Built for Australia, Albatross entered Royal Navy service in 1938 as part-payment for Hobart. At about 4,800 tons standard displacement, she carried nine aircraft, six operational and three boxed, with three recovery cranes and a top speed of 22 knots. From Freetown, her aircraft supported convoy escort, anti-submarine patrols, and air-sea rescue until 1942. She later served in the Madagascar campaign and Indian Ocean trade protection before conversion to an amphibious engineering support ship. Her career demonstrates the tender concept in actual Atlantic and Indian Ocean service.
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HMAS Albatross as the practical Atlantic example
Albatross actually supported Atlantic convoy escort, ASW, rescue, Indian Ocean trade protection, and amphibious operations, the jobs proposed for a larger tender fleet.