RCN Frigates (River Class): HMCS Kirkland Lake K337/HMCS Kokanee K419/HMCS La Hulloise K668/HMCS Lanark K669/HMCS Lasalle K519/HMCS Lauzon K371/HMCS Levis K400/HMCS Longueuil K672/HMCS Magog K673/HMCS Matane K444/HMCS Meon K269/HMCS Monnow K441

HMCS Kirkland Lake (K337)

(Lloyd Bartlett Photo)

HMCS Kirkland Lake (K337) (River-class).  Laid down as HMCS St. Jerome, she was renamed in Mar 1944. Commissioned at Quebec City on 21 Aug 1944 as HMCS Kirkland Lake, she arrived at Halifax on 10 Sep 1944 and left on 20 Nov 1944 for Bermuda to work up. On her return to Halifax in Dec 1944 Kirkland Lake was assigned to EG 16, leaving on 08 Mar 1944 for Londonderry when the group was transferred there. She was based at various times at 'Derry and Portsmouth, and in May 1945, escorted two convoys to Gibraltar and two back. She returned to Canada in June for tropicalization refit at Quebec City, and when this was completed on 05 Nov 1945, returned to Halifax. She was paid off 14 Dec 1945, to maintenance reserve in Bedford Basin and broken up at Sydney, 1947-48.

HMCS Kokanee (K419)

(Len Burton Photo)

HMCS Kokanee (K419) (River-class).  Commissioned at Esquimalt on 6 Jun 1944, HMCS Kokanee arrived at Halifax on 24 Jul 1944 and left for Bermuda in Aug 1944 to work up.  On arrival at St. John's in Sep 1944 she was assigned to EG C-3 as Senior Officer's ship, and spent the rest of the European war on Atlantic convoy duty.  She left Londonderry for the last time on 24 May 1945, with convoy ON.304, and soon after arriving left for the west coast.  On 4 Oct 1945 she completed tropicalization refit, but as VJ-Day had intervened she was paid off into reserve on 21 Dec 1945.  She was sold to Capital Iron for breaking up in 1947, but re-sold in 1948 to the government of India for conversion to a pilot vessel for the Hooghly River and re-named Bengal in 1950.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Kokanee (K419) (River-class).

(DND Photo)

HMCS Kokanee (K419) (River-class).

HMCS La Hulloise (K668)

(IWM Photo, A 28098)

HMCS La Hulloise (K668) (River-class).  Commissioned at Montreal on 20 May 1944, HMCS La Hulloise arrived at Halifax in Jun 1944.  She proceeded to Bermuda in Jul 1944 to work up, and on returning was assigned to EG 16 at Halifax.  In Oct 1944 she was re-assigned to EG 25, and transferred with it to Londonderry in Nov 1944.  She spent the remainder of the war in UK waters, based variously at 'Derry and Rosyth.  On 7 Mar 1945, with HMCS Strathadam and HMCS Thetford Mines, she took part in sinking U-1302 in St. George's Channel.  Late in May 1945 she sailed for Canada to undergo tropicalization refit at Saint John, NB.  Work was completed on 19 Oct 1945, but the Pacific war had ended and she was paid off at Halifax on 6 Dec 1945.  When she was re-commissioned for cadet and new entry training in 1949 her CO, LCdr Jette, was also SO Reserve Fleet East Coast.  On  23 Nov 1953 HMCS La Hulloise was paid off for conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (305). She was commissioned as such on 9 Oct 1957.  On 13 Feb 1959, HMCS Fort Erie, HMCS Buckingham, HMCS Swansea and HMCS La Hulloise returned to Halifax after a 5 week exercise in southern waters that included a port visit to Kingston, Jamaica.  In Apr 1963, 12 RCN ships, HMCS Algonquin, Micmac, Cayuga, St. Croix, Terra Nova, Kootenay, Swansea, La Hulloise, Buckingham, Cape Scott, CNAV Bluethroat and CNAV St. Charles, took part in NATO Exercise New Broom Eleven, an exercise designed to test convoy protection tactics.  La Hulloise was paid off on 16 Jul 1965 and broken up at La Spezia, Italy, in 1966.

HMCS Lanark (K669)

(John Vukson Photo)

HMCS Lanark (K669) (River-class).  Commissioned on 6 Jul 1944, at Montreal, HMCS Lanark arrived at Halifax on 28 Jul 1944.  She carried out workups in Bermuda in September and, returning to Halifax in Oct 1944, was assigned to the newly formed EG C-7, Londonderry.  She spent the balance of the European war on convoy duty, most of that time as Senior Officer's ship, and early in Jun 1945, sailed for home.  In mid-Jul 1945 she began tropicalization refit at Liverpool, NS, but that was called off on 31 Aug 1945 and the ship was paid off at Sydney on 24 Oct 1945.  She was then placed in reserve at Shelburne, but was sold to Marine Industries Ltd., in 1946.  Later repurchased by the RCN, she was converted to a Prestonian class ocean escort (321), 1954-55, and on 26 Apr 1956, commissioned for training purposed on the east coast.  She was paid off the last time on 16 Mar 1965, and broken up at La Spezia, Italy in 1966.

