User:Alberg22/Sandbox

  Career  Laid down: 1929 Launched: 1930 Commissioned: 31 July, 1940, Paid Off: 11 June, 1945 Fate: Sold & renamed Charlton Sovereign, 1946. Broken up 1962 General Characteristics  Displacement: 5736 tonnes Length: 385 ft. Beam: 57 ft    Draft:  21 ft    Speed:  22 knots Propulsion: Twin screw Parsons reaction three-stage single-reduction geared turbines; 1930 IHP. @267 RPM. Six Yarrow water tube five drum super-heat main boilers plus 2 Scotish marine three burner auxiliary boilers. Range: 3,500 nautical miles @ 20 knots Officers: 31 Crew: 386 men Armament: 4 x 6"/45 cal in 2 single mounts forward and 2 aft (as AMC). 4 x 4" HA/LA in two twin mounts (as LSI M). 2 x 3" HA in two single mounts (as AMC). 2 x 40mm Bofors (as LSI M). several Vickers .303 twin MGs. 10 x Oerlikon 20 mm cannon Mk 5 in single mounts after Apr.20/42 refit. 2 stern mounted depth charge chutes for Mk.VIII 300 lb.canister depth charges (as AMC).   Pendant:  F56    Manufacturer:  Cammell Laird & Co., Birkenhead, U.K. Conversion to AMC by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Monteral, P.Q. Conversion to LSI(M) by Burrards Dry Dock Ltd., Vancouver, B.C.

The HMCS Prince Robert (F56) was one of three Canadian National Railway passenger liners that were converted to Armed Merchant Cruisers for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) at the beginning of World War II, and for three years were the largest ships in the RCN.

When Canada officially declared war on Nazi Germany, September 10th, 1939, the Royal Canadian Navy consisted of 6 destroyers, 5 minesweepers and 2 training ships. And a mobilized strength of 397 officers and 2,276 ratings including reservists. At the succession of hostilities almost six years later, the RCN was the third largest navy in he Allied cause.

The three Prince ships were a unique part of Canada's war effort: taken out of mercantile service, converted to Armed Merchant Cruisers, reconfigured to Infantry Landing Ships (Medium) and Anti Aircraft Escort, paid off at war's end and then returned to mercantile service.