>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1981) Vol. 7, p.486.





VERMILLION



	VERMILLION (ACV-52) was laid down on 10 May 1943 by the 

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., as a PRINCE WILLIAM class 

auxiliary aircraft carrier; redesignated an escort aircraft 

carrier, CVE-52, on 10 June 1943; assigned to Great Britain 

on 23 June 1943; launched on 27 September 1943; and accepted 

by Great Britain on 20 January 1944.  Commissioned in the 

Royal Navy as HMS SMITER (D.55), a “Ruler-class” escort 

carrier, she served the British throughout the remainder of 

World War II.  She returned to the United States at Norfolk 

on 20 March 1946 and was officially transferred back to the 

United States Navy on 6 April 1946.  She was immediately 

determined to be surplus to the needs of the Navy and was 

designated for sale.  Her name was struck from the Navy list 

on 6 May 1946.  On 28 January 1947, she was sold to the 

Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Norfolk, Va., for 

conversion to mercantile service.  She was subsequently 

resold to Compania Argentina de Navigacion Dodero, S.A., and 

entered mercantile service in 1948 at Buenos Aires as SS 

ARTILLERO.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com