A merchant aircraft carrier was a limited-purpose aircraft carrier operated under British and Dutch civilian registry during World War II. MAC ships were adapted by adding a flight deck to a bulk grain ship or oil tanker enabling it to operate anti-submarine aircraft in support of Allied convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic.
MV Empire MacAndrew was a grain ship converted to become a Merchant Aircraft Carrier or MAC ship.
MV Empire MacCabe was a British oil tanker converted to a merchant aircraft carrier, during World War II.
MV Empire MacCallum was a grain ship converted to become a merchant aircraft carrier or MAC ship.
MV Empire MacColl was an oil tanker converted to a merchant aircraft carrier (MAC) ship.
MV Empire MacDermott was a bulk grain ship built as a Merchant Aircraft Carrier. She served with the British Merchant Navy during the Second World War, with rudimentary aircraft handling facilities operated by a Fleet Air Arm "air party".
MV Empire MacKay was an oil tanker constructed with rudimentary aircraft handling facilities as a merchant aircraft carrier.
MV Empire MacKendrick was a Merchant Aircraft Carrier or MAC ship converted to become a grain ship.
MV Empire MacMahon was an oil tanker converted to a merchant aircraft carrier or MAC ship.
MV Empire MacRae was a grain ship converted to become a Merchant Aircraft Carrier or MAC ship during the Second World War.
MV Rapana was a Dutch-built oil tanker converted to a Merchant Aircraft Carrier during World War II. She was the first tanker to be converted to a MAC ship, and was the lead ship of her class of conversions. Rapana was launched as a tanker in April 1935, and served as a merchant vessel until July 1943, when she was converted into a MAC ship. After World War II, the ship was converted back into a tanker and returned to civilian service. In 1950 she was sold and renamed Rotula. She was scrapped in Osaka in January 1958.
Stanbell was a 9,804 GRT tanker which was built by Sir J Laing & Sons, Sunderland in 1943 as Empire Beresford for the Ministry of War Transport. Postwar she was sold into merchant service and renamed Stanbell. She was converted to a bulk carrier and later sold to new owners and renamed Kelantan, serving until scrapped in 1965.
Argobeam was a 7,130 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1945 as Empire Calshot for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1946 she was sold and renamed Derrycunihy. A further sale in 1952 saw her renamed Argobeam. In August 1955 an engine room fire left her listing 40° to port and she was abandoned. She was salvaged, repaired and sold, being renamed Parkgate. In 1960 she was sold to Panama and renamed Panagos, serving until scrapped in 1968.
Cap Tafelneh was a 2,266 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1920 by Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Fife, Scotland. She was built for Joseph Lasry as Sydney Lasry. In 1931, she was sold to Compagnie Générale Transatlantique and renamed Ariège. In 1938 she was sold to Société Anonyme de Gerance D'Armement and renamed Cap Tafelneh. She was bombed and sunk at Dunkirk in 1940.
The Burntisland Shipbuilding Company was a shipbuilder and repairer in Burntisland, Fife, Scotland that was founded in 1918. In 1969 it was taken over by Robb-Caledon Shipbuilders, which in turn was nationalised in 1977 as part of British Shipbuilders.
The Wandsworth and District Gas Company was a maker and distributor of coal gas in southwest London from 1834 until 1949.
MV Derrycunihy was a British cargo ship impressed as a military transport during the Second World War. She was sunk off the Normandy beaches with great loss of life in 1944.
United Kingdom
