ss
MONTCALM belonging to the Canadian Pacific
Steamship Ltd Passenger Liner
requisitioned on 28th
August 1939 for use as an Armed
Merchant Cruiser. The ship was
completed for service on the
UK – Canada route in 1921.
She was
the 4th RN warship to carry this name
introduced in 1813 for a 20 gun
Sloop built at Montreal,
Canada and sold in 1832. The last to use the
name was the Coastal Monitor M9 built on the
Clyde in 1915 and later renamed
GENERAL WOLFE. It is of interest to note that
in 1656 a Spanish ship taken
as Prize was the first RN ship to carry the
name WOLF and she was
followed by 19
others the last of
which was a destroyer sold in 1921. The
earlier name used was that of the
animal but later name commemorates the General
who was killed during the
captured of Quebec in 1759. His name was
also used by the RCN for a requisitioned Yacht
in 1940.
General
Information
Armed Merchant Cruiser
Submarine Depot Ship
Tonnage
16,418
tons
21,150 tons
Dimensions
Length Overall – 563ft
Beam – 70ft
Draught –
28ft
No significant change
Propulsion
Machinery
Geared turbines
No change
Two
shafts
No change
Armament
Seven 6in
guns
Two twin 4in AA guns
Two 12pdr AA
guns
32 2pdr AA guns
19 single 20mm guns
Complement
Not
known
480 Excluding Spare Crews
H e r a l d
i c D
a t a
(Note:
Recorded on Official List for
HMS WOLFE.
May
have been introduced for the earlier HMS
WOLF.
On a Field
Blue a demi-wolf
erased Red.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
None
(Note:
Two Battle Honours were
awarded to HMS WOLF.)
S u m m
a r y o f W a
r
S e r v i c e
(for more
ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search
1 9 3 9
August
28th
Requisitioned for RN service as an
Armed Merchant Cruiser
September
On release from Trade taken in hand
for conversion.
to
December
(Note: In addition to fitting of
armament changes included removal of all
flammable material
and internal modifications to suit
accommodation
of naval personnel.
Special attention was necessary for
stowage of
explosives and the
provision of ballast to compensate for
loss of items
normally
carried below the waterline. In addition empty
drums and
material to improve
flotation and reduce free flooding of
compartments
in the event of
major damage were embarked.
1
9 4 0
January
10th
Commissioned for service as an Armed
Merchant Cruiser
February
On
completion of conversion carried out
Acceptance Trials
to
April
Storing including embarkation
and stowage of ammunition completed.
Shakedown and work-up
prior to Operational Service.
May
Deployed
for trade defence and convoy escort.
to
(Note: This ship is
not recorded in any of the outstanding actions
in
December
defence of Atlantic
convoys but it should be remembered that the
majority
of convoys in 1940 was not subject to surface
ship attacks.)
1
9 4 1
Withdrawn
from service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser and
nominated for
conversion to the
more suitable role as a Depot
Ship for which her size and
layout of
compartments made her very
attractive.
May
Purchased
outright by the Admiralty and taken in hand
for conversion in
to
December
commercial shipyard to suit deployment
for support of submarines.
(Note:
Extensive changes were made to the
armament to improve defence against
air attacks.
Compartment arrangement were modified for
installation of heavy
machinery
and equipment for repair of engines and
electrical machinery.
In
addition accommodation space was required for
an increased ship’s
company
including
Captain SM3 Staff Officers who were
responsible for
planning
and execution of submarine operations by
Flotilla. In addition
spare
submarine crew and repair staff required
permanent facilities with
galley,
medical and recreational facilities. One
source quotes a figure
exceeding
1,000 which seems somewhat high.)
Nominated
for support of
submarines of the 3rd Submarine Flotilla based
in the
Clyde.
On
completion of trials and storing took passage
to Clyde to join
Flotilla for
operational
service
1
9 4 2 to 1
9 4 3
Deployed
in Clyde for support of submarines.
(Note:
Operations by the Flotilla included service in
Western
Approaches,
support
of passage of Arctic
convoys in view of threat of attacks by
German
surface ships and submarines as well as
interception of
enemy
supply ships in Bay of Biscay.
1
9 4 4
January
Clyde
deployment in continuation.
to May
June
Nominated
for service with Eastern Fleet and relieved in
Clyde by HM
Submarine Depot Ship FORTH.
July
On completion of
preparations for
foreign service took passage to join
Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee.
for support of
2nd Submarine Flotilla.
August Passage
in Indian Ocean
19th
Arrived at Trincomalee, Ceylon and
joined Eastern Fleet.
September
Deployed
at Trincomalee for support of 2nd Submarine
Flotilla.
(Note:
Submarines in Flotilla were HM Submarines
STATESMAN,
SOLENT,
SUBTLE,
STYGIAN, SHALIMAR and SPIRIT
of
the S-Class submarines built since 1939 and
the older
larger
PORPOISE, SEVERN and CLYDE
in service before
the
outbreak of WW2.)
October
Trincomalee
deployment in continuation.
to
December
(Note: Submarines of the Eastern Fleet
carried out offensive patrols
in
the Indian Ocean and Malacca Straits to
intercept and sink
Japanese
shipping and escorts to convoys in order to
reduce
any
supplies to garrisons in Malaya and the Dutch
East Indies.
They
also carried out reconnaissance of possible
landing areas
and
landed intelligence personnel for
covert operations.)
1
9 4 5
January
During
course of support of submarine operations
involved in the
conduct of
rescue operations by submarine staff officers
to ensure return
of the badly
damaged HM Submarine SHAKESPEARE which has
been
subject to
incessant air attacks during patrol in the
Andaman Sea. and was
disabled in the
Indian Ocean with many casualties. HM
Destroyer RAIDER
had taken the
submarine in tow after initial aid by HM
Submarine STYGIAN.
(Note: For
details see THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton
and DEVICES
OF
WAR by N. Kemp.
HM
Submarine SHAKESPEARE joined the Flotilla in
December 1944
and
was on her first war patrol in the South East
Asia Theatre.
February
Trincomalee
support in continuation.
to July
August
15th
Part of Eastern Fleet on VJ Day.
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS WOLFE
was nominated for service with the 1st
Submarine Flotilla
in Malta after the return of the submarines of
the 2nd Flotilla to UK. She took passage to
join the Mediterranean Fleet and was based in
Malta until nominated in 1947 for return to UK
when
relieved by HMS FORTH. She Paid-off in 1949
and was reduced to Reserve status.
Placed in the Disposal List in 1952 the ship
was sold to BISCO in 1952 and arrived at Faslane
for
breaking-up by Metal Industries on 8th
November that year.