§ 19. Lieut.-Commander Fletcherasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the average time taken during the War of 1914–18 to fit merchantmen with guns for defence against submarine attack?
Mr. CooperI. The time required varied considerably according to the nature of the armament to be mounted and the structural arrangements in the particular ship. An average time would be eight to 10 days in ships which had not previously been stiffened. 2. In ships which had previously been stiffened to enable them to mount defensive armament, the time required in most cases did not exceed three days.