RMS later SS ''Carthage'' was a

Royal Mail Ship Royal Mail Ship (sometimes Steam-ship or Steamer), usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract to the British Royal Mail. The designation dates back to 1840. Any vessel d ...

and

ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). C ...

of the

Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company P&O (in full, The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company) is a British shipping and logistics company dating from the early 19th century. Formerly a public company, it was sold to DP World in March 2006 for £3.9 billion. DP World c ...

. Known as one of the "Far East Sisters", she was launched in 1931 to serve the company's India and Far East Mail Service, along with her sister ship, . Both ships were built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

and served from 1931 until 1961 when they were scrapped.

War service

In January 1940 ''Carthage'' was converted to an

armed merchant cruiser An armed merchantman is a merchant ship equipped with guns, usually for defensive purposes, either by design or after the fact. In the days of sail, piracy and privateers, many merchantmen would be routinely armed, especially those engaging in lo ...

, flag number F99, fitted with eight six-inch guns in single mountings and two three-inch anti-aircraft guns. In 1943 she was disarmed and re-commissioned as a troopship.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carthage 1931 ships Ocean liners Passenger ships of the United Kingdom Ships of P&O (company) Steamships of the United Kingdom World War II Auxiliary cruisers of the Royal Navy