Royal Canadian Navy Frigates (River Class): HMCS Penetang (K676) to HMCS Wentworth (K331)

Royal Canadian Navy Frigates (River Class): HMCS Penetang (K676) to HMCS Wentworth (K331).

‍Frigates were initially called "twin-screw corvettes" and were larger and more habitable than the standard corvettes.  They had twice the endurance rate, at 7,200 sea miles at 12 knots.

‍HMCS Penetang (K676)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3198954)

HMCS Penetang (K676) (River-class), 1945.  Laid down as HMCS Rouyn K676, she was renamed prior to being commissioned on 19 Oct 1944, at Quebec City.  She left on 6 Nov 1944 for Halifax and in Dec 1944 proceeded to Bermuda to work up.  Returning northward in Jan 1945, HMCS Penetang joined convoy HX.331 at New York as local escort.  She was allocated in February to EG C-9, and made the crossing to the group's Londonderry base as an escort to SC.168.  She spent the rest of the war as a mid-ocean escort, returning to Canada in Jun 1945, to be employed as a troop carrier between St. John's, Newfoundland, and Quebec City.  One of the few frigates not taken in hand for tropicalization, she was paid off on 10 Nov 1945 and laid up at Shelburne, NS.  She was sold in Dec 1945 to Marine Industries Ltd., but later re-acquired and converted to a Prestonian class ocean escort (316), and re-commissioned on 1 Jun 1954 . Again paid off on 2 Sep 1955, she was lent to the Norwegian navy on 10 Mar 1956 and re-named Draug.  Transferred outright three years later, she served until 1966 and was then broken up at Oslo, Norway.

(Bill Robinson Photo)

HMCS Penetang (K676) (River-class).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3204730)

HMCS Penetang (K676) River class Frigate in the North Atlantic, March 1945.

HMCS Port Colborne (K326)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Port Colborne (K326) (River-class).  Built at Esquimalt, BC, she was commissioned at Victoria on 15 Nov 1943.  On 12 Dec 1943, HMCS Port Colborne arrived at Halifax; departing Halifax on 8 Feb 1944 for Bermuda to work up.  Late in Apr 1944 she was assigned to EG 9 based out of Londonderry.  On 27 Apr 1944 she departed Halifax for Londonderry via St. John's, Newfoundland.  On 1 May 1944, HMCS Port Colborne sailed from St. John's to search for a sub reported off the Newfoundland coast.  She was detached from the search on 3 May 1944 and joined C-3, for her transit to Derry, as escort to HX 289, joining EG 9 or her arrival on 12 May 1944.  She remained on patrol and escort duty in UK waters, including participation on D-Day, except for a round trip to North Russia in Dec 1944, with convoys JW.62 and RA.62.  She left 'Derry for Halifax 21 Feb 1945, and on 24 Sep 1945 completed tropicalization refit at Liverpool, NS.  On 7 Nov 1945 she was paid off at Halifax and laid up in reserve in Bedford Basin, and in 1947 was broken up at Sydney.

HMCS Poundmaker (K675)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3554608)

HMCS Poundmaker (K675) (River-class).  Built at Montreal, she was commissioned there on 17 Sep 1944.  She arrived at Halifax in Oct 1944 and worked up in Bermuda in Nov 1944.  In mid-Dec 1944 she arrived at St. John's to join EG C-8, serving as a mid-ocean escort for the rest of the war.  She left Londonderry for the last time on 11 May 1945 to escort convoy ONS.50 westward, and on 31 May 1945 began tropicalization refit at Lunenburg.  Work was completed on 20 Aug 1945, and on 25 Nov 1945 she was paid off at Sydney and taken to Shelburne for disposal.  She was sold to the Peruvian Navy in 1947 and re-named Teniente Ferre and, in 1963, Ferre.  She was broken up in 1966.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3554609)

HMCS Poundmaker (K675).

HMCS Prestonian (K662)

(Margaret & Duane Drouillard Photo)

HMCS Prestonian (K662) (River-class).  Named to commemorate Preston, Ontario, she was named HMCS Prestonian K662, as there was an RN ship, HMS Preston already in commission.  Commissioned 13 Sep 1944 at Quebec City, HMCS Prestonian arrived at Halifax the following month in need of repairs, and it was early Jan 1945, before she could go to Bermuda to work up.  On her return to Canada she was assigned to EG 28, based at Halifax, and employed locally until VE-Day.  She then underwent tropicalization at Halifax, completing 20 Aug 1945, and on 9 Nov 1945 was paid off and sold to Marine Industries Ltd.  Later re-acquired by the RCN, she was rebuilt to become the name-ship of the Prestonian ocean escort class (307).  She was re-commissioned on 22 Aug 1953, and finally paid off on 24 Apr 1956, having been lent to the Norwegian navy.  Re-named Troll, she was transferred outright in 1959, and in 1965 reclassified as a submarine depot ship and re-named Horten.  She was discarded in 1972 and broken up same year.

