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HMCS Prince Robert
Llammakey: page creation
'''HMCS ''Prince Robert''''' was the first of three refrigerated passenger and cargo ships constructed at [[Birkenhead]] for [[Canadian Pacific]] for operation along the [[British Columbia Coast]] during the 1930s. The ship's arrival during the [[Great Depression]] led to the vessel's financial failure and by 1935, the ship was in limited use. With the onset of [[World War II]], the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] acquired the vessel for use as an [[armed merchant cruiser]] for protection of western coast of Canada. Upon completion, ''Prince Robert'' and her [[sister ship]]s were the most powerful ships operated by the Canadians until the arrival of larger cruisers later in the war. Converted at [[Esquimalt, British Columbia]] and commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy in September 1941, ''Prince Robert'' saw its first action along the Mexican coast, capturing the German freighter ''Weser'' later that month. ''Prince Robert'' then continued patrolling along the Pacific coast of North America, then being sent to Australia to escort troop convoys across the Pacific.
Following the entry of the United States into the war in 1941, ''Prince Robert'' took part in the naval operations in [[Alaska Territory|Alaska]] alongside its sister ships and . As the threat along the Pacific coast of Canada diminished, a new role for ''Prince Robert'' and it was converted to an [[anti-aircraft cruiser]] in 1943. ''Prince Robert'' returned to service later that year and escorted [[convoy]]s in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea between the United Kingdom and [[Naples]], Italy, defending them against air attack. In 1944, the ship was transferred to the Pacific once again and was at [[Sydney]], Australia when [[Surrender of Japan|Japan surrendered]]. ''Prince Robert'' was ordered to [[Hong Kong]] to repatriate Canadian [[prisoners of war]] and to assist in control of the island. The ship returned to Canada on 20 October 1945 and was [[paid off]] on 10 December and transferred to [[War Assets Corporation]] for disposal.
The ship was sold to private buyers who returned to the vessel to the cargo/passenger trade as '''''Charlton Sovereign''''' in 1948. ''Charlton Sovereign'' transported [[displaced person]]s and refugees from Europe to locations in Central and South America. In 1951, the ship was sold again and renamed '''''Lucania'''''. ''Lucania'' was used a passenger ship between Italy and Venezuela until 1962, when the vessel was sold for [[Ship breaking|scrap]].
==Design and description==
Three passenger/cargo ships were ordered by [[Canadian National]] from [[Cammell Laird]] for construction in the United Kingdom. Designed by A.T. Wall & Co. of [[Liverpool]] as luxury liners with the ability to be converted into armed merchant cruisers, ''Prince Robert'' was the last of the three. The ship was [[Length overall|long overall]] with a moulded breath of and a moulded depth of . The vessel's [[Draft (hull)|draught]] was aft. ''Prince Robert'' [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] and had a [[gross register tonnage]] (GRT) of 6,893 tons and a [[net tonnage]] (NT) of 3,072 tons.
''Prince Robert'' was propelled by twin [[Propeller|screws]] driven by two [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] reaction three-stage single-reduction [[geared turbine]]s rated at at 267 rpm or . These were powered by six [[Water-tube boiler|water-tube, five-drum, super-heated main boilers]] and two three-burner [[Scotch marine boiler]]s for auxiliary power. The ship achieved during [[sea trial]]s and had a range of at economical speeds or at .
The ship had a refrigerated cargo capacity forward and could had accommodation for 334 [[First class travel|first class]] passengers and 70 [[Third class travel|third class]]. They could carry 1,500 passengers on day trips. The ship had three [[Deck (ship)|decks]] and an elevator that could move up to two automobiles between them. ''Prince Robert'' had an open [[Bridge (nautical)|bridge]] placed in front of a small, enclosed wheelhouse. The vessel had three [[Funnel (ship)|funnels]] and was equipped with six [[Lifeboat (shipboard)|lifeboats]] per side. Two booms were situated forward over the [[Hold (ship)|no. 1 hold]]. To allow access to [[Jetty|jetties]] of different heights, shell doors were located on each deck.
Problems with the design arose after entering service. Their high sides and lack of maneuverability led to them requiring [[tugboat]] assistance when entering smaller harbours. Their speed created a tremendous wash that damaged the sea walls in [[West Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]. This led to ''Prince Robert'' and its [[sister ship]]s having to reduce speed to in [[Burrard Inlet]].
