A depot ship could be an accommodation base, a headquarters, a storehouse, and a maintenance hub for small craft. A dedicated repair ship placed greater emphasis on workshop capacity, although the terms overlapped when a flotilla needed both people and material support. A large flotilla might divide the headquarters and accommodation function from the heavier store and repair function between different ships. Ambrose's successive conversions show why older merchant or cruiser hulls were attractive support platforms.
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HMS Ambrose and the depot-ship role
The conversion of HMS Ambrose from a cargo liner to a submarine and destroyer depot ship shows how a mothership could provide the space a flotilla lacked.