Laid down by Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA as theC3-S-A1 type cargo ship Mormacmail for account of the Moore-McCormack Lines Incorporation with hull number 293 on a Maritime Commission contract on 15 April 1941, purchased, renamed Altamaha on 7 January 1942, name however cancelled on 17 march 1942, launched by Mrs. Phillip Seymour on 4 April 1942, redesignated ACV on 20 August 1942, acquired by the US Navy as a Bogue-class escort aircraft carrier on 31 October 1942, handed over to the British Royal Navy under the Lend-Lease programme on 31 October 1942, commissioned as HMS Battler as part of the Attacker-class escort aircraft carriers on 15 November 1942, decommissioned and given back to the US Navy on 12 February 1946, stricken on 28 March 1946 was she sold to the Patapsco Steel Scrap Co., Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to be broken up on 14 May 1946.
Displacement 10.000 (standard) tons and as dimensions 151 x 32 x 7,9 metres or 496x105x26 feet. Machinery consisted of 2 geared steam turbines and 2 boilers supplying via one shaft 8.500 shp allowing a speed of 18 knots. Her crew numbered 646 men excluded the personnel for the aircraft. Armament consisted of 1x2-4”/5” guns, 4x2-4cm anti aircraft guns and 20-2cm anti aircraft cannons. Carried 20 aircraft with her for which purpose she was fitted out with a flight deck of 140x37 metres/450x120 feet, 2 lifts of 13x10metres/42x34feet, nine arrestor wires and a hangar of 79x19metres/260x62 feet below the flight deck.