==Service history==
===Construction and early civilian service===
In 1928, the president of Canadian National, Sir Henry Thornton, announced orders for three luxury liners for service on the Pacific coast as part of the effort to re-establish the tri-city route between [[Vancouver]] and [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], British Columbia and [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and to create a new market for [[Alaska Territory|Alaskan]] cruises. ''Prince Robert'' was ordered in 1929 by Canadian National for construction by Cammell Laird at their shipyard in [[Birkenhead]] with the [[yard number]] 966. The ship was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 3 April 1930 and named after a vice-president of Canadian National. ''Prince Robert'' was completed in August 1930 and sailed for the [[British Columbia Coast]]. However, ''Prince Robert'' was forced to return to Birkenhead after the vessel developed engine troubles. The ship did not enter service until May 1931 and began sailing on the tri-city routes. In July 1931, ''Prince Robert'' [[Ship grounding|ran aground]] near [[Port Townsend, Washington|Port Townsend]], Washington and was withdrawn from service. By 5 September 1931, the tri-city service was ended and ''Prince Robert'' spent most of its time laid up in Vancouver.
In 1932 the ship was [[Chartering (shipping)|chartered]] for extended cruises from [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] and [[New York City]] to destinations such as [[Bermuda]], ports in South America and [[Hawaii]]. It was not until 1935 that ''Prince Robert'' began seeing more regular service when the ship began to make 11-day cruises to [[Skagway]], Alaska. The 11-day cruises began in Vancouver, stopping in [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]], British Columbia, [[Sitka, Alaska|Sitka]], [[Ketchikan, Alaska|Ketchikan]] and [[Juneau, Alaska|Juneau]], Alaska before arriving at Skagway. From November through February each year, Skagway froze over during winter and ''Prince Robert'' was laid up for [[wikt:overhaul|overhaul]]. The three sister ships were considered economic failures for Canadian National, with their arrival coinciding with the [[Great Depression]]. Their failure was one of the contributing factors in the resignation of the president of Canadian National, Sir Henry Thornton. The ships were expensive to operate and did not generate new business. In mid-1939, ''Prince Robert'' was chosen to act as a [[royal yacht]] during the visit of [[George VI|King George VI]] and [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Queen Elizabeth]] to British Columbia. They embarked aboard ''Prince Robert'' at Vancouver and were accompanied by a naval escort to their disembarkation site at Victoria.
===Conversion===
Prior to the outbreak of World War II, the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] offered to the British [[Royal Navy]] to convert vessels for their own armed merchant cruisers if they were provided with the armaments. The offer was accepted and the Royal Canadian Navy looked around for ships for possible conversion. Though the "Princes" were made available, ''Prince Robert'' and its sister ships were initially rejected due to their poor range, limited water supply and low top speed. However, after the outbreak of war, there was a shortage of [[cruiser]]s and [[destroyer]]s to deter surface raiders and the conversion of the the three vessels was incorporated in the 1939 Shipbuilding Programme. The British [[Admiralty]] advised that only two of the ships be converted. ''Prince Robert'' was one the two initially chosen. Though intended only for chartering by the Royal Canadian Navy, it was later decided to purchase the vessels outright with ''Prince Robert'' acquired for $700,000 in November 1939.
The design of the conversion was laid out by the naval architecture firm Lambert, German & Milne of [[Montreal]] and work on ''Prince Robert'' began on 9 February 1940 at [[Burrard Dry Dock]], [[Esquimalt]], British Columbia with an expected delivery in July. The conversion cost $755,330 and included the trunking of the three funnels into two shorter ones, the installation of four [[breech-loading]] [[BL 6-inch Mk VII naval gun| Mk VII]] guns, one on each of the two decks forward and aft. The 6-inch guns had once been provided by the Royal Navy and had once been part of the armament of the s. Two guns were fitted on the upper deck amidships along with light [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] (AA) machine guns. Two [[depth charge]] chutes were placed over the stern, though no [[anti-submarine warfare]] (ASW) detection equipment was provided. At full load displacement, the draught increased to . ''Prince Robert''s complement was 241 officers and [[Naval rating|ratings]].
===Royal Canadian Navy service===
The threat of German surface raiders along the Pacific Coast forced the Royal Canadian Navy to speed up the conversion. When the conversion was completed, ''Prince Robert'' resembled the s and were the most powerful vessels in the Canadian fleet until the arrival of larger ships later in the war. ''Prince Robert'' was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 31 July 1940 at Vancouver and was ready for sea trials in September. The Royal Canadian Navy had hoped to keep ''Prince Robert'' in Canadian waters as protection for west coast Canadian ports. The British Commander-in-Chief of the [[America and West Indies Station]] sought to use ''Prince Robert'' along the South American coast to disrupt enemy shipping and it was the latter's plan that became ''Prince Robert''s mission. On 11 September, ''Prince Robert'' departed Esquimalt for one day of gunnery trials before sailing south to reinforce the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] [[blockade]] of German ships in South American ports.