(Margaret & Duane Drouillard Photo)

HMCS Prestonian (K662) (River-class).

HMCS Prince Rupert (K324)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Prince Rupert (K324) (River-class).  Commissioned at Esquimalt on 30 Aug 1943, she arrived at Halifax 21 Oct 1943, worked up at Pictou and, in Jan 1944, joined EG C-3 as Senior Officer's ship.  HMCS Prince Rupert left St. John's on 3 Jan 1944 to join her maiden convoy, SC.150, and was thereafter continuously employed as an ocean escort until late that year.  On 13 Mar 1944, with US naval units and US and British aircraft, she assisted in sinking U-575 in the North Atlantic.  In Nov 1944, she began a refit at Liverpool, NS, and on its completion in Mar 1945, joined EG 27, Halifax.  In Jun 1945, HMCS Prince Rupert sailed for Esquimalt, where she was paid off 15 Jan 1946.  She was sold in 1947, and her hull expended as a breakwater at Royston, BC, the following year.

(Jim Pierce Photo)

HMCS Prince Rupert (K324) (River-class).

HMCS Ribble (K525)

(John Smythe Photo)

HMCS Ribble (K525) (River-class).  Named for an English river, she was laid down as HMS Duddon.  Renamed HMS Ribble in Jun 1943, she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned on 24 Jul 1944 as HMCS Ribble at Blyth, UK.  After workups at Tobermory she arrived at Londonderry on 4 Sep 1944 to join the newly formed EG 26 the following month.  She spent her whole career with this group, based much of the time at Portsmouth and Plymouth, and from 07-09 Oct 1944, towed the damaged HMCS Chebogue toward Swansea, Wales.  On 18 Dec 1944 HMCS Ribble and HMCS Montreal rescued 44 of 53 crewmembers of U-1209 ( OLtzS Ewald Hülsenbeck CO) in the Channel off Scilly Isles, after hitting Wolf Rock.  Both frigates claimed their attacks were cause, but this was dismissed by Admiralty findings.  HMCS Montreal and HMCS Ribble were members of Escort Group 26.  They had attacked several asdic contacts but these produced no results and the contacts were classified as wrecks, of which there were many in the area.  When the survivors were found and recovered a short time later the two ships were quick to claim that their attacks were the cause of a sinking.  U-1209 had been scuttled after hitting Wolf Rock after her successful efforts to evade her pursuers.  OLtzS Hülsenbeck was among those lost.  HMCS Ribble was paid off at Sheerness on 11 Jun 1945, and returned to the RN.  After 12 years in reserve at Harwich, she arrived at Hughes Bolckow, Blyth on 9 Jul 1957 and was broken up that year.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Ribble (K525) (River-class).

(DND Photo)

HMCS Ribble (K525) (River-class).

HMCS Royalmount (K677)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Royalmount (K677) (River-class).  Laid down as HMCS Alwington K677 at Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, she was named after a historic house in Kingston, Ontario.  In Apr 1944 she was renamed HMCS Royalmount K677, to commemorate Mount Royal, PQ.  HMCS Royalmount was commissioned at Montreal on 25 Aug 1944, arrived at Halifax on 8 Sep 1944 and carried out working-up exercises in Bermuda later that month.  She arrived at St. John's on 15 Nov 1944 to join EG C-1, and spent the remainder of the war with the group as a mid-ocean.  She left Liverpool 21 Apr 1945 and escorted convoy ONS.48 on her homeward passage to refit, from 26 May to 5 Oct 1845, at Sydney.  She was paid off at Halifax on 17 Nov 1945, and placed in reserve in Bedford Basin until 1947, when a New York buyer purchased her for scrap.

(Brian Dobing Photo)

HMCS Royalmount (K677) (River-class), before receiving her armament.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Royalmount (K677) (River-class).

(DND Photo)

HMCS Royalmount (K677) (River-class).

