HMS Archer (D78)

History
HMS Archer

Name:	MV Mormacland (1939–41)
Owner:	United States Maritime Commission
Operator:	Moore-McCormack Lines
Port of registry:	New York
Builder:	Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co, Chester, Pennsylvania
Yard number:	184
Laid down:	1 August 1939
Launched:	14 December 1939
Completed:	24 April 1940
Identification:	US Official Number 239370
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Archer (BAVG-1)
Commissioned:	17 November 1941
Reclassified:	D78 (1941)
Decommissioned:	6 November 1943
Struck:	26 February 1946
Honours and awards:	Atlantic 1943–44, Biscay 1944

Name:	1945: MV Empire Lagan 1946: MV Archer 1948: MV Anna Salén 1955: MV Tasmania 1961: MV Union Reliance
Owner:	1945: Ministry of War Transport 1946: United States Maritime Commission 1948: Rederi Pulp AB 1955: Compagnia Navigazione Tasmania SA 1961: China Union Lines
Operator:	1944: Blue Funnel Line 1945: A Holt & Co 1946: United States Maritime Commission 1948: Sven Salén, Sweden 1949: Rederi Pulp AB 1955: Hellenic Mediterranean Lines 1961: China Union Lines, Taiwan
Port of registry:	1945: London 1946: United States 1948: 1955: Piraeus 1961: Taipei
Fate:	Scrapped in New Orleans in 1962
General characteristics
Class and type:	Long Island-class escort carrier
Tonnage:	7,886 GRT (Mormacland) 13,399 GRT (Empire Lagan) 11,762 GRT (Anna Salén, Tasmania) 7,368 GRT (Tasmania, Union Reliance) 11,976 DWT (Mormacland)
Displacement:	9,000 tons standard 15,700 tons full load (HMS Archer)
Length:	461 ft 1 in (140.54 m) (Mormacland) 468 ft 4 in (142.75 m) (Empire Lagan)
Beam:	69 ft 7 in (21.21 m) (Mormacland, Empire Lagan)
Depth:	29 ft 1 in (8.86 m) (Mormacland) 39 ft 7 in (12.07 m) (Empire Lagan)
Propulsion:	4 × 7 cylinder SCSA diesel engines (Busch-Sulzer Bros Diesel Engine Co, St Louis) 2,060 hp (1,540 kW) (each) driving a single screw through electro-magnetic couplings and single reduction gearing.
Speed:	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Range:	14,550 nautical miles (26,950 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Capacity:	1500 passengers (Anna Salén, Tasmania)
Complement:	555 (HMS Archer)
Armament:	3 × 4 in (102 mm) guns, 4 × twin and 7 × single machine guns. (HMS Archer) 7 × 20 mm AA guns 4 twin 20 mm AA guns (HMS Archer)
Armour:	none
Aircraft carried:	15 (HMS Archer)
Notes:	Aviation facilities:- 1 lift, 1 catapult, 9 arrester wires and 3 barriers. (HMS Archer)

HMS Archer was a Long Island-class escort carrier built by the United States in 1939–1940 and operated by the Royal Navy during World War II. She was built as the cargo ship Mormacland, but was converted to an escort carrier and renamed HMS Archer. Her transmission was a constant cause of problems which led to her being withdrawn from front-line service. She was used as a stores ship and then as an accommodation ship before a refit and subsequent use as a merchant aircraft ferry ship, Empire Lagan.

She was returned to the US Navy, then laid up as Archer before being sold into merchant service and converted to a passenger ship, Anna Salén. She was used to take emigrants to Australia and Canada in the early 1950s. She was sold and renamed Tasmania and after further service as an emigrant ship was converted back to a cargo ship. She was later sold and renamed Union Reliance. She was scrapped after a collision and fire in 1961.

Mormacland was laid down as a type C3M cargo ship on 1 August 1939, under United States Maritime Commission contract (MC Hull 46), by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania as Yard number 184. She was launched on 14 December 1939 and completed on 24 April 1940.

HMS Archer was the only Long Island class escort carrier in service with the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was converted from the American merchant ship Mormacland which was built at the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. She was laid down on 1 August 1939, launched on 14 December 1939 and delivered on 24 April 1940.

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