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ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY C D 30 SHIPS *

7)CATHAY (ARMED M CRUISER)



Photo: http://forums.clydemaritime.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=10296



Troopship


Built: 31/10/1924 as a Passenger Liner for the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company. Bombed and sunk on 12/11/1942.


Tonnage: 15,225 / 9,748 tons 


Dimensions: Length 546ft 10in oa x width 70ft 3in x Draught  30ft 2in


Propulsion: Twin screws, two four cylinder quadruple expansion steam engines, 13437ihp, giving 16 knots.


Armament: 8 x 6in and 2 x 3in AA guns


25/08/1939: Requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as an armed merchant cruiser, and converted at Bombay with her second (dummy) funnel removed.


Commissioned 11/10/1939


October 1939 - August 1940: East Indies Station


September 1940 - November 1941: Freetown Escort Force


December 1941 - January 1942: South Atlantic Station


5/2/1942 returned to P&O and refitted as a troopship by Bethlehem Steel Corporation at Brooklyn


30/4/1942 commenced service with MoWT


7/11/1942: Disembarked troops west of Algiers during the North African landings, Operation Torch.


11/11/1942, 1300hr bombed by German aircraft whilst discharging troops at Bougie. She was finally abandoned at 1900 hours and about 2200 hours a delayed action bomb exploded in the galley, starting a serious fire.


12/11/1942: An ammunition explosion at 0700 hours blew off her stern, and by 1000 hours she had sunk on her starboard side, completely gutted, with one dead and 284 survivours.


By: http://forums.clydemaritime.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=10296


 

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