The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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Auxiliary cruisers were fast merchantmen converted to warships, typically armed with 6” (152mm) guns. Most of the fast merchantmen that were converted in this manner had been designed in the beginning with conversion in mind, often with government subsidies. The British built a number of merchantmen with special structural reinforcements to support 6” guns, as did the Japanese. The Australians converted a few passenger liners to the Kanimbla class. The concept proved obsolete in the Second World War, where aircraft so extended patrol ranges that unarmored surface raiders were of little use against enemy sea traffic.
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