The Akhtuba is
the left branch of the lower Volga 537 km in length, spliting
from the Volga river South of Volgograd. The old entrance to the
Akhtuba is closed by dam.There is a new 6.5 km canal joing the
Volga. Volgo-Akhtubinskaya or water-meadow, it is the main region
of agriculture and vegetable growing also melon-growing is situated
here.
HMS Activity (D-94)
was built at Caledonia S.B. She was laid down on 1 February 1940
and launched 30 May 1942. She was commissioned early in 1944.
In February 1941 the Ministry of War Transport agreed to reserve
ships then under construction for possible conversion to escort
carriers, although they refused to release existing ships. The
one exception was Activity, who was completed in August 1942 as
the refrigerated cargo carrier Telemachus (ex-Empire Activity),
and operated by the Alfred Holt Line. These were "naval"
escort carriers as opposed to the "merchant" escort
carriers of the "Empire" and "Rapana" Classes.
Unlike the American conversions, which had short wooden flight
decks, and many of which had open-sided hangars and a single screw,
these British conversions were all twin-screw vessels with enclosed
hangars, relatively long steel flight decks and only one lift.
The five were to have had identical conversions, but Campania,
who was not launched until 17 June 1943, received several improvements
not fitted in the other four ships.
HMS Activity's
war career included escorting convoys to Gibraltar and Russia
in 1944-45, duriung which time her aircraft assisted in sinking
the German submarine U288 on 3 April 1944.
Activity was sold
into mercantile service in March 1946.