''Prince Robert'' arrived off [[Manzanillo, Colima|Manzanillo]], Mexico on 18 September and patrolled the entrance to the harbour. Within the port, the 9,472-ton German merchant vessel was known to be getting ready to sail. ''Weser'' was carrying supplies for the and was set to meet up with the raider in the [[Marshall Islands]]. On 25 September ''Weser'' was spotted departing Manzanillo after dark. The commander of ''Prince Robert'' waited until ''Weser'' had exited the harbour mouth before placing his ship between ''Weser'' and the port, cutting off the German vessel's retreat. ''Prince Robert'' followed ''Weser'' out to [[international waters]] remaining undetected, with the Germans thinking that ''Prince Robert'' just another Mexican patrol vessel. ''Prince Robert'' moved to seize the German vessel after crossing into international waters, taking the Germans by surprise. The Canadian ship sent a boarding party which was able to prevent the German ship from being [[scuttling|scuttled]] and captured ''Weser''. ''Prince Robert'' and ''Weser'' then sailed for Esquimalt, where the former German ship was taken into Allied service.
''Prince Robert'' returned to patrolling off the west coast of South and Central America until early February 1941 when the armed merchant cruiser was replaced by a British cruiser. ''Prince Robert'' was then redirected to escort Australian troop convoys across the Pacific for the seven months, spending September and October in refit at Esquimalt. In November, ''Prince Robert'' escorted the [[troop transport]] that carried [[C Force]] to [[Hong Kong]]. C Force was the Canadian contingent for the garrison of Hong Kong. ''Prince Robert'' transported 109 members of the [[Royal Rifles of Canada]] to Hong Kong. ''Prince Robert'' and ''Awatea'' arrived at Hong Kong on 16 November and disembarked their troops. On 19 November, ''Prince Robert'' sailed for [[Manila]], Philippines, arriving two days later to refuel and replenish before sailing again for home. ''Prince Robert'' paused at [[Pearl Harbor]], [[Hawaii Territory|Hawaii]] before sailing for Esquimalt on 4 December. On 7 December, the United States Army Transport ''Cynthia Olsen'' was sunk south of ''Prince Robert''s location. ''Prince Robert'' was ordered to the area to search but found nothing. The armed merchant cruiser arrived at Esquimalt on 10 December. Rumours that ''Prince Robert'' had spotted the [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Japanese fleet]] that [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|attacked Pearl Harbor]] on 7 December, were denied and proven to be false.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
After returning to Canada, ''Prince Robert'' resumed patrols along the coastal shipping lanes as part of Esquimalt Force. This was done to provide a visual presence of the Royal Canadian Navy and to satisfy the American demand for a credible Canadian naval presence. By May 1942 the ship was overhauled at Esquimalt, receiving plastic bridge armour, [[ASDIC]] for ASW detection, and [[20 mm Oerlikon cannon| cannon]] for AA protection. In June the Royal Canadian Navy was informed of the upcoming [[Aleutian Islands Campaign]] by the United States. Beginning in May, ''Prince Robert'' was placed under Royal Navy control as an escort and patrol ship attached to the [[New Zealand Station]]. In August, the Americans requested Canadian support and ''Prince Robert'', ''Prince Henry'', ''Prince David'' and two s, and were ordered to join the American fleet at [[Kodiak, Alaska|Kodiak]], Alaska as "Force D". Force D arrived at Kodiak on 20 August and were placed in Task Force 8. ''Prince Robert'' was primarily deployed to escort [[convoy]]s between Kodiak and [[Dutch Harbor]], each trip taking roughly seven days followed by a four-day maintenance period. The first convoy ''Prince Robert'' sailed with nearly led to an incident. On 27 August, the convoy encountered unknown ships crossing their path. They belonged to another convoy, but this information had not been passed to ''Prince Robert''s commander. As tensions mounted after attempts to communicate failed, a US destroyer moved to intercept the ships and ascertain their identity, which resolved the situation. Force D remained in Alaskan waters until 30 October when they departed for Canada, arriving on .