HMCS Runnymede (K678)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Runnymede (K678) (River-class).  She was commissioned on 14 June 1944 at Montreal and arrived in Bermuda for workups toward the end of Jul 1944.  On 21 Aug 1944 she returned to Halifax to become Senior Officer's ship of EG C-5, and was to wear its barber pole stripes the rest of her wartime career.  She left Londonderry toward the end of May 1945, and made her passage home as escort to convoy ON.305.  She left Halifax on 20 Jun 1945 for Esquimalt, arriving 18 Jul 1945 and early in Aug 1945 commenced tropicalization refit at North Vancouver.  Work was soon suspended and she sailed for Esquimalt 20 Jun 1945 to be placed in reserve, though not paid off until 19 Jan 1946.  Sold in 1947, she is reported to have been expended as part of a breakwater at Kelsey Bay, BC, in 1948.

HMCS Sea Cliff (K344)

(David Ross Photo)

HMCS Sea Cliff (K344) (River-class), 31 March 1945.  Originally laid down as HMCS Megantic, she was re-named HMCS Sea Cliff in honour of the town of Leamington, Ontario and it's citizens.  She was built at Lauzon, Quebec, and was commissioned at Quebec City on 26 Sep 1944.  She arrived at Halifax 20 Oct 1944, proceeding to Bermuda in Nov 1944 to work up.  On completion she sailed to St. John's to become a member of EG C-3, and left 23 Dec 1944 to join her first convoy, HX.237.  On 27 Dec 1944, HMCS Sea Cliff made contact with a possible U-boat.  She radioed HMCS St Thomas who went to investigate.  HMCS St Thomas immediately made contact and did a hedgehog and then a depth charge run.  When U-877 surfaced, HMCS Sea Cliff's crew fired on her with small arms fire.  HMCS Sea Cliff rescued 21survivors from U-877.  She spent the remainder of the war on North Atlantic convoy duty, and on 21 May 1945, left Londonderry for the last time, to join ON.304 on her passage to Canada.  She began tropicalization refit at Liverpool, NS, on 10 Jun 1945, but work was halted 28 Aug 1945 and the ship was paid off 28 Nov 1945 at Halifax.  She was placed in reserve at Shelburne until 1946, when she was sold to the Chilean navy and renamed Covadonga.  She was broken up in 1968.

(Collin Hazell Photo)

HMCS Sea Cliff (K344) in rough seas.

(David Ross Photo)

HMCS Sea Cliff (K344) in rough seas.

HMCS Springhill (K323)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Springhill (K323) (River-class).  Built at the Yarrows Shipyard in BC, she was commissioned on 21 Mar 1944, at Victoria; arrived at Halifax on 12 May 1944; and left in mid-Jun 1944 for three weeks' working up in Bermuda.  In Aug 1944 HMCS Springhill joined EG 16, Halifax, as Senior Officer's ship.  She left on 7 Mar 1945, for Londonderry, the group having been transferred there, but returned in Apr 1945 for tropicalization refit at Pictou.  This occupied her from May to Oct 1945, and on Dec 1945 she was paid off at Halifax and laid up in reserve in Bedford Basin.  She was broken up in 1947 at Sydney, NS.

HMCS St. Catharines (K325)

Steve Epp Photo)

HMCS St. Catharines (K325) (River-class).  Built by Yarrows Ltd., Esquimalt, BC, she was commissioned on 31 Jul 1943, at Esquimalt.  Departing Esquimalt soon after, she arrived at Halifax on 4 Oct 1943 and in Nov 1943 sailed for the UK as a member of EG C-2.  She was continuously employed on convoy duty until Oct 1944, and from Feb to Sep 1944 she was Senior Officer's ship.  With six other escorts of convoy HX.280, she took part in the destruction of U-744 on 6 Mar 1944.  After refitting at Shelburne from Oct to Dec 1944, she went to Bermuda to work up and, on her return to Halifax, commenced tropicalization refit there.  By the time this was completed in Aug 1945, the war was over and the ship was paid off on 18 Nov 1945.  In 1947 she was sold to Marine Industries Ltd. and laid up at Sorel.  Later re-sold to Morton Engineering & Drydock Co., Quebec City, she was re-acquired in 1950 and converted to a weather ship.  Transferred to the Department of Transport, she was taken round to the west coast to be stationed in the North Pacific as of July, 1952.  Replaced in March, 1967, by CGS Vancouver, she was broken Japan in 1968.

