HMS CANTON
The CANTON was a P&O liner launched in 1938. At the outbreak of WWII she was converted to an Armed Merchant Cruiser (AMC). As a condition to a government construction subsidy of passenger liners it was required that during construction, certain parts of the ship were to be strengthened to take naval guns.
CANTON was fitted with eight six-inch guns dating from the 1914/18 war; four on each side. Above the bridge, on the monkey island, was fitted a rangefinder and a primitive gun control system. The ship could fire a broadside of four guns.
Later a ninth six-inch gun was fitted on her foc’sle giving her a broadside of five six-inch guns. Her armament was completed by two single barrel three-inch high angel guns mounted on A deck abaft the single funnel. She had twin screws, each driven by three steam turbines. Steam was provided by oil fired boilers giving 18,500 s.h.p. She had a service speed of 18 knots.
CANTON was manned by a largely RNR crew. The only regular RN officers being the commanding officer and the commander. Most of the officers were ex P&O officers . All the crew had cabins.
After conversion to an AMC CANTON, had been engaged in anti-raider patrols in the Denmark Strait. In January 1940 whilst on her way home in heavy weather she struck the rocks off Barra Head on Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The ship had been on dead reckoning for many days whilst on patrol and homeward bound.
After repairs on the Clyde the lower holds were loaded with empty forty-gallon oil drums. Some of these were filled with ping-pong balls. This gave the ship added buoyancy in the event of the ship being torpedoed.
From May 1940 until early 1941 CANTON was involved in patrol duties in the South Atlantic. Occasionally she escorted convoys. Then she was usually stationed in the centre of the convoy as a precaution against submarine torpedo attack.. She had no anti-submarine capability. Her function was to provide protection from surface attack by raiders.
In 1941 CANTON was equipped with a seaplane. The seaplane’s stowage being on what had been the ship’s swimming pool. Subsequently CANTON was demilitarised and employed on troop-shipping duties.
