HMCS Prince David was one of three Canadian National Steamships passenger liners that were converted for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), first to armed merchant cruisers at the beginning of Second World War, then infantry landing ships (medium) or anti-aircraft escort. For three years, they were the largest ships in the RCN.MacLeod, M. K. The Prince Ships, 1940–1945, Canadian Forces Headquarters (CFHQ) Reports 31 Oct 1965, National Defence Directorate of History and Heritage, page 246.
The three 'Prince' ships were a unique part of Canada's war effort: taken out of mercantile service, converted to armed merchant cruisers, two of them (Prince David and ) were reconfigured to infantry landing ships and one () to an anti-aircraft escort; all three ships were paid off at war's end and then returned to mercantile service.
In the early part of the war, as armed merchant cruisers equipped with antique guns and very little armour, Prince David and her sisters were sent to hunt enemy submarines and surface ships, tasks better suited to warships. As the needs of the RCN changed, so were the 'Prince' ships able to adapt to new roles. Their flexibility offered the RCN greater scope and balance in its operations. They did not function as did the bulk of the Canadian fleet: no rushing back and forth across the ocean, cold and damp, chained to 50 degrees North. Prince David and her sisters, each with two separate employments, roamed most of the navigable world forming a little navy apart.MacLeod, M. K. The Prince Ships, 1940–1945, Canadian Forces Headquarters (CFHQ) Reports 31 Oct 1965, National Defence Directorate of History and Heritage, pages 245/249.
Passenger ship (1930–1939)
West Coast service
Three ships, Prince David, and were ordered in 1929 from Cammell Laird & Co. by the Canadian National Railways subsidiary CN Steamships to operate as small luxury liners on the West Coast of Canada. The specifications for all three ships had been identical: three decks, three funnels, cruiser sterns and accommodation for 300 passengers. Each had cost $2,000,000 at completion and with a speed of , they were among the fastest ships in the Canadian registry.MacLeod, M. K. The Prince Ships, 1940–1945, Canadian Forces Headquarters (CFHQ) Reports 31 Oct 1965, National Defence Directorate of History and Heritage, page 5. Named after David E. Galloway, a vice president of Canadian National Steamships, Prince David arrived on the West Coast in the summer of 1930 and was put on the Vancouver – Victoria – Seattle daily service. However, the decline in trade due to the Depression had made it impractical for all three ships to operate in British Columbia waters.
West Indies service In 1932, Prince David and Prince Henry were sent back east to join the Canada – West Indies service. While on a voyage south, Prince David ran aground on the North-East Breaker at Bermuda on 13 March 1932 and remained hard aground for six months. Salvagers determined that the cheapest course was to turn her back to her owners, Canadian National Steamships, who eventually got her off, refitted her and sent her back for another four years' service. Prince David was laid up at Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1937.MacLeod, M. K. The Prince Ships, 1940–1945, Canadian Forces Headquarters (CFHQ) Reports 31 Oct 1965, National Defence Directorate of History and Heritage, page 4.
By the late 1930s, and with war looming, the Canadian chief of the Naval Staff had designated the three 'Prince' ships as candidates for conversion to armed merchant cruisers, for the task of convoy escort. During the protracted negotiations for the CN ships, all three vessels had been inspected by the Naval Service and specifications drawn up. It was recognized that the task of converting the fast liners would not be an easy one. Their hulls and engines were basically sound. Prince Robert, which had had no accidents and had been well maintained, was to present no problems. Her sister ships, on the other hand, were a different story: both were in need of major repairs.
Prince David was suffering from neglect, with a badly fouled hull, rotten deck planks and bulkheads rusted thin. Holes in the deck plating, crystallized valves and decrepit auxiliary engines augured an expensive refit as well as conversion.MacLeod, M. K. The Prince Ships, 1940–1945, Canadian Forces Headquarters (CFHQ) Reports 31 Oct 1965, National Defence Directorate of History and Heritage, page 7.
Preparing for war
When Canada officially declared war on Nazi Germany, 10 September 1939, the Royal Canadian Navy consisted of six destroyers, five minesweepers, two training ships and a mobilized strength of 366 officers and 3,477 ratings including reservists.Schull, Joseph. Far Distant Ships, An official Account of Canadian Operations in World War II. Stoddart. pages 1 & 2. The Naval Service lost no time in making arrangements for the conversion of the 'Princes'.
The British Admiralty had been depositing defensive equipment in Canada between the wars in order to arm fast liners as AMCs in the event of hostilities. Twelve guns were made available to the RCN to start the AMC program. The 6-inch guns were manufactured as early as 1896 and fitted in the wing casemates of s launched between 1903 and 1905. They had no range-finding or fire-control equipment and had been designed to train over a small arc, which had to be reconfigured to travel about 300 degrees. Some guns designed for light cruisers and of a newer vintage (1916) were also made available. On 9 February 1940, work commenced on Prince David at Halifax Shipyards from plans prepared by Messrs. Lambert, German and Milne of Montreal.Boutillier, James, A. RCN in Retrospect 1910–1968. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver & London. chapter 8, Princes Three: Canada's use of Armed Merchant Cruisers during World War II, (Fraser M. McKee), pages 118–120.