(Dave Chamberlain Photo)

HMCS St. Catharines (K325) in drydock, Saint John, NB ca spring 1945.

(Gary Medford Photo)

HMCS St. Catharines (K325).

HMCS Saint John (K456)

(LCdr Stacy Photo)

HMCS Saint John (K456) (River-class).  Built by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, she was commissioned on 13 Dec 1943, at Montreal.  She arrived at Halifax on 20 Dec 1943 and in Jan 1944, was sent to Bermuda to work up.  On her return in Feb 1944 she was based for a short time at Halifax, but in Apr 1944 she was assigned to EG 9 in Londonderry.  She departed Halifax on 28/29 Apr 1944 and joined C 3 as escort for convoy HX 289 for her transit to Londonderry, joining EG 9 on her arrival on 12 May 1944.  She was present on D-Day.  On 1 Sep 1944, she and HMCS Swansea sank U-247 off Land's End, and on 16 Feb 1945, HMCS Saint John destroyed U-309 in Moray Firth.  In Dec 1944, she escorted convoys JW.62 and RA.62 on the North Russia run, to and from Kola Inlet.  She arrived at Cardiff for repairs on 27 Feb 1945, and, when these were completed in Apr 1945, proceeded home for tropicalization refit at Saint John, NB, from May to Oct 1945.  She was paid off 27 Nov 1945, at Halifax and placed in reserve in Bedford Basin until sold and broken up at Sydney, NS in 1947.

(Harold Colgan Photo)

HMCS Saint John (K456) (River-class).

(Lana James Photo)

HMCS Saint John (K456) (River-class), Halifax.

(Lana James Photo)

HMCS Saint John (K456) (River-class).

HMCS St. Pierre (K680)

(DND Photo)

HMCS St. Pierre (K680) (River-class).  Built at Lauzon, Quebec, by Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., she was commissioned on 22 Aug 1944, at Quebec City.  She arrived at Halifax in Oct 1944 and spent more than four months under repair . She carried out workups in Bermuda in Mar 1945 and on 5 Apr 1945 left for Londonderry via the Azores, having been assigned to EG 9.  From Horta she picked up convoy SC.172, arriving at `Derry on 21 Apr 1945.  On 12 May 1945 she left Greenock to escort JW.67 to North Russia, but was detached the next day to accompany a number of surrendered U-boats bound from Trondheim to Loch Eriboll.  She left the UK late that month for Canada, and on 4 June 1945 commenced tropicalization refit at Lauzon.  The job was called off on 20 Aug 1945 and the ship paid off 22 Nov 1945 at Sydney, to be placed in reserve at Shelburne.  In 1947 she was sold to the Peruvian Navy and renamed Teniente Palacios, shortened to Palacios in 1953.  She was broken up in 1966.

HMCS St. Stephen (K454)

(DND Photo)

HMCS St. Stephen (K454) (River-class).  Commissioned on 28 Jul 1944, at Esquimalt, HMCS St. Stephen arrived at Halifax on 28 Sep 1944 and in Oct 1944 proceeded to Bermuda to work up.  Returning in mid-Nov 1944, she joined EG C-5 and spent the balance of the war as a mid-ocean escort.  She left Barry, Wales, on 27 May 1945, to take passage home with convoy ON.305, and early in Jun 1945 began tropicalization refit at Dartmouth, NS.  This was cancelled in Aug 1945 and on 30 Jan 1946, the ship was paid off at Halifax and laid up in Bedford Basin.  On 27 Sep 1947, she was re-commissioned, having undergone alterations to fit her as a weather ship.  She was stationed between Labrador and Greenland until Aug 1950, when she sailed to Esquimalt to be paid off on 31 Aug 1950 and lent to the Department of Transport.  Retained primarily as a "spare" in the event of a mishap to HMCS St. Catharines or HMCS Stone Town, she was purchased by the Department in 1958.  Ten year later she was sold to a Vancouver buyer, purportedly for conversion to a fish factory ship.

(Maritime Museum of British Columbia Photo)

HMCS St. Stephen (K454) (River-class), as weathership 302.  Three of the River Class Frigates were taken over by the Department of Transport, (DOT) extensively modified and crewed by D.O.T. personnel to serve as weatherships. One Frigate was HMCS St. Stephen, a three-year veteran of station 'B'. The other two were HMCS St. Catharines and HMCS Stonetown.