===As anti-aircraft cruiser===
As the war progressed, the "Princes" deficiencies as armed merchant cruisers and the need for newer ship types led to the decision to covert the three ships. ''Prince Robert'' was chosen for conversion to an auxiliary AA cruiser for use in air defence for convoys. ''Prince Robert'' was taken out of service on 2 January 1943 and converted. The ship's armament was completely changed. The cruiser's main armament consisted of five twin high-angle/low-angle dual-purpose guns. Furthermore, the ship was given eight [[QF 2-pounder naval gun| pom-poms]] and twelve 20 mm Oerlikon cannon. ''Prince Robert'' was also given four depth charge throwers. With the conversion, ''Prince Robert'' became one of the more powerful AA ships in the war. The ship recommissioned on 7 June 1943 at Vancouver and on 19 June, departed for the [[River Clyde]], via the [[Panama Canal]] and [[Bermuda]]. While stopped at Bermuda, the vessel's gunnery systems were modified.
On 20 October, ''Prince Robert'' was ready for active service, and the following day sailed to join the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] to be used as an AA escort for convoys operating between the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone and convoys in the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. On 21 November, ''Prince Robert'' joined the escort of the joint convoy SL 139/MKS 30. The convoy had previously survived a concerted [[U-boat]] assault and the day ''Prince Robert'' joined the escort screen, the convoy came under air attack. The [[Luftwaffe]] had sent 25 [[Heinkel He 177]] [[bomber]]s to attack the convoy with [[glider bomb]]s. During the air assault, one merchant ship was sunk and another damaged. Two German aircraft were shot down. While supporting convoys travelling to [[Naples]], Italy, the ship was tied into the local AA defence of the harbours it was docked in by telephone. In January 1944, ''Prince Robert'' was reassigned to [[Plymouth Command]] but remained as AA support for convoys travelling to the Mediterranean. After escorting 17 convoys, ''Prince Robert'' was withdrawn from European waters in September as the German air threat diminished and transferred once again to the Pacific. ''Prince Robert'' departed [[Plymouth]] in September, sailing to Esquimalt for another overhaul.
''Prince Robert'' recommissioned at Vancouver on 4 June 1945 and sailed for [[Sydney]], Australia on 4 July via [[San Francisco]]. At San Francisco, the AA armament was altered, with four twin Oerlikon mounts replaced with four twin [[Bofors 40 mm gun| Bofors]] mounts. In early August, ''Prince Robert'' joined the [[British Pacific Fleet]]. On 15 August, [[Surrender of Japan|Japan surrendered]] and ''Prince Robert'' was part of Task Group 111.2 sent to secure Hong Kong from Japanese control. Upon arrival on 31 August, ''Prince Robert'' sent landing parties to secure the dock area, railyard and train station. ''Prince Robert''s commander represent Canada at the formal surrender of Hong Kong to Allied forces on 16 September. ''Prince Robert''s landing parties were replaced by [[Royal Marines|Marine]] detachments from . Canadian [[prisoners of war]] from the units ''Prince Robert'' had ferried over to Hong Kong in 1941 were brought aboard the ship to be transported back to Canada. ''Prince Robert'' detached from the British Pacific Fleet and sailed for Esquimalt via [[Subic Bay]] and Manila. ''Prince Robert'' arrived at Esquimalt on 20 October and was [[paid off]] on 10 December 1945. The ship was transferred to the [[War Assets Corporation]] for disposal in January 1946 and laid up in [[Bedwell Bay]], at the northern end of Burrard Inlet.
===Commercial service and fate===
War Assets sold ''Prince Robert'' to the Charlton Steam Shipping Company in 1947. The ship was reconverted to a passenger/cargo ship at [[Antwerp]] and renamed ''Charlton Sovereign''. The conversion allowed them to carry 750 passengers in eight-berth cabins and 20 to 40-person dormitories. The ship was registered in [[London]] and re-entered service in 1948. In May 1948, ''Charlton Sovereign'' was chartered for use by the International Refugee Organization to transport [[displaced person]]s and refugees from Europe. In August, the ship sailed from [[Bremerhaven]] to Sydney, Australia, stopping for a month at Gibraltar to undergo engine repairs. The voyage took 86 days. ''Charlton Sovereign'' then made a voyage from Bremerhaven to [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil, developing engine problems again. Upon return to Europe, the ship underwent two-month refit on the [[River Tyne]]. After returning to service, the vessel made trips from [[Naples]], Italy to Rio de Janeiro, Naples to Halifax and Naples to Central America. The ship then sailed [[pilgrimage]] routes.
