▁and ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁great ▁numbers ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁stop - g ap ▁measure ▁when ▁fleet ▁carri ers ▁were ▁too ▁few . ▁However , ▁they ▁were ▁usually ▁too ▁slow ▁to ▁keep ▁up ▁with ▁naval ▁task ▁forces ▁and ▁would ▁typically ▁be ▁assigned ▁to ▁am ph ib ious ▁operations , ▁often ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁war ' s ▁island ▁ho pping ▁campaign , ▁or ▁to ▁con voy ▁protection ▁in ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁the ▁Atlantic . ▁To ▁that ▁end , ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁ships ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁US - UK ▁l end - lease ▁program . ▁While ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁ships ▁were ▁kept ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁in ▁reserve ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁none ▁surv ive ▁today , ▁as ▁they ▁have ▁all ▁since ▁been ▁s unk ▁or ▁retired ▁and ▁scra pped . ▁The ▁following ▁are ▁the ▁classes ▁and ▁stand - alone ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁Navy ' s ▁esc ort ▁carri ers ; ▁ ▁( 4 5 ▁ships , ▁ 3 3 ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁R N ) ▁ ▁( 4 ▁ships ) ▁ ▁( 5 0 ▁ships ) ▁ ▁( 1 9 ▁ships ▁went ▁into ▁service , ▁ 4 ▁were ▁cancel led ) ▁Stand - alone ▁ships ; ▁ ▁No ▁US N ▁name ▁given ▁( AV G - 1 / BA V G - 1 ) ▁– ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁R N ▁as ▁HMS ▁Arch er ▁( D 7 8 ) ▁▁ ▁No ▁US N ▁name ▁given ▁( AV G - 2 / BA V G - 2