An item referred to an announcement of the German headquarters reported that a submarine sunk in the Atlantic Ocean a British Formidable-class aircraft carrier. The British Admiralty reported although not announced the loss of the auxiliary aircraft carrier HMS Audacity (6 aircraft) in a torpedo attack.(1) Aircraft of the HMS Empire Audacity destroyed 2 German patrol planes and damaged a third one which operated in the vicinity of a convoy she escorted. The J.I.C. commented that the HMS Empire Audacity was a former merchant ship converted into an auxiliary aircraft carriers for escort tasks able to carry with her 6 planes. Daily flew German long range patrol plane sfrom French Atlantic coast harbours especially Bordeaux to search for convoys but seldom involved in a fight.
Note
1. Launched as the German cargo ship Hannover by Bremer Vulkan Schiff- und Maschinenbay, Vegesack, Germany on 29 March 1939, captured on 6 March 1940, renamed Sinbad, British flagged, homeport Kingston, Jamaica, renamed Empire Audacity and commissioned on 11 November 1940, rebuilt into an escort aircraft carrier by Blyth Dry Docks&Shipbuilding C. Ltd., Blyth, England between 22 January 1941-17 June 1941, renamed Audacity on 31 July 1941 by the German submarine U-751and torpedoed and sunk 500 nautical miles west of Cape Finisterre when escorting convoy HG76 from Gibraltar. The German commander thought she was part of the Illustrious-class.
Source
Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 13 dated 23 December 1941.
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