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Images are subject to copyright and must not be reproduced in any format without the consent of the relevant copyright holder.
The St. Nazaire Society
A 'Gift Horse' is born
The selection of images above show HMS Campbeltown in the final stages of her transformation from an obsolete American 'Four-Stacker' of WW1 vintage, into the warship that woud lead the CHARIOT force into the heavily-defended estuary of the River Loire. Her heavy guns have been replaced by eight 20mm Oerlikon cannon, positioned forward, amidships (right) and aft (top right), and low armoured screens have been attached to the deck amidships to afford some degree of protection to the Commando parties who would be lying on the deck ready to rush ashore the moment she made contact with her target dry dock gate. In the main image the armoured bridge is shown, along with the exposed 12-pounder (3") gun that was the ship's single remaining 'heavy' weapon.