Armed merchant cruiser (1940–1943) Substantial alterations were carried out at the Halifax Shipyard. The two top decks were cut away and light-cruiser superstructure was fitted, eliminating the boat deck cabins and lounges. The hull and deck were stiffened and some watertight subdivision added. All three ships suffered from the basic weakness of large cargo and accommodation compartments extending across their hulls.
Four 6-inch guns were fitted, one on each of the two decks forward and aft. Two 3-inch guns were fitted on the upper deck amidships, along with several light anti-aircraft machine guns. Two depth charge chutes were added to the stern, but no anti-submarine detection equipment was supplied. The three original stacks were replaced with two shorter, oval ones, which gave a decidedly more cruiser like appearance. HMCS Prince David was commissioned with the pennant number F89 at Halifax on 28 December 1940, under the command of Captain W.B. Armit, RCNR.
Prince David, in company with Prince Henry, left Halifax on 12 January 1941 for work-ups off Bermuda. Crews of both ships were given a good introduction to the quick rolling characteristics of the 'Princes' during a stormy passage to Hamilton, Bermuda. Even as cruise ships, the three 'Princes' were known for their tendency to roll in heavy seas. As a gun platform, this was not an ideal trait and extra care and practice was needed to overcome the tendency to a quick rolling motion. Added to this was the age of the 6-inch guns themselves, which made it necessary to devote more care to the armament than was desirable in a hectic engagement.MacLeod, M. K. The Prince Ships, 1940–1945, Canadian Forces Headquarters (CFHQ) Reports 31 Oct 1965, National Defence Directorate of History and Heritage, page 23.
West Indies Station From early 1941, HMCS Prince David served as convoy escort from West Indies Station in Bermuda. On 1 April 1941, Prince David was ordered to patrol off of the Pará River in Brazil. There she was to intercept two enemy merchant ships, the German Norderney and the Italian Monbaldo, which were preparing to sail. As Prince David steamed south, she was abruptly ordered to steer 025° at best possible speed and search along 's track. VoltaireWeekly Intelligence Report #40, page 27, (held Naval Historical Section (Ottawa) now CFHQ Directorate of History) "VOLTAIRE—13,000 tons, eight-6" guns range , ." was a British AMC, in fact one of the RN's largest, and, like Prince David, she had been charged with the task of defending convoys and intercepting enemy shipping. C-in-C America and West Indies had heard a German communiqué stating that Voltaire had been sunk by an auxiliary cruiser. Prince David increased her speed to and headed for Voltaires estimated position.
On 7 April, the Canadian ship entered a large oil patch. Small bits of charred wood, cloth and newspapers were found and sharks were seen. There was little doubt that a ship had gone down in the area. Two years later it was learned that the German auxiliary cruiser (Hilfskreuzer) Weekly Intelligence Report #40, page 27, (held Naval Historical Section (Ottawa) now CFHQ Directorate of History) "THOR—ex-SS SANTA CRUZ, 3144 tons, six-5.9" guns, ." had attacked Voltaire and Thors first salvo from outside Voltaires gun range had knocked out one of the British AMC's gun mounts, destroyed the bridge and put the wireless room out of action. After two hours of continuous shelling, the outgunned Voltaire began to sink. The German raider, which had fought successful actions with two other British merchant cruisers, rescued 197 officers and menMacLeod, M. K. The Prince Ships, 1940–1945, Canadian Forces Headquarters (CFHQ) Reports 31 Oct 1965, National Defence Directorate of History and Heritage, page 34. from HMS Voltaire (72 crew members died in the action).
On 24 August, Prince David was ordered to rendezvous with , an 11,000-ton AMC. Their task was to patrol the central Atlantic to intercept enemy supply ships and raiders. At dawn, 29 August, before the rendezvous had taken place, Prince David sighted an unknown vessel. The vessel, which was seen stern on, in poor visibility, at a range of , was reported by Prince David to be a heavy cruiser, steering south-east at . She did not reply correctly to Prince Davids challenge and steamed off after 50 minutes. Some rather fanciful stories arose from this brief encounter, and authorities were hard pressed to counter newspaper reports that Prince David had forced the to turn tail and run; some even classified the encounter as a shooting engagement. A press clipping sent from Vice Admiral Nelles to Captain Adams, apparently from a British newspaper, stated the following:
The identity of this ship remains a mystery. The Admiralty considered that she might be the afore-mentioned auxiliary cruiser Thor, but this raider had returned to Brest. Considering the location of German raiders at this period, it is unlikely that it was a ship of this kind and despite newspaper articles claiming otherwise, was not Admiral Hipper. HMCS Prince David probably sighted the U-boat supply ship Python or a supply ship for disguised raiders.
At the end of August Prince David came upon the 4,000-ton British merchantman St Margaret wallowing towards Trinidad at , with engine trouble. When Prince David closed, the vessel's Master asked for the Canadian's Engineer Officer to come over to have a look, which he did, and reported he did not believe St Margaret could make it. Bermuda was nearest land, west. Expecting that either U-boat or surface raider would sink her, if she did not founder first, Captain Adams decided to intervene, and took the merchantman in tow. St Margaret was brought into Bermuda safely on 3 September.
The West Coast and Aleutian Campaign