Michael E 1941 - Catapult Aircraft Merchantman

[Woody]

Michael E
CAM Ship, Mercantile
Launched by William Hamilton & Co Port Glasgow, Yard No 446, on 13/2/1941 as a cargo vessel for the Bury Hill Shipping Co Ltd. Torpedoed and sunk 2/6/1941
7628 grt
434.5ft oa x 60.4ft x 23ft
Engine by D Rowan & Co Ltd, Glasgow
Single screw, steam, TE
Bow aircraft catapult with 1 Sea Hurricane
Armed
Crew 46 plus 12 RAF personnel and 3 RN Gunners

Completed in May 1941 and went to Belfast to work up her aircraft facility. She was the first CAM ship
28/5/1941 left on her maiden voyage from Belfast in ballast for Halifax with Convoy OB 327
2/6/1941 she was hit in the stern by a torpedo from U-108 and sank with the loss of three lives

Image welcome

[E28]

Michael E, on 168165, was the first Cam ship, brief though her career was.
Amongst other ships of the Counties Ship Management Co Ltd was the 1940 built Marietta E, on 167596, sunk 4 March 1942 by U160.
Virtually all ships under the umbrella of this Company had names ending in Hill, such as Bury Hill.
Where did these 2 names, Michael E and Marietta E originate then. Post WW2 they did have a Marietta.
C S M Co Ltd were formed in 1937 from assorted amalgamations involving the Greek owners and management of Rethymnis & Kulukundis,
a pretty convoluted and complex state of affairs. Standard fare there, with many ships under their own name as Limited Companies.
The entire remaining entity seems to have ended on 19 October 1965, when the surviving assorted businesses were wound up and placed into voluntary liquidation.

[E28]

The CAM ships would predominantly operate a single Hurricane, which the pilot either had to ditch or, preferably, find a friendly air strip. Come to think of it, did they have a hook for carrier landing.

In 1940 a purpose built fighter was proposed for catapulting from ships.
This was the Miles M20 fighter. Miles who you ask. They had been about for ages and this would be a wooden fighter with a merlin engine and 8 machine guns, but with a fixed undercarriage.

Alas, only 2 were built with no production orders or trials at sea. Another war time dead end as the escort carrier then interrupted proceedings and the CAM died.