In 1951, the ship was acquired by Fratelli Grimaldi, renamed ''Lucania'' and registered in Naples. Intended for the emigrant trade, in 1953, the ship underwent significant reconstruction, being lengthened to overall and the gross register tonnage decreasing to 6,723 tons. The bow was lengthened and the funnels replaced and moved. ''Lucania'' could accommodate 90 first-class passengers, 90 intermediate and 560 tourist passengers. Sailing between Italy and Venezuela, ''Lucania'' remained in service until 1962. On 15 March 1962, ''Lucania'' was sold for [[Ship breaking|scrap]] to G. Riccardi and broken up at [[Vado Ligure]], near [[Livorno]], Italy.
==Citations==
==Sources==
==External links==
Following the entry of the United States into the war in 1941, ''Prince Robert'' took part in the naval operations in [[Alaska Territory|Alaska]] alongside its sister ships and . As the threat along the Pacific coast of Canada diminished, a new role for ''Prince Robert'' and it was converted to an [[anti-aircraft cruiser]] in 1943. ''Prince Robert'' returned to service later that year and escorted [[convoy]]s in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea between the United Kingdom and [[Naples]], Italy, defending them against air attack. In 1944, the ship was transferred to the Pacific once again and was at [[Sydney]], Australia when [[Surrender of Japan|Japan surrendered]]. ''Prince Robert'' was ordered to [[Hong Kong]] to repatriate Canadian [[prisoners of war]] and to assist in control of the island. The ship returned to Canada on 20 October 1945 and was [[paid off]] on 10 December and transferred to [[War Assets Corporation]] for disposal.
The ship was sold to private buyers who returned to the vessel to the cargo/passenger trade as '''''Charlton Sovereign''''' in 1948. ''Charlton Sovereign'' transported [[displaced person]]s and refugees from Europe to locations in Central and South America. In 1951, the ship was sold again and renamed '''''Lucania'''''. ''Lucania'' was used a passenger ship between Italy and Venezuela until 1962, when the vessel was sold for [[Ship breaking|scrap]].
==Design and description==
Three passenger/cargo ships were ordered by [[Canadian National]] from [[Cammell Laird]] for construction in the United Kingdom. Designed by A.T. Wall & Co. of [[Liverpool]] as luxury liners with the ability to be converted into armed merchant cruisers, ''Prince Robert'' was the last of the three. The ship was [[Length overall|long overall]] with a moulded breath of and a moulded depth of . The vessel's [[Draft (hull)|draught]] was aft. ''Prince Robert'' [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] and had a [[gross register tonnage]] (GRT) of 6,893 tons and a [[net tonnage]] (NT) of 3,072 tons.
''Prince Robert'' was propelled by twin [[Propeller|screws]] driven by two [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] reaction three-stage single-reduction [[geared turbine]]s rated at at 267 rpm or . These were powered by six [[Water-tube boiler|water-tube, five-drum, super-heated main boilers]] and two three-burner [[Scotch marine boiler]]s for auxiliary power. The ship achieved during [[sea trial]]s and had a range of at economical speeds or at .
The ship had a refrigerated cargo capacity forward and could had accommodation for 334 [[First class travel|first class]] passengers and 70 [[Third class travel|third class]]. They could carry 1,500 passengers on day trips. The ship had three [[Deck (ship)|decks]] and an elevator that could move up to two automobiles between them. ''Prince Robert'' had an open [[Bridge (nautical)|bridge]] placed in front of a small, enclosed wheelhouse. The vessel had three [[Funnel (ship)|funnels]] and was equipped with six [[Lifeboat (shipboard)|lifeboats]] per side. Two booms were situated forward over the [[Hold (ship)|no. 1 hold]]. To allow access to [[Jetty|jetties]] of different heights, shell doors were located on each deck.
Problems with the design arose after entering service. Their high sides and lack of maneuverability led to them requiring [[tugboat]] assistance when entering smaller harbours. Their speed created a tremendous wash that damaged the sea walls in [[West Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]. This led to ''Prince Robert'' and its [[sister ship]]s having to reduce speed to in [[Burrard Inlet]].
==Service history==
===Construction and early civilian service===
In 1928, the president of Canadian National, Sir Henry Thornton, announced orders for three luxury liners for service on the Pacific coast as part of the effort to re-establish the tri-city route between [[Vancouver]] and [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], British Columbia and [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and to create a new market for [[Alaska Territory|Alaskan]] cruises. ''Prince Robert'' was ordered in 1929 by Canadian National for construction by Cammell Laird at their shipyard in [[Birkenhead]] with the [[yard number]] 966. The ship was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 3 April 1930 and named after a vice-president of Canadian National. ''Prince Robert'' was completed in August 1930 and sailed for the [[British Columbia Coast]]. However, ''Prince Robert'' was forced to return to Birkenhead after the vessel developed engine troubles. The ship did not enter service until May 1931 and began sailing on the tri-city routes. In July 1931, ''Prince Robert'' [[Ship grounding|ran aground]] near [[Port Townsend, Washington|Port Townsend]], Washington and was withdrawn from service. By 5 September 1931, the tri-city service was ended and ''Prince Robert'' spent most of its time laid up in Vancouver.
