Originally a German Banana boat named Hanover and captured by the Royal Navy during 1939/40, HMS Audacity was the very first escort carrier.

Conversion was completed in time for trials to start in June 1941. Since no serious problems came to light she was put into full service, embarking No. 802 Squadron FAA who operated the Grumman Martlet.

Use of fighters only was a major departure from later practice where the main component was anti-submarine patrol aircraft, but she was used to support Gibraltar convoys and the ability to shoot down the German Focke-Wulf Condor was more important.

She was torpedoed and sunk during December of 1941.

Part of the reason for the short life was incorrect operation. There is a choice when operating escort carriers about where the ship operates with respect to the convoy.

It can be within the convoy, which gives it the protection of the convoy's own escort but brings the problem of space to turn into the wind to operate aircraft.

Or it can be near the convoy which eliminates the operating space problem but loses the advantage of the convoy escort (forcing the carrier to have its own escort). It also brings the problem of the carrier being easily spotted by forces attacking the convoy and perhaps presenting them with a juicy (and possibly easy) target.

Or it can be some way off from the convoy. While this adds the problem of the time needed for aircraft to travel to the convoy this is a fairly minor problem compared with the matter of being spotted by forces attacking the convoy.

HMS Audacity had been operated in the second position, the one that was later banned by the Admiralty as too risky.