RCN Flower class Corvettes: HMCS Sudbury (K162), HMCS Summerside (K141), HMCS The Pas (K168)
HMCS Sudbury (K162)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Sudbury (K162) Flower class Corvette. Built at Kingston, Ontario, she was commissioned on 15 Oct 1941, at Montreal. HMCS Sudbury arrived at Halifax on 26 Oct 1941. She joined Sydney Force as local escort to ocean convoys but in Jan 1942, joined Newfoundland Command, making one round trip to Londonderry. On her return she transferred to the newly formed WLEF and in June 1942 to Halifax Tanker Escort Force. In the following three months she made two round trips to Trinidad and one to Aruba, escorting tankers both ways. In Sep 1942 Sudbury was placed under US control, escorting New York-Guantanamo convoys. She arrived at Liverpool, NS, on 26 Dec 1942, for two months’ refit, worked up at Halifax and then joined WLEF, in Jun 1943, becoming a member of EG W-9. In Sep 1943 she was lent to EG C-5 for her second transatlantic trip, afterward resuming service with W-9 until New Year’s Day, 1944, when she left for the west coast. She arrived at Esquimalt on 3 Feb 1944, and later that month commenced refit, including fo’c’s’le extension, at Vancouver. On completion on 10 May 1944, she joined Esquimalt Force for the duration of the war, being paid off on 28 Aug 1945, at Esquimalt. After the war HMCS Sudbury was sold and converted for use as a salvage tug, entering service in 1949 under her original name. She was broken up at Victoria in 1967.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Sudbury (K162) Flower class Corvette.
HMCS Summerside (K141)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Summerside (K141) Flower class Corvette. Commissioned at Quebec City on 11 Sep 1941, HMCS Summerside arrived at Halifax on 25 Sep 1941. She was assigned to local escort duty out of Halifax and later Sydney but left St. John’s on 11 Dec 1941 as ocean escort to SC.59 for Iceland, returning with ON.50. It was to be her only trip there. She left St. John’s on 25 Jan 1942, for convoy SC.66 to Londonderry, returning with ON.71 to join WLEF in Mar 1942. In Jul 1942 she was transferred to Gulf Escort Force until, earmarked for duties in connection with Operation “Torch”, she left Halifax on 19 Oct 1942 for the UK. For the next four months she was employed on UK-Mediterranean convoys, returning to Canada in mid-Mar, 1943, for a major refit at Saint John from 11 Apr to 25 Sep 1943. Her fo’c’s’le was extended in the process. After working up at Halifax she joined EG C-5 and in Apr 1944, after seven transatlantic trips, was assigned at Londonderry to Western Approaches Command for invasion duties. She was employed in UK waters until returning to Canada for two months’ refit at Liverpool, NS, commencing in mid-Oct 1944. After further repairs at Halifax were completed on 18 Jan 1945, she proceeded to Bermuda for three weeks’ workups. In Mar 1945 she sailed for the UK to serve with EG 41 (RN) out of Plymouth until the war’s end. She returned to Canada at the end of May 1945, was paid off at Sorel on 06 Jul 1945 and broken up at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1946.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Summerside (K141) Flower class Corvette.
(CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Photo)
HMCS Summerside (K141) Flower class Corvette, gunshield art, 7 Feb 1943.
HMCS The Pas (K168)
(Derwyn Crozier-Smith Photo)
HMCS The Pas (K168) Flower class Corvette. Commissioned at Montreal on 21 Oct 1941, HMCS The Pas arrived at Halifax on 04 Nov 1941. She joined Halifax Force as a local escort, but in Mar 1942, was reassigned to WLEF, then forming. In Jun 1942 she was transferred to Halifax Tanker Escort Force, and during the next three months made three round trips between Halifax and Trinidad-Aruba. In Sep 1942 she came under US control as escort to New York-Guantanamo convoys but arrived at Liverpool, NS, on 29 Nov 1942, for two months’ refit. Following workups locally, she rejoined WLEF and, on its division into escort groups in Jun 1943, became a member of EG W-4. The ship was badly damaged in collision with the American SS Medina in the western Atlantic on 21 Jul 1943, while escorting convoy ON.192, and was under repair at Halifax and Shelburne until early Oct 1943. She then returned to her duties with WLEF until Sep 1944 (from Apr 1944 as a member of EG W-3), when she underwent a refit at Sydney and, on completion of this late in Nov 1944, joined HMCS Cornwallis as a training ship for the balance of the war. The Pas never did receive an extended fo’c’s’le. She was paid off on 24 Jul 1945, at Sorel and broken up at Hamilton, Ontario, the following year.
(CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Photo)
HMCS The Pas (K168) Flower class Corvette.
(RCN Photo via the Comox Air Force Museum)
HMCS The Pas (K168) Flower class Corvette.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS The Pas (K168) Flower class Corvette.