In 1932 the ship was [[Chartering (shipping)|chartered]] for extended cruises from [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] and [[New York City]] to destinations such as [[Bermuda]], ports in South America and [[Hawaii]]. It was not until 1935 that ''Prince Robert'' began seeing more regular service when the ship began to make 11-day cruises to [[Skagway]], Alaska. The 11-day cruises began in Vancouver, stopping in [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]], British Columbia, [[Sitka, Alaska|Sitka]], [[Ketchikan, Alaska|Ketchikan]] and [[Juneau, Alaska|Juneau]], Alaska before arriving at Skagway. From November through February each year, Skagway froze over during winter and ''Prince Robert'' was laid up for [[wikt:overhaul|overhaul]]. The three sister ships were considered economic failures for Canadian National, with their arrival coinciding with the [[Great Depression]]. Their failure was one of the contributing factors in the resignation of the president of Canadian National, Sir Henry Thornton. The ships were expensive to operate and did not generate new business. In mid-1939, ''Prince Robert'' was chosen to act as a [[royal yacht]] during the visit of [[George VI|King George VI]] and [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Queen Elizabeth]] to British Columbia. They embarked aboard ''Prince Robert'' at Vancouver and were accompanied by a naval escort to their disembarkation site at Victoria.
===Conversion===
Prior to the outbreak of World War II, the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] offered to the British [[Royal Navy]] to convert vessels for their own armed merchant cruisers if they were provided with the armaments. The offer was accepted and the Royal Canadian Navy looked around for ships for possible conversion. Though the "Princes" were made available, ''Prince Robert'' and its sister ships were initially rejected due to their poor range, limited water supply and low top speed. However, after the outbreak of war, there was a shortage of [[cruiser]]s and [[destroyer]]s to deter surface raiders and the conversion of the the three vessels was incorporated in the 1939 Shipbuilding Programme. The British [[Admiralty]] advised that only two of the ships be converted. ''Prince Robert'' was one the two initially chosen. Though intended only for chartering by the Royal Canadian Navy, it was later decided to purchase the vessels outright with ''Prince Robert'' acquired for $700,000 in November 1939.
The design of the conversion was laid out by the naval architecture firm Lambert, German & Milne of [[Montreal]] and work on ''Prince Robert'' began on 9 February 1940 at [[Burrard Dry Dock]], [[Esquimalt]], British Columbia with an expected delivery in July. The conversion cost $755,330 and included the trunking of the three funnels into two shorter ones, the installation of four [[breech-loading]] [[BL 6-inch Mk VII naval gun| Mk VII]] guns, one on each of the two decks forward and aft. The 6-inch guns had once been provided by the Royal Navy and had once been part of the armament of the s. Two guns were fitted on the upper deck amidships along with light [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] (AA) machine guns. Two [[depth charge]] chutes were placed over the stern, though no [[anti-submarine warfare]] (ASW) detection equipment was provided. At full load displacement, the draught increased to . ''Prince Robert''s complement was 241 officers and [[Naval rating|ratings]].
===Royal Canadian Navy service===
The threat of German surface raiders along the Pacific Coast forced the Royal Canadian Navy to speed up the conversion. When the conversion was completed, ''Prince Robert'' resembled the s and were the most powerful vessels in the Canadian fleet until the arrival of larger ships later in the war. ''Prince Robert'' was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 31 July 1940 at Vancouver and was ready for sea trials in September. The Royal Canadian Navy had hoped to keep ''Prince Robert'' in Canadian waters as protection for west coast Canadian ports. The British Commander-in-Chief of the [[America and West Indies Station]] sought to use ''Prince Robert'' along the South American coast to disrupt enemy shipping and it was the latter's plan that became ''Prince Robert''s mission. On 11 September, ''Prince Robert'' departed Esquimalt for one day of gunnery trials before sailing south to reinforce the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] [[blockade]] of German ships in South American ports.