(John Vukson Photo)

HMCS Lanark (K669) (River-class).

(William Carey Photo)

HMCS Lanark (K669) River-class Frigate.

Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3205380)

The Tower Bridge opening for HMCS Lanark (321), 19 June 1956.

HMCS Lasalle (K519)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Lasalle (K519) (River-class).  Laid down at Lauzon, Quebec, she was built by Davie Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Ltd., Lauzon, Quebec.  Commissioned on 29 Jun 1944, at Quebec City, she arrived in Bermuda on 31 Aug 1944 to carry out working-up exercises.  She left on 1 Oct 1944 for Halifax, there to become a member of the newly formed EG 27, and spent the remainder of the war in that area on A/S patrol and support duty . In Jun 1945, HMCS Lasalle sailed for Esquimalt via the Panama Canal and was paid off at Esquimalt on 17 Dec 1945.  She was dismantled in 1947 and her hull expended as a breakwater in 1948 at Kelsey Bay, BC.

(John Hawley Photo)

HMCS Lasalle (K519) (River-class).

HMCS Lauzon (K371)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Lauzon (K671) (River-class), entering St. John's Harbour, Newfoundland ca 1945.  Built by George T. Davie & Sons Ltd., she was commissioned on 30 Aug 1944, at Quebec City.  HMCS Lauzon arrived at Halifax in mid-Oct 1944 and in Nov 1944 spent three weeks' working up in Bermuda.  She arrived at St. John's, Newfoundland, 30 Nov 1944 to join EG C-6, and was continuously employed as a mid-ocean escort until VE-Day.  She left Londonderry 13 Jun 1945 for the last time, and that summer was employed as a troop-carrier between St. John's and Quebec City.  Paid off on 7 Nov 1945, she was laid up in reserve at Shelburne, NS, until purchased in 1946 by Marine Industries Ltd.  The RCN re-acquired her in 1951 for conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (322).  She was re-commissioned on 12 Dec 1953, and assumed a training role on the east coast until finally paid off on 24 May 1963.  She was sold the following year to a Toronto buyer, presumably for scrap.

HMCS Levis (K400)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Levis (K400) (River-class).  Commissioned at Quebec City on 21 Jul 1944 she arrived in Bermuda at the end of Aug 1944 to work up, and a month later left for Halifax to join the newly formed EG 27.  She spent the balance of the war with the group, on patrol and escort duty out of Halifax, and on 4 Jun 1945 commenced tropicalization at Lunenburg, NS.  The work was completed 26 Nov 1945 and she sailed a month later for Esquimalt, arriving 30 Jan 1946.  Paid off on 15 Feb 1946 to reserve there, she was sold in 1947 and her hull expended the following year as part of a breakwater at Oyster Bay, BC.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Levis (K400) (River-class).  

HMCS Longueuil (K672)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Longueuil (K672) (River-class).  Built by Canadian Vickers, Ltd, she was commissioned on 18 May 1944, at Montreal.  HMCS Longueuil arrived 30 Jun 1944 in Bermuda to work up.  In Jul 1944 she became a member of EG C-2, and on 7 Aug 1944 left St. John's for Londonderry with convoy HXF.302.  She spent her entire wartime career on convoy duty and for varying periods was Senior Officer's ship of her group.  Returning to Canada in Jun 1945, she proceeded to Vancouver for tropicalization refit, but this was cancelled and the ship paid off 31 Dec 1945 at Esquimalt.  She was sold in 1947 and, reportedly, expended as part of a breakwater at Kelsey Bay; BC, in 1948.

HMCS Magog (K673)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Magog (K673) (River-class).  Built by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, she was commissioned in Montreal on 7 Mar 1944.  HMCS Magog arrived at Halifax on 28 May 1944 and worked up briefly in St. Margaret's Bay before sailing for Bermuda to complete the process in Jul 1944.  She then returned to Montreal for repairs, subsequently completing these at Halifax in August.  There she joined EG 16, performing A/S duty in the Halifax, Gaspé, and Sydney areas.  On 14 Oct 1944, while escorting convoy GONS.33 (the Gulf section of ONS.33), she was torpedoed and badly damaged by U-1223 in the St. Lawrence River off Pointe des Monts.  Lacking 60 feet of her stern, she was towed to Quebec and there adjudged a constructive total loss.  Paid off 20 Dec 1944 to care and maintenance, she was sold in 1947 to Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel, who scrapped her in 1948.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4090376)

HMCS Magog (K673) (River-class), after being torpedoed by U-1223, 14 Oct 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo)

HMCS Magog (K673) (River-class), in drydock after being torpedoed by U-1223.

