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Merchant aircraft carriers (MAC) were minimal aircraft carriers used during World War II by Britain and the Netherlands as an emergency measure until United States-built escort carriers became available in useful numbers.

They were bulk grain carriers or tankers built with flight decks and small islands, but no catapult or other aircraft support facilities. The nature of the cargoes removed the need for the type of deck mounted cargo-handling gear needed by general freighters. They operated with civilian crews, under merchant colors, and carried their regular cargo while serving as aircraft carriers. Their Fairey Swordfish aircraft carried out anti-submarine patrols around the convoy.

The scale of the conversion was small, hence it could be completed in a short time; five months has been quoted as being typical.

The tanker conversions had no hangar and carried three Fairey Swordfish on deck, the grain ships had a small hanger and carried four. Flight decks were around 460 feet long on the tankers and between 413 and 424 for the grain ships, width was 62 feet in all cases. Aircrew accommodation was minimal and ammunition and fuel stores were neither armoured nor partitioned.

Work on the first two (Empire MacAlpine and Empire MacAndrew) was started in June 1942. By October of that year a decision had been made in favour of ten more (four tankers, six grainers) and a total of 32 was eventually planned although only the nineteen below actually were completed. Many of the ships were given names with the prefix "Mac-", in a reference to their designation as MACs; the "Empire" prefix was used on ships built by the Ministry of War Transport to distinguish them from pre-war privately owned ships. Since these ships were owned by the government and only on loan to the shipping companies it was easier to take them out of service for conversion.

The 'Air Party' consisted of an Air Staff Officer (Lt-Commander), the aircrew, a doctor, a batsman (landing control officer), ten ship's gunners, four signalmen, and three or four Able Seamen. The Merchant Navy part of the crew might have an extra mate and/or wireless operator but was otherwise unchanged.

The aircrew on each ship formed one flight of 836 Naval Air Squadron, which was based at RNAS Maydown in Northern Ireland, or from 860 (Dutch) Squadron or 861 (Dutch) Squadron.

In practice, the MAC ships were successful. The antiquated, but robust, Swordfish aircraft were suited to the conditions and their patrols were very effective. Flying more than 4,000 sorties in all, wartime records show that no convoy with an accompanying MAC ship ever lost a vessel to U-boats.

The first British-built successors to the MACs were the escort carriers built on cargo ship hulls such as HMS Audacity (D10).

For more detailed information, if you can find one, the book "Bring Back My Stringbag" by John Godley, 3rd Baron Kilbracken, provides a good account of life aboard a MAC ship. The author was a Swordfish pilot on one of the tanker conversions (Adula ?). The book has unfortunately been out of print for some time and no electronic copy exists.

Contents 1 Ships 1.1 Empire class grain carriers 1.2 Empire class oil tankers 1.3 Rapana class oil tankers 2 See also 3 External links

8,000 tons, 12 knots, 4 aircraft, crew not known, launched December 1942-January 1944. Equipped with hangar and lift

• MV Empire MacAlpine
• MV Empire MacAndrew
• MV Empire MacKendrick
• MV Empire MacDermott
• MV Empire MacRae
• MV Empire MacCallum

9,000 tons, 12 knots, 3 aircraft, crew not known, launched May-July 1943. No hangar and lift; aircraft maintained and stored on deck

• MV Empire MacCabe
• MV Empire MacColl
• MV Empire MacKay
• MV Empire MacMahon

12,000 tons, 12 knots, 3 aircraft, crew not known, converted 1942-44. Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company tankers. No hangar and lift; aircraft maintained and stored on deck

• MV Acavus
• MV Adula
• MV Alexia
• MV Amastra
• MV Ancylus: operated Swordfish Mk 2 from ‘O’ Flight of 860 (Dutch) quadron
• MV Gadila: operated under the Dutch ensign, with Fairey Swordfish of 'S' flight, 860 (Dutch) Squadron and of 861 (Dutch) Squadron
• MV Macoma: operated under the Dutch ensign with Fairey Swordfish of 860 (Dutch) Squadron
• MV Miralda
• MV Rapana: operated Swordfish Mk 2 from ‘L’ Flight of 836 Squadron

• CAM ship
• Armed merchantmen

• World Aircraft Carriers List Photo Gallery: Dutch Aircraft Carriers
• Misc: Merchant Aircraft Carrier Empire MacRae

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Aircraft_carrier_classes