After the three ships were taken over by the Department ofTransport (DOT) they became Canadian Government Ships (CGS) St. Catharines, CGS Stonetown and CGS St. Stephen. All the DOT ships, the buoy vessels, icebreakers and so on were known as CGS. They had civilian crews, were members of the DOT and operated as merchant ships. The personnel consisted of: Masters, Mates, Engineers, Chief Stewards, Radio Officers, Electricians, Weather Observers and any other trade that was needed to get the job done. Radio operators were required to have their commercial deep sea radio certificate in order to work for the Department of Transport.

The government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker decided to consolidate the duties of the Marine Service of the Department of Transport and on 28 Jan 1962 the Canadian Coast Guard was formed as a subsidiary of DOT. As a result, the three weather ships became Canadian Coast Guard Ships along with the rest of the DOT fleet.

HMCS Ste. Thérèse (K366)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Ste. Thérèse (K366) (River-class).  Built by Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., HMCS Ste. Thérèse (K366) was commissioned on 28 May 1944, at Lévis, Quebec.  She arrived at Halifax early in Jul 1944 and, after preliminary workups in St. Margaret's Bay, NS, proceeded to Bermuda to complete the process.  Returning n mid-Aug 1944, HMCS Ste. Therese left Halifax in late Oct 1944 to join convoy HX.317 for passage to Londonderry.  There she joined EG 25 and served with it in UK waters until Feb 1945, when she was re-assigned to EG 28, Halifax.  She served locally with EG 28 until the end of the war, and on 22 Nov 1945 was paid off at Sydney, NS, and placed in reserve at Shelburne, NS.  She re-commissioned on 22 Jan 1955, after conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (309), finally being paid off at Esquimalt on 30 Jan 1967.  She was broken up in Japan that year.

HMCS Stettler (K681)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Stettler (K681) (River-class).  Built by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, HMCS Stettler was commissioned on 7 May 1944, at Montreal.  She arrived at Halifax on 28 May 1944 then carried out workups in Bermuda in Jul 1944.  On her return to Halifax she was assigned to EG 16.  On 7 Mar  1945, she left for Londonderry, EG 16's new base, and was thereafter employed in UK waters except for two round trips to Gibraltar in May and Jun 1945.  She left 'Derry for home on 16 Jun 1945, the last Canadian warship to do so, and began tropicalization refit at Shelburne, NS.  Work was suspended in Aug 1945 and the ship was paid off 9 Nov 1945.  She was sold but later recovered and converted to a Prestonian class ocean escort (311), being re-commissioned on 27 Feb 1954.  In the Spring of 1966, HMCS Stettler participated in exercise Maple Spring along with HMCS Grilse and HMCS St. Croix, with port visits along the east coast of South America.  She subsequently moved to the west coast, and was finally paid off there on 31 Aug 1966.  She was purchased by Capital Iron and Metal, Victoria, BC, in 1967 to be broken up.  Shortly after purchase the price of scrap metal plummeted and she was not broken up late 1971, early 1972.

HMCS Stone Town (K531)

(St. Mary's Museum Photo)

HMCS Stone Town (K531) (River-class).  Commissioned at Montreal on 21 Jul 1944, HMCS Stone Town arrived at Halifax on 13 Aug 1944, and on 3 Sep 1944 commenced a month's workups in Bermuda.  On her return to Canada she was assigned to newly formed EG C-8 as Senior Officer's ship, and spent the balance of the war as a mid-ocean escort.  She sailed from Londonderry on 12 May 1945, as escort to convoy ONS.50 on her way home, and on 22 Jul 1945 commenced tropicalization refit at Lunenburg.  Work was stopped on 24 Aug 1945 and the ship was paid off on 13 Nov 1945 at Lunenburg, to be laid up in reserve at Shelburne.  Sold to the Department of Transport for a weather ship, she was modified for the purpose at Halifax in 1950, named Canadian Coast Guard Weathership Stonetown, and sailed that Oct 1950 for Esquimalt.  In Oct 1957, after 15 years on station in the North Pacific, she was replaced by CGS Quadra and sold in 1968 to a Vancouver buyer, purportedly for conversion to a fish factory ship.

(Naval Museum of Manitoba Photo)

HMCS Stone Town (K531) (River-class).

(Frank Statham Photo)

Canadian Coast Guard Weathership Stonetown, circa 1960s.