''Prince Robert'' arrived off [[Manzanillo, Colima|Manzanillo]], Mexico on 18 September and patrolled the entrance to the harbour. Within the port, the 9,472-ton German merchant vessel was known to be getting ready to sail. ''Weser'' was carrying supplies for the and was set to meet up with the raider in the [[Marshall Islands]]. On 25 September ''Weser'' was spotted departing Manzanillo after dark. The commander of ''Prince Robert'' waited until ''Weser'' had exited the harbour mouth before placing his ship between ''Weser'' and the port, cutting off the German vessel's retreat. ''Prince Robert'' followed ''Weser'' out to [[international waters]] remaining undetected, with the Germans thinking that ''Prince Robert'' just another Mexican patrol vessel. ''Prince Robert'' moved to seize the German vessel after crossing into international waters, taking the Germans by surprise. The Canadian ship sent a boarding party which was able to prevent the German ship from being [[scuttling|scuttled]] and captured ''Weser''. ''Prince Robert'' and ''Weser'' then sailed for Esquimalt, where the former German ship was taken into Allied service.
''Prince Robert'' returned to patrolling off the west coast of South and Central America until early February 1941 when the armed merchant cruiser was replaced by a British cruiser. ''Prince Robert'' was then redirected to escort Australian troop convoys across the Pacific for the seven months, spending September and October in refit at Esquimalt. In November, ''Prince Robert'' escorted the [[troop transport]] that carried [[C Force]] to [[Hong Kong]]. C Force was the Canadian contingent for the garrison of Hong Kong. ''Prince Robert'' transported 109 members of the [[Royal Rifles of Canada]] to Hong Kong. ''Prince Robert'' and ''Awatea'' arrived at Hong Kong on 16 November and disembarked their troops. On 19 November, ''Prince Robert'' sailed for [[Manila]], Philippines, arriving two days later to refuel and replenish before sailing again for home. ''Prince Robert'' paused at [[Pearl Harbor]], [[Hawaii Territory|Hawaii]] before sailing for Esquimalt on 4 December. On 7 December, the United States Army Transport ''Cynthia Olsen'' was sunk south of ''Prince Robert''s location. ''Prince Robert'' was ordered to the area to search but found nothing. The armed merchant cruiser arrived at Esquimalt on 10 December. Rumours that ''Prince Robert'' had spotted the [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Japanese fleet]] that [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|attacked Pearl Harbor]] on 7 December, were denied and proven to be false.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
After returning to Canada, ''Prince Robert'' resumed patrols along the coastal shipping lanes as part of Esquimalt Force. This was done to provide a visual presence of the Royal Canadian Navy and to satisfy the American demand for a credible Canadian naval presence. By May 1942 the ship was overhauled at Esquimalt, receiving plastic bridge armour, [[ASDIC]] for ASW detection, and [[20 mm Oerlikon cannon| cannon]] for AA protection. In June the Royal Canadian Navy was informed of the upcoming [[Aleutian Islands Campaign]] by the United States. Beginning in May, ''Prince Robert'' was placed under Royal Navy control as an escort and patrol ship attached to the [[New Zealand Station]]. In August, the Americans requested Canadian support and ''Prince Robert'', ''Prince Henry'', ''Prince David'' and two s, and were ordered to join the American fleet at [[Kodiak, Alaska|Kodiak]], Alaska as "Force D". Force D arrived at Kodiak on 20 August and were placed in Task Force 8. ''Prince Robert'' was primarily deployed to escort [[convoy]]s between Kodiak and [[Dutch Harbor]], each trip taking roughly seven days followed by a four-day maintenance period. The first convoy ''Prince Robert'' sailed with nearly led to an incident. On 27 August, the convoy encountered unknown ships crossing their path. They belonged to another convoy, but this information had not been passed to ''Prince Robert''s commander. As tensions mounted after attempts to communicate failed, a US destroyer moved to intercept the ships and ascertain their identity, which resolved the situation. Force D remained in Alaskan waters until 30 October when they departed for Canada, arriving on .
===As anti-aircraft cruiser===
As the war progressed, the "Princes" deficiencies as armed merchant cruisers and the need for newer ship types led to the decision to covert the three ships. ''Prince Robert'' was chosen for conversion to an auxiliary AA cruiser for use in air defence for convoys. ''Prince Robert'' was taken out of service on 2 January 1943 and converted. The ship's armament was completely changed. The cruiser's main armament consisted of five twin high-angle/low-angle dual-purpose guns. Furthermore, the ship was given eight [[QF 2-pounder naval gun| pom-poms]] and twelve 20 mm Oerlikon cannon. ''Prince Robert'' was also given four depth charge throwers. With the conversion, ''Prince Robert'' became one of the more powerful AA ships in the war. The ship recommissioned on 7 June 1943 at Vancouver and on 19 June, departed for the [[River Clyde]], via the [[Panama Canal]] and [[Bermuda]]. While stopped at Bermuda, the vessel's gunnery systems were modified.
