HMS Trumpeter (D09)

HMS Trumpeter
History
United States
NameUSS Bastian
NamesakeBastian Bay, Louisiana
BuilderSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down25 August 1942
Launched15 December 1942
FateTransferred to Royal Navy
United Kingdom
NameHMS Trumpeter
Commissioned4 August 1943
Decommissioned19 June 1946
IdentificationPennant number:D09
FateSold as merchant ship; scrapped in 1971
General characteristics
Class and type
Displacement7,800 tons
Length495 ft 7 in (151.05 m)
Beam69 ft 6 in (21.18 m)
Draught26 ft (7.9 m)
PropulsionSteam turbines, 1 shaft, 8,500 shp (6.3 MW)
Speed18.5 knots (34.3 km/h)
Complement890 officers and men
Armament
Aircraft carried28
Service record

USS Bastian (CVE-37) (originally AVG-37 and then ACV-37) was a Bogue-class escort aircraft carrier built by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding of Tacoma, Washington, laid down on 25 August 1942 and launched 15 December 1942. She was transferred to the United Kingdom, under Lend-Lease and commissioned on 4 August 1943 as the Ruler-class escort carrier HMS Trumpeter (D09).

On 4 May 1945 aircraft of 846 Naval Air Squadron flew from Trumpeter to take part in Operation Judgement, an attack on the U-boat depot at Kilbotn, Norway, contributing eight Grumman Avengers and four Grumman Wildcats to a 44-aircraft attack that destroyed several vessels including the depot ship "Black Watch" and U-711.

Trumpeter was returned to United States' custody 6 April 1946, stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 19 June 1946 and sold into merchant service as Alblasserdijk (later renamed Irene Valmas). She was sold for scrap in Spain in 1971.