HMCS Stormont (K327)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Stormont (K327) (River-class).  Commissioned at Montreal on 27 Nov 1943, HMCS Stormont arrived at Halifax in Dec 1943, worked up in St. Margaret's Bay and in mid-Mar 1944, sailed for Londonderry to join EG 9.  She was present on D-Day, and in Jul 1944 assisted the damaged HMCS Matane toward Plymouth.  In Oct 1944 she escorted a convoy to Gibraltar and, in Dec 1944, escorted convoy JW.62 to Kola Inlet and RA.62 back.  She left 'Derry on 09 Dec 1944, for Halifax and tropicalization refit at Shelburne.  The latter, begun in Jun 1945, was discontinued on 20 Aug 1945 and the ship was paid off 09 Nov 1945.  She was sold in 1947 to a Montevideo buyer for conversion to a merchant ship, but was re-sold in 1951.  Converted at Kiel, 1952-54, to a luxury yacht for Aristotle Onassis, she was re-named Christina.  After the elder Onassis died in 1975, Christina inherited the yacht, and gave her to the Greek government as a presidential yacht in 1978.  She was renamed Argo for a number of years, but was eventually allowed to deteriorate . In 1998, she was purchased by another Greek ship owner, John Paul Papanicolaou, who restored her and renamed her Christina O.  She continues to sail.

(Jim Pierce Photo)

HMCS Stormont (K327).

(Jim Pierce Photo)

HMCS Stormont (K327) wheelhouse, Jan 1944.

(Jim Pierce Photo)

HMCS Stormont (K327) twin 20-mm Oerlikon AA guns, Jan 1944.

(US Naval History and Heritage Photos)

HMCS Stormont (K327).

HMCS Strathadam (K682)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Strathadam (K682) (River-class).  Built at Esquimalt, BC, she was commissioned on 29 Sep 1944, at Victoria, she arrived at Halifax on 21 No 1944 and left a month later for Bermuda to work up.  Returning to Halifax, she was assigned to EG 25, Londonderry, and sailed from St. John's on 2 Feb 1945.  Except for one trip late that month to Gibraltar, HMCS Strathadam was employed in UK waters until VE-Day.  On 7 Mar 1945, with HMCS La Hulloise and HMCS Thetford Mines, she took part in the sinking of U-1302 in St. George's Channel, and on 11 Apr 1945 she was carrying out another attack when a Hedgehog projectile exploded prematurely, killing six of her crew.  She returned to Canada at the end of May 1945, and in Jul 1945 commenced tropicalization refit.  This was cancelled 20 Aug 1945 and the ship was paid off at Halifax on 7 Nov 1945, to be laid up at Shelburne.  She was sold to Uruguayan interests in 1947 but acquired by the Israeli Navy in 1950 and re-named Misgav K30.  In the late 1960s she was paid off, and in 1970 was expended as a target for Gabrial missile trials by Israel.

(CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Photo)

HMCS Strathadam (K682) (River-class).

(CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Photo)

HMCS Strathadam (K682) (River-class).

HMCS Sussexvale (K683)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Sussexvale (K683).  Launched on 12 Jul 1944, she was the last  frigate launched for the RCN.  HMCS Sussexvale (K683) was commissioned on 29 Nov 1944, at Quebec City, and arrived at Halifax on 16 Dec 1944.  She left on 8 Jan 1945, for a months' workups in Bermuda, on completion of which she was assigned to EG 26.  She arrived in Londonderry to join the group on 6 Mar 1945 and spent the remainder of the war in UK waters, based primarily at Portsmouth.  She returned home in May to begin tropicalization refit at Shelburne, NS, but this was called off and the ship was paid off at Sydney on 16 Nov 1945.  Placed in reserve at Shelburne, she was subsequently sold to Marine Industries Ltd., but re-acquired by the RCN and converted to a Prestonian class ocean escort (313).  Re-commissioned 18 Mar 1955, she served as a training ship until paid off on 30 Nov 1966.  Sold in Dec 1966 to Kennedy & Mitsui, Vancouver, BC.  She was scrapped in Japan in 1967.

(US Naval History and Heritage Photo)

HMCS Sussexvale (K683).

