HMS Corfu began as a fast passenger and mail ship serving routes to India and the Far East before conversion into an armed merchant cruiser. Her Glasgow builder, Alexander Stephen and Sons, was also known for fast destroyers, while the liner's commercial service demanded speed and long range. Eight six-inch guns did not make Corfu a fleet combatant, but they gave her enough force to deter most German merchant raiders. Agnew received the task of turning this civilian hull into a viable warship, an early example of his ability to make a useful fighting unit from an unconventional platform.
Notable Point · 4:05-7:26
Turning HMS Corfu into an armed merchant cruiser
Agnew's wartime command of HMS Corfu shows how an India mail liner armed with eight six-inch guns became a credible auxiliary cruiser.