Empire MacAlpine was too short, narrow, light, slow, and burdened with too much topweight for the aviation role expected of her. Those limitations made her a poor match for an ideal carrier specification, especially in North Atlantic weather. Her decisive advantage was availability when convoy air protection was urgently needed. The assembled ship's company had only three weeks to learn and perfect an unfamiliar combination of merchant, aviation, and defensive tasks before sailing with a Halifax-bound convoy. Urgency made an imperfect ship useful, provided that her mixed company could learn its new work quickly enough.
Chapter · 10:01-11:01
Empire MacAlpine becomes an improvised convoy air carrier
The first British merchant aircraft carrier had severe design compromises but only three weeks to become a functioning convoy escort.