HMCS Swansea (K328)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3194362)

HMCS Swansea (K328) (River-class), in rough seas off Bermuda, Jan 1944.  Built by Yarrows Ltd., Esquimalt, she was commissioned at Victoria on 4 Oct 1943, HMCS Swansea arrived at Halifax on 16 Nov 1943 and worked up off Pictou and in St. Margaret's Bay, NS.  Assigned to EG 9, Londonderry, she made her passage there with convoy SC.154, taking part in the sinking of U-845 on 10 Mar 1944.  On 14 Apr 1944 she repeated the process in company with HMS Pelican, the victim this time being U-448.  Eight days later, on 22 April 1944, this time with HMCS Matane, HMCS Swansea sank U-311 southwest of Iceland.  This kill was only awarded long after the war once the records of German and British intelligence became available.  She was present on D-Day, and for the next four months patrolled the Channel in support of the ships supplying the invasion forces.  While thus employed, she and HMCS Saint John sank U-247 off Land's End on 1 Sep 1944.  She left Londonderry on 5 Nov 1944 for a major refit at Liverpool, NS, from Dec 1944 to Jul 1945.  She received the first tropicalization of a frigate for Pacific service, and on VJ-Day HMCS Swansea was assessing the results in the Caribbean.  She was paid off 2 Nov 1945 to reserve in Bedford Basin, but was twice re-commissioned for training cadets and new entries between Apr 1948, and Nov 1953.  In early June, 1949, while the Maingay Commission was still hearing testimony, a group of junior hands on the HMCS Swansea, incensed at poor treatment by their commanding officer, locked themselves in their mess.  The response was a forceful entry by armed troops, a rapid court-martial of the senior hands, and their sentencing to 90 days' hard labour and dishonorable discharge from the navy.  In Jun 1953 HMCS Swansea was part of the Canadian Squadron that attended the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II Fleet Review at Spithead.  HMCS Swansea was rebuilt from 1956 to 1957, as a Prestonian class ocean escort (306).  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.  She was paid off 14 Oct 1966 and broken up in 1967 at Savona, Italy.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Swansea (K328) (River-class).

(DND Photo)

HMCS Swansea (K328) (River-class).

(US Naval History and Heritage Photos)

HMCS Swansea (K328).

HMCS Teme (K458)

(Dave Chamberlain Photo)

HMCS Teme (K458) (River-class).  Laid down as HMS Teme at South Bank-on-Tees, she was named after a river on the English-Welsh boarder.  Transferred to the RCN, she was commissioned in the RCN at Middlesbrough on 28 Feb 1944.  After working up, HMCS Teme was assigned in May to EG 6, Londonderry, and spent her whole career with this group.  She was present on D-Day, and on 10 Jun 1944 was rammed in the Channel by the escort carrier HMS Tracker, and cut almost in half abaft the bridge.   She was towed by HMCS Outremont 200 miles to Cardiff, where she remained under repair until Christmas.  In 19 Jan 1945, she went to Tobermory to work up, returning to Londonderry on 9 Feb 1945 to rejoin her group.  At 0822 on 29 Mar 1945, U-315 fired a Gnat at HMCS Teme who was escorting the convoy BTC-111 off Lands End and hit her stern.  She lost 60 feet of her stern, was towed to Falmouth where she was declared a total loss.  On 4 May 1945, she was returned to the Royal Navy and sold for scrap on 8 Dec 1945.  She was broken up at Llanelly, Wales, in 1946.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Teme (K458) (River-class).

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Teme (K458) (River-class).

HMCS Thetford Mines (K459)

(John Lyon Photo)

HMCS Thetford Mines (K459) (River-class).  Built by Morton Engineering & Dry Dock, Co., Quebec City, she was commissioned on 24 May 1944, at Quebec City.  HMCS Thetford Mines arrived in Bermuda on 12 Jul 1944 to work up, returning to Halifax on 16 Aug 1944.  Soon afterward she was assigned to EG 25.  She was transferred with the group to Londonderry in November, and served in UK waters from then until VE-Day, working out of 'Derry, and for a time out of Rosyth.  On 7 Mar 1945, she helped sink U-1302 in St. George's Channel, and on 23 Mar 1945, HMCS Thetford Mines rescued 33 of the 47 crewmembers of U-1003 (sunk by HMCS New Glasgow), 16 miles northwest of Innistrahull.  Two of the rescued men later died.  On 11 May 1945 she arrived in Lough Foyle as escort to eight surrendered U-Boats.  She returned home late in May 1945, was paid off 18 Nov 1945 at Sydney and laid up at Shelburne.  In 1947 she was sold to a Honduran buyer who proposed converting her into a refrigerated fruit carrier.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4950808)

HMCS Thetford Mines (K459) (River-class),  twin 20-mm Oerlikon AA Guns on a powered mount, ca 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4950915)

HMCS Thetford Mines (K459) (River-class), escorting surrendered U-boats, May 1945.

