Hull#

Name

Built

Service

Owner

F 55

California

1923

1939-41

Anchor Line (Henderson Bros) Ltd, Glasgow

On 25 Aug 1939 the passenger ship California of the Anchor Line (Henderson Bros) Ltd, Glasgow was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to an armed merchant cruiser.

18 Nov 1939: The German merchant Borkum (3670 BRT) is captured in the Denmark Strait by the British armed merchant cruiser HMS California. While en route under her prize crew to Kirkwall in the Orkney's she was torpedoed at 1530 hours on 23 November. She was hit by a torpedo from German submarine U-33 and was abandoned two days later. The Borkum drifted ashore in Papa Sound and was declared a total loss.

5 Jun 1940; In the patrol system southeast of Island following ships were identified: Auxiliary cruisers “Wolfe”, “Laurentic”, “Circassia”, “Letitia”, “California” (SKL 6/6-1940)

13 Sep 1940: Sailed the 4 Danish prisoners - members of the German "Furenak" expedition to East Greenland - from Reykjavik to England.