Editing CAM ship (section)

==Origin==
[[File:Hawker Hurricane on CAM ship catapult c1941.jpg|thumb|A Hurricane IA before launch during trials at [[Greenock]], in 1941]]

The [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Luftwaffe]] had [[Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor]] aircraft with a range of nearly {{convert|2,000|nmi|km mi|lk=in}}. After the [[Fall of France]], these aircraft could operate from [[West Francia|western France]] against [[British Empire|British]] merchant ships in the Atlantic. Flying from [[Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport]], Fw 200s of I/KG40 could reach the convoy lanes west of Britain while staying outside the range of British land-based fighters. The [[Royal Navy]] had no [[aircraft carrier]]s available to provide close air cover for the convoys. The Fw 200s could shadow convoys, directing [[U-boat]] attacks on them, or drop bombs on convoy ships, without opposition and to deadly effect.<ref name="proceedings"/>

To counter this threat, the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] developed the [[fighter catapult ship]]{{snd}} a converted freighter, crewed by naval sailors, carrying a single [[Hawker Hurricane]] fighter. When an enemy bomber was sighted, the fighter would be [[JATO|launched into the air with rockets]], and fly up to destroy or drive away the bomber. Being large and slow, the Fw 200 became a rather vulnerable target. After the combat, the fighter pilot would bail out or ditch in the ocean near the convoy, and be picked up if all went well.<ref name="proceedings"/>

The Admiralty had already experimented with this system. They ordered 50 rocket-propelled [[aircraft catapult]]s to be fitted to merchant ships. The planes were Hurricane Mark Is, converted to [[Hawker Sea Hurricane|Sea Hurricane IAs]].<ref name="proceedings"/>

The pilots for these aircraft were drawn from the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF). The RAF formed the [[Merchant Ship Fighter Unit]] (MSFU) on 5 May 1941 in [[Liverpool John Lennon Airport|RAF Speke]] by the [[River Mersey]] in [[Liverpool]].<ref name="proceedings"/>  Wing Commander E.S. Moulton-Barrett commanded the unit providing training for volunteer pilots, fighter direction officers (FDOs), and airmen. After training, MSFU crews were posted to Liverpool, [[Glasgow]], or [[Avonmouth]] where they assisted in loading their Hurricanes onto the catapults. Each team consisted of one pilot for Atlantic runs (or two pilots for voyages to [[Russia]], [[Gibraltar]], or the [[Mediterranean Sea]]), with one fitter, one rigger, one radio-telephone operator, one FDO, and a seaman torpedoman who worked on the catapult as an electrician.<ref name="proceedings"/>

MSFU crews signed ship's articles as civilian crew members under the authority of the civilian [[ship's master]]. The ship's chief engineer became responsible for the catapult, and the [[first mate]] acted as catapult duty officer (CDO), responsible for firing the catapult when directed. The single Hurricane fighter was launched only when enemy aircraft were sighted and agreement was reached using hand and flag signals between the pilot, CDO, and ship's master.<ref name="proceedings"/>

The first four or five ships were taken into Royal Navy service as "auxiliary fighter catapult ships", and later conversions were officially named CAMs and crewed by merchant sailors. The first CAM ship, ''Michael E'', was sponsored by the Royal Navy while the RAF MSFUs were working up. After a trial launch off Belfast, ''Michael E'' sailed with convoy OB 327 on 28 May 1941. She was sunk by [[German submarine U-108 (1940)|''U-108'']] on 2 June.<ref name="hague78">Hague, p. 78</ref>
The first RAF trial CAM launch was from ''Empire Rainbow'', at [[Greenock]] on the [[River Clyde]] on 31 May 1941; the Hurricane landed at Abbotsinch. Six CAM ships joined convoys in June 1941. When a CAM ship arrived at its destination, the pilot usually launched and landed at a nearby airfield to get in as much flight time as possible before his return trip.<ref name="proceedings"/> Pilots were rotated out of CAM assignments after two round-trip voyages to avoid the deterioration of flying skills from the lack of flying time during the assignment.<ref name="hague78"/>

CAM sailings were initially limited to North American convoys with aircraft maintenance performed by the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] at [[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia]]. CAM ships sailed on Gibraltar and [[Freetown]] convoys beginning in September 1941, after an aircraft maintenance unit was established at the RAF base at [[RAF Gibraltar|North Front]], Gibraltar. No CAM aircraft were provided during January and February 1942 after it proved impossible to maintain the catapult-mounted aircraft in flying order during the North Atlantic winter. CAM sailings resumed on 6 March 1942 on North Atlantic convoys and in April on the [[Arctic convoys of World War II|Arctic Russian convoys]] with an RAF aircraft maintenance unit in [[Archangelsk]].<ref name="hague78"/>