H. M. S. M O N T C L A R E
Canadian
Pacific Passenger Liner requisitioned on 28th August 1939 and hired for use as
an Armed Merchant Cruiser. The ship was to have been named METAPEDIA but was
later renamed MONTCLARE. She was ordered from John Brown at Clydebank and
launched on 18th December 1921. Her machinery was provided by Harland and Wolff
and on completion she was deployed for cross-Atlantic passenger trade. Details
of her tonnage and machinery as well as her armament during naval service are
given in the General Description information for Armed Merchant Cruisers, This
ship was converted for deployment as an Armed Merchant Cruiser and retained her
mercantile name which had not previously been borne by an RN ship. She carried
out trade protection duties until 1943 when she was purchased outright by the
Admiralty and selected for further use as a Depot Ship for destroyers The ship
then underwent an extensive conversion for her new role and was allocated for
service in the Pacific.. On return to UK After the end
of hostilities she was again converted to suit the support of submarines and
served in the Clyde until 1955 when she was placed in Reserve until being sold
in 1957 for demolition.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
None are recorded in the Official List
H e
r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White a rose
red, seeded gold.
M o t t o
Mare Ditat Rosa Decorate:
'The sea enriches the rose decorates'
S u m m a r y o f S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
August
28th
Requisitioned by the Admiralty at Liverpool and hired for naval use.
(Note: Retained her mercantile name and renamed HMS MONTCLARE in accordance
with international convention.)
September Taken in hand
at Barrow in Furness for conversion to suit use as an Armed Merchant Cruiser.
(Note: As an interim measure ship was fitted with WW1 vintage 6" guns and two 3"
AA guns.
All
fittings of a flammable nature were removed and in order to improve buoyancy
some
Hold
space and compartments not required were filled with empty steel drums wooden
barrels and
timber.)
October Conversion
in continuation.
15th Formally
Commissioned for war service with naval personnel.
(Note: Allocated for service based at Freetown for defence of convoys to and
from West Africa.
A
proportion of the ships company were merchant navy personnel under a T124
Agreement with the Admiralty.
Guns
crews and communications personnel were RN
ratings.
T124
personnel were given naval rank.)
Worked up and took passage to
Scapa Flow
Sailed to Freetown to join South Atlantic Command.
30th After
arrival deployment at Freetown cancelled due to lack of fresh water facilities
adequate
for
the escort of convoy to UK and immediate return to Freetown.
November Joined escort
for Convoy SL7 to UK.
December On arrival
reallocated for Northern Patrol duties.
(Note: For details see ARMED MERCHANT CRUISERS by K Poolman and ENGAGE THE
ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett.)
Deployed for patrol in North Atlantic.
1 9 4 0
January Deployed in
Denmark Strait for interception of blockade runners and commerce raiders.
Weather conditions deteriorated significantly after first week.
Returned to Clyde on relief.
February Withdrawn for
completion of conversion.
to (Note:
6in guns were replaced by newer 5.5in mountings and both 3in AA replaced
April by three
4in guns.)
Rudimentary fire control equipment was fitted for main armament
Carried out post conversion trials and shakedown
Embarked ammunition and worked up for operational service
May Deployed
for trade defence and escort of convoys.
to
December
1 9 4 1
Atlantic trade defence and convoy escort in continuation.
Deployed in West Indies and Atlantic.
1 9 4 2
Atlantic trade defence and convoy escort in continuation.
1 9 4 3
January Trade
defence and convoy escort in continuation
to (Note:
Despite the incessant U-Boat Group attacks on Atlantic
April traffic
over 90% of convoys arrived at its destination without
loss.
See HITLERS U-BOAT WAR by C Blair).
May Future
deployment of Armed Merchant Cruisers under review.
to The
need for this type of auxiliary warship was diminishing and more
July new
construction was becoming available for convoy defence.
See
above references.
August Withdrawn
from service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser. Paid Off.
to (Note:
U-Boat operations had been severely restricted in order to
December improve their
defensive armament and to introduce SCHNORKEL
Breathing equipment
See
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO), SEEK AND
STRIKE by W Hackmann and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
Selected for conversion to suit use as a Destroyer Depot Ship.
