RCN Minesweepers (Fundy Class): HMCS Comox (J64), HMCS Fundy (J88), HMCS Gaspé (J94), HMCS Nootka/Nanoose (J35)

RCN 1939–1945, Minesweepers (Fundy Class)

Minesweepers (Fundy-class)

The Fundy-class minesweepers included four minesweepers operated by the RCN during the Second World War.  All four ships entered service in 1938 and the class was discarded in 1945, sold for mercantile service.  Three ended up sold to Chinese interests, while one remained active in Canada until 1987.  The class derived its name from the lead ship, HMCS Fundy, and are all named after bays in Canada.  The Fundy-class minesweepers were modified versions of the British Basset-class trawler mineseepers.  The Canadian ships were given extra strengthening for ice conditions.  Two were initially assigned to the west coast and two, including HMCS Fundy, to the east coast.

HMCS Comox (J64), HMCS Fundy (J88), HMCS Gaspé (J94), HMCS Nootka/Nanoose (J35)

HMCS Comox (J64)

(City of Vancouver Archives Photo, ca 1937)

HMCS Comox (J64) (Fundy-class).  Commissioned on 23 Nov 1938, HMCS Comox was stationed at Esquimalt at the outbreak of the war, and carried out local patrol duties until Mar 1940, when, with HMCS Nootka, she was ordered to the east coast.  Arriving at Halifax in Apr 1940, she spent the entire war on local minesweeping duties with Halifax Local Defence Force.  On 15 Jan 1945, with HMCS Fundy, she rescued survivors from the US liberty ship Martin van Buren, torpedoed off Halifax.  She was paid off 27 Jul 1945.  Sold for commercial use in 1946 she was converted to a tug and re-named the Sung Ming.

(CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Photo)

HMCS Comox (J64) (Fundy-class).

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Comox (J64) (Fundy-class).

HMCS Fundy (J88)

 (DND Photo)

HMCS Fundy (J88) (Fundy-class).  Built at Collingwood, Ontario, she was commissioned there on 1 Sep 1938.  She was at Halifax when the war began, and served almost continuously as a member of Halifax Local defence Force on local minesweeping duties.  In Jul 1942, her one change of occupation occurred when she escorted on convoy to Boston and another back to Halifax.  On 15 Jan 1945, with HMCS Comox, she rescued survivors of the torpedoed US liberty ship Martin van Buren.  HMCS Fundy was paid off at Halifax on 27 Jul 1945.  She was sold in 1947 to Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel, Quebec and converted to mercantile.  She became the coaster Aigle Marin and then the Anne R.D.  She was broken up at La Malbaie, Quebec in 1987.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Fundy (J88) (Fundy-class).

(DND Photo)

HMCS Fundy (J88) (Fundy-class).

HMCS Gaspé (J94)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Gaspé (J94) (Fundy-class).  Commissioned at Quebec on 21 Oct 1938, HMCS Gaspé was at Halifax when hostilities broke out.  Throughout the war she served with Halifax Local Defence Force on local minesweeping duties.  She was paid off at Halifax on 23 Jul 1945, and sold into mercantile service in 1946, becoming the Shanghai tug Sung Li.

HMCS Nootka/Nanoose (J35)

(DND Photo, HMCS Nootka)

HMCS Nanoose (J35) (Fundy-class).  Commissioned on 6 Dec 1938, at Esquimalt, HMCS Nootka was based there when the war began.  She performed local patrol duty until Mar 1940, when, with HMCS Comox, she was transferred to Halifax Local Defence Force with which she remained throughout the war.  On 1 Apr 1943, she was renamed HMCS Nanoose so that her original name could be allotted to a Tribal class destroyer.  She was paid off at Halifax on 29 Jul 1945, and, like two of her sisters, sold in 1946 to become a tug.  Her Chinese owners renamed her Sung Ling.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Nanoose (J35) (Fundy-class).

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