(Harold (Bud) Robertson Photo)

HMCS Magog (K673) (River-class), 14 Oct 1944

HMCS Matane (K444)

(IWM Photo, FL15119)

HMCS Matane (K444) (River-class).  Launched at Montreal on 29 May 1943, she was commissioned there on 22 Oct 1943.  HMCS Matane arrived at Halifax 13 Nov 1943 and began working up in St. Margaret's Bay completing the process at Pictou.  In Apr 1944, she joined EG 9, Londonderry, as Senior Officer's ship, thereafter serving mainly on escort and patrol duty in U.K. waters.  On 22 Apr 1944 HMCS Matane sank the German U-boat U-311 in the North Atlantic south west of Iceland by depth charges, in a joint attack with HMCS Swansea.  The credit for U-311's destruciton was not confirmed until after the end of the war, when German and British intelligence attributed the kill to these two ships, as opposed to attack by aircraft, the latter having been thought to be the case prior to the post-war analyses.  She was present on D-Day.  On 20 Jul 1944 she was hit by a German glider bomb off Brest and towed, badly damaged, to Plymouth by HMCS Meon.  In Apr 1945, she completed eight and one-half months' repairs at Dunstaffnage, Scotland, working up at Tobermory and, on 12 May 1945, sailed from Greenock to escort convoy JW.67 to North Russia.  She was detached on 14 May 1945, however, to help escort 14 surrendered U-boats from Trondheim to Loch Eriboll.  In June, after one round trip to Gibraltar as convoy escort, she left Londonderry for Esquimalt via Halifax.  She arrived at Esquimalt in Jul 1945 and on 11 Feb 1946, was paid off into reserve there.  She was sold in 1947 and her hull sunk in 1948 as part of a breakwater at Oyster Bay, BC.

(Grant Bailey Photo)

HMCS Matane (K444) (River-class).

HMCS Meon (K269)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Meon (K269) (River-class).  Named after an English river, HMS Meon was commissioned on 31 Dec 1943 at Glasgow and sailed on 16 Jan 1944, with convoy ON.220 for Canada.  Transferred to the RCN, she was commissioned in the RCN at Halifax on 7 Feb 1944, and in Apr 1944 worked up in St. Margaret's Bay.  In May 1944 she was assigned to EG 9 and sailed with convoy HXM.289 to join EG 9 in Londonderry.  For the next five months she was employed in UK coastal waters, and was present on D-Day.  She was then transferred to the EG 27, Halifax, as Senior Officer's ship, arriving there on 19 Oct 1944.  Employed locally until 31 Mar 1945, she then left Halifax to join convoy HX.347 on passage to Britain, and was returned to the RN at Southampton on 23 Apr 1945 . In 1946 HMS Meon joined the reserve fleet and remained at Harwich until 1952.  She then saw active service in the Suez campaign of 1956, and with the Amphibious Warfare Squadron in the Persian Gulf, before being paid off in 1965.  On 14 May 1966 HMS Meon (L369) arrived at Hughes Bolckow, Blyth for breaking up.

HMCS Monnow (K441)

(IWM Photo, A 22680)

HMCS Monnow (K441) (River-class), as HMS Monnow.  Laid down as HMS Monnow, named after an English river, she was transferred newly built to the RCN at Bristol on 8 Mar 1944.  Following workups at Tobermory in Apr 1944, HMCS Monnow joined EG C-2 in May and served with that group until Aug 1944, when she was re-assigned to EG 9, Londonderry.  She served throughout her career in UK waters except for a round trip to Gibraltar in Oct 1944, and to Kola Inlet with convoys JW.62 and RA.62 in Nov and Dec 1944.  On 13 May 1945, she left Greenock to pick up JW.67 for North Russia but was detached the next day to escort surrendered U-boats en route from Trondheim to Loch Eriboll.  She left Londonderry on 25 May 1945 for Sheerness, where on 11 Jun 1945 she was paid off and returned to the RN.  In Oct 1945 she was sold to the Danish Navy and re-named Holger Danske.  Holger Danske is a Danish symbol of the resistance, will, and fighting spirit when Denmark is in danger.  She was used as a cadet training ship.  As some of the cadets during the (German) occupation were connected to the resistance group "Holger Danske", there were additional reasons to include the freedom fighters' symbol on this ship's badge.  She was broken up at Odense, Denmark in 1959.  HMCS Monnow was one of two among the larger RCN warships that never saw a Canadian port.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Monnow (K441).