On 20 October, ''Prince Robert'' was ready for active service, and the following day sailed to join the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] to be used as an AA escort for convoys operating between the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone and convoys in the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. On 21 November, ''Prince Robert'' joined the escort of the joint convoy SL 139/MKS 30. The convoy had previously survived a concerted [[U-boat]] assault and the day ''Prince Robert'' joined the escort screen, the convoy came under air attack. The [[Luftwaffe]] had sent 25 [[Heinkel He 177]] [[bomber]]s to attack the convoy with [[glider bomb]]s. During the air assault, one merchant ship was sunk and another damaged. Two German aircraft were shot down. While supporting convoys travelling to [[Naples]], Italy, the ship was tied into the local AA defence of the harbours it was docked in by telephone. In January 1944, ''Prince Robert'' was reassigned to [[Plymouth Command]] but remained as AA support for convoys travelling to the Mediterranean. After escorting 17 convoys, ''Prince Robert'' was withdrawn from European waters in September as the German air threat diminished and transferred once again to the Pacific. ''Prince Robert'' departed [[Plymouth]] in September, sailing to Esquimalt for another overhaul.
''Prince Robert'' recommissioned at Vancouver on 4 June 1945 and sailed for [[Sydney]], Australia on 4 July via [[San Francisco]]. At San Francisco, the AA armament was altered, with four twin Oerlikon mounts replaced with four twin [[Bofors 40 mm gun| Bofors]] mounts. In early August, ''Prince Robert'' joined the [[British Pacific Fleet]]. On 15 August, [[Surrender of Japan|Japan surrendered]] and ''Prince Robert'' was part of Task Group 111.2 sent to secure Hong Kong from Japanese control. Upon arrival on 31 August, ''Prince Robert'' sent landing parties to secure the dock area, railyard and train station. ''Prince Robert''s commander represent Canada at the formal surrender of Hong Kong to Allied forces on 16 September. ''Prince Robert''s landing parties were replaced by [[Royal Marines|Marine]] detachments from . Canadian [[prisoners of war]] from the units ''Prince Robert'' had ferried over to Hong Kong in 1941 were brought aboard the ship to be transported back to Canada. ''Prince Robert'' detached from the British Pacific Fleet and sailed for Esquimalt via [[Subic Bay]] and Manila. ''Prince Robert'' arrived at Esquimalt on 20 October and was [[paid off]] on 10 December 1945. The ship was transferred to the [[War Assets Corporation]] for disposal in January 1946 and laid up in [[Bedwell Bay]], at the northern end of Burrard Inlet.
===Commercial service and fate===
War Assets sold ''Prince Robert'' to the Charlton Steam Shipping Company in 1947. The ship was reconverted to a passenger/cargo ship at [[Antwerp]] and renamed ''Charlton Sovereign''. The conversion allowed them to carry 750 passengers in eight-berth cabins and 20 to 40-person dormitories. The ship was registered in [[London]] and re-entered service in 1948. In May 1948, ''Charlton Sovereign'' was chartered for use by the International Refugee Organization to transport [[displaced person]]s and refugees from Europe. In August, the ship sailed from [[Bremerhaven]] to Sydney, Australia, stopping for a month at Gibraltar to undergo engine repairs. The voyage took 86 days. ''Charlton Sovereign'' then made a voyage from Bremerhaven to [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil, developing engine problems again. Upon return to Europe, the ship underwent two-month refit on the [[River Tyne]]. After returning to service, the vessel made trips from [[Naples]], Italy to Rio de Janeiro, Naples to Halifax and Naples to Central America. The ship then sailed [[pilgrimage]] routes.
In 1951, the ship was acquired by Fratelli Grimaldi, renamed ''Lucania'' and registered in Naples. Intended for the emigrant trade, in 1953, the ship underwent significant reconstruction, being lengthened to overall and the gross register tonnage decreasing to 6,723 tons. The bow was lengthened and the funnels replaced and moved. ''Lucania'' could accommodate 90 first-class passengers, 90 intermediate and 560 tourist passengers. Sailing between Italy and Venezuela, ''Lucania'' remained in service until 1962. On 15 March 1962, ''Lucania'' was sold for [[Ship breaking|scrap]] to G. Riccardi and broken up at [[Vado Ligure]], near [[Livorno]], Italy.
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July 23, 2018 at 01:02AM