(John Lyon Photo)

HMCS Thetford Mines arrived in Lough Foyle as escort to eight surrendered U-Boats, including this one, on 11 May 1945.

(John Lyon Photo)

HMCS Thetford Mines arrived in Lough Foyle as escort to eight surrendered U-Boats, including these two, on 11 May 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4950917)

HMCS Thetford Mines (K459) (River-class), bridge.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4950916)

HMCS Thetford Mines (K459) (River-class), bridge, ca 1944.

HMCS Toronto (K538)

(Thomas J. Simpson Photo)

HMCS Toronto (K538) (River-class).  Laid down as HMCS Giffard (K538), she was renamed and commissioned on 6 May 1944, at Lévis as HMCS Toronto (K538).  She arrived at Halifax on 28 May 1944 leaving on 18 Jun 1944 for a month's working-up in Bermuda.  In Aug 1944, HMCS Toronto was allocated to EG 16, Halifax, but for the next few weeks operated principally from Sydney.  Following repairs in Nov 1944 she joined Halifax Force and was employed locally until May 1945, when she began five months' training duty at HMCS Cornwallis.  Paid off on 27 Nov 1945, she was placed in reserve at Shelburne, but was re-commissioned on 26 Mar 1953, after conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (319).  She was paid off for the last time on 14 Apr 1956, having been lent to the Norwegian Navy, which renamed her HNoMS Garm.  She was permanently transferred in 1959, and re-classed in 1965 as a torpedo boat depot ship - simultaneously renamed HNoMS Valkyrien, she served a further 13 years before being disposed of.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Toronto (K538) (River-class).

HMCS Valleyfield (K329)

(Bob Fenton Photo)

HMCS Valleyfield (K329) (River-class).  Built at Quebec City, she was commissioned there 7 Dec 1943.  She arrived at Halifax on 20 Dec 1943 and commenced working up in St. Margaret's Bay, completing the process in Bermuda.  She left Halifax at the end of Feb 1944, to join EG C-1 and sailed for the UK with convoy SC.154, but was detached to Horta en route, escorting a tug and its tow, the rescue ship Dundee.  Her next assignment was to escort the damaged HMCS Mulgrave, in tow from Horta for the Clyde.  The three left the Azores on 14 Mar 1944 and joined convoy SL.151 (from Sierra Leone) three days later.  HMCS Valleyfield made one return trip to Canada, and on her next trip left Londonderry on 27 Apr 1944 with convoy ON.234.  On 7 May 1944, HMCS Valleyfield was sunk by a single acoustic torpedo by U-548 (Kptlt Eberhard Zimmermann) 0435hrs, 50 miles SE of Cape Race, 46-03N 52-24W.  At the time, HMCS Valleyfield was part of escort group C1, performing a search for the U-boat.  HMCS Valleyfield sank so quickly that other ships in the group did not immediately realize what had happened.  A combination of the ship's quick sinking, the delay in rescue efforts, and the cold water resulted in only 38 survivors with 125 crew members including LCdr English lost.  Survivors were rescued by HMCS Giffard (K402).  She was the only RCN ship of her class to be lost.

(Bob Fenton Photo)

HMCS Valleyfield (K329) (River-class).

HMCS Victoriaville (K684)

(Bob Macklem Photo)

HMCS Victoriaville (K684) (River-class).  Commissioned on 11 Nov 1944, at Quebec City, she arrived at Halifax on 03 Dec 1944 and late that month proceeded to Bermuda to work up.  In Feb 1945, she was assigned to EG C-9, leaving Halifax on 27 Feb 1945 to join convoy SC.168 for her passage to Londonderry, where the group was based.  HMCS Victoriaville (K684) spent the balance of the war on North Atlantic convoy duty.  She left Barry, Wales, on 02 May 1945 to pick up convoy ON.300 on her way home to Canada, and on 12 May 1945 escorted the surrendered U-190 into Bay Bulls, Newfoundland.  She began tropicalization refit at Saint John, NB, on 24 May 1945, but work was stopped on 20 Aug 1945, and on 17 Nov 1945 the ship was paid off at Sydney and laid up at Shelburne.  Subsequently sold to Marine Industries Ltd., she was re-acquired by the RCN and re-commissioned on 25 