USS Jamaica (CVE-43) (originally AVG-43 then later ACV-43), was an escort carrier of World War II that served in the British Royal Navy as HMS Shah (D21). Returned to the United States at war's end, she was converted into a merchant vessel and she was sold into civilian service in 1946 as Salta. She was ultimately scrapped in 1966.
Design and description
HMS Shah was a in the Royal Navy. The ships in this class were all larger and had a greater aircraft capacity than all preceding American-built escort carriers. Their hulls were designed as merchant ships but they were laid down as escort carriers and were not later conversions. All had a complement of 646 officers and ratings and an overall length of , a beam of and a draught of . Propulsion was provided a steam turbine, two boilers connected to one shaft giving , which could propel the ship at .
Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the starboard side, two aircraft lifts , one aircraft catapult and nine arrestor wires. Aircraft could be housed in the hangar below the flight deck.
Military service as Shah
MC Hull 254 was laid down 13 November 1942 and launched as Jamaica under contract to the Maritime Commission by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding at Tacoma, Washington, on 21 April 1943 sponsored by Mrs. C. T. Simard. She was reclassified CVE-43 on 15 July 1943 and acquired by the United States Navy.
She was transferred to the United Kingdom under lend-lease, commissioning on 27 September 1943, as one of a large group of escort carriers suitable for anti-submarine work transferred to the Royal Navy in the Pacific.
Jamaica was renamed Shah, with a RN pennant number of D21. Commanded by William John Yendell, her initial air complement was 851 Naval Air Squadron with 12 Grumman Avenger II torpedo bombers and a flight of Grumman Wildcat fighters.