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