Taken in hand for extensive conversion, by Harland and Wolff at
Belfast
(See General Information.)
1 9 4 4
January Under
conversion at Belfast
to
Nominated for service in British Pacific Fleet.
October Commissioned
for service.
November Post refit
trials
to
Allocated for duty at Forward Base as part of British Pacific Fleet Train
December Prepared for
foreign service and completed to full complement
(Note: British Pacific Fleet was formed in November from ships serving in the
East Indies
Fleets and others nominated or suitable ships on passage from UK.)
1 9 4 5
January On
completion took passage to Manus in
Admiralty Islands
to support of
destroyers of
to British
Pacific Fleet in Task Force 57
April (Note:
British Pacific Fleet Train was identified as Task Force 112 and some of
the ships
allocated were already deployed in the Pacific
The
Flagship HMS LOTHIAN arrived at Manus on 2nd March and had proved to
be
totally unsuited for this task. See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton.
and
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
May Arrived at
Manus for support of destroyers in BPF.
29th Rear
Admiral DB Fisher, Flag Officer Fleet Train and staff joined ship from HMS
LOTHIAN.
Repair staff officers and ratings together with equipment also transferred.
31st Took
passage from Manus to Brisbane.
(Note: Ships of BPF were returning to Australian ports for maintenance and leave
after taking
part
in Operation ICEBERG II in Sakishima Gunto islands.
above
reference.)
June Passage
to Brisbane.
Deployed at Brisbane.
24th Sailed
from Brisbane with Flag Officer Fleet Train embarked for passage to Manus..
(Note: In addition to duty as Destroyer Depot Ship the ship wore the Flag of
Flag Officer
(Destroyers) BPF, Rear Admiral J H Edelsten and provided Base W/T communication
facilities for RA(D)).
30th Arrived at Manus for support duties.
(Note: Ships of BPF now re-designated Task Force 37 and part of us Navy 3rd
Fleet sailed
from
Sydney on 28th June to return to operations off Japan after Replenishment at
Forward Base.)
July
4th Provided
support for ships of BPF on arrival at Manus.
5th Remained
at Manes during BPF operations to provide repair and support to ships
to
returning from operations.
31st (For
details of BPF involvement in operations off
Japan see WAR
WITH JAPAN
(HMSO),
THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET BY J Winton and TASK FORCE 57 by P Smith.)
August Deployed at
Manus.
12th British
Pacific Fleet ships of Task Force 37 left operational area leaving a Token Force
of RN
ships
as part of US Task Force 38 and designated Task Group 38.5.
19th Provided
support to BPF ships on return to Manus from operational area off Japan.
to
31st
September Deployed at
Manus.
4th Fleet
Train sailed from Manus for Hong Kong to provide support for ships deployed
for the
re-occupation of the Colony and to restore services.
October Deployed at
Hong Kong for support of destroyers of BPF.
November On release from
BPF took passage to return to UK
to
December
1 9 4 6
January Paid off at
Portsmouth and reduced to Reserve status
February Nominated for
conversion to suit use as a Submarine Depot Ship.
to Taken
in hand for conversion to suit new role
December
1 9 4 7
Under
conversion.
Re-commissioned for service as Depot Ship in
Clyde to support
3rd Submarine Flotilla.
Post
refit trials and completed storing for service.
Shakedown and passage to Clyde.
Deployed in Clyde for repair and support of submarines.
1 9 4 8 t o 1 9 5 4
Clyde
deployment with 3rd Submarine Squadron.
(Note: Flotillas were redesigned as Squadrons in 1953.)
Nominated for reduction to Reserve status and withdrawn from duty in Clyde.
1 9 5 5
January Prepared for
tow to enter Reserve at Portsmouth
February Passage to
Portsmouth in tow of tugs.
6th During
passage in Force 12 Gale conditions medical assistance provided by helicopter
to deal with
injured man on tug.
March Completed
reduction to Reserve and laid up at Portsmouth.
F i n a l S t a g e
HMS
MONTCLARE was placed on the Disposal List in 1957 and sold to BISCO for
breaking up by T W Ward at Inverkeithing. The ship was taken in tow from
Portsmouth on 29th January 1958 and arrived at the Breakers yard in the Forth
on 3rd February for demolition.
