom under lend-lease on 23 June.

Launched on 22 November 1943, she delivered to the British on 18 February 1944. Following modification works in Canada, HMS Reaper made her first voyage in June 1944, ferrying aircraft to Gibraltar.

She continued work as an aircraft transport until July 1945 when she was assigned to Operation Seahorse. This operation, was the transport of captured German aircraft from Europe to the North America. During the operation, HMS Reaper moved 40 airframes comprising of:

Ten Me 262;
Five Fw 190F;
Four Fw 190D;
One Ta 152H;
Four Ar 234B;
Three He219;
Three Bf 109;
Two Do 335;
Two Bu 181;
One Helicopter WNF 342;
Two Fl 282 helicopters;
One Ju 88G; One Ju 388;
One Bf 108;
and One US P-51.

Following the delivery of the aircraft in Operation Seahorse, Reaper headed for the Pacific, but the war ended before her arrival. After completing repatriation duties and assisting in the liberation of Hong Kong, She returned to the UK, arriving in the Clyde on March 27 1946, after which she was de-stored and decommissioned on 20 May 1946. She was then returned to the United States Government.

Authorized for disposal on 14 June 1946, Winjah was struck from the Navy Registry on 8 July and sold to the Waterman Steamship Company of Mobile, Alabama, on 12 February 1947 as South Africa Star. She was scrapped in Japan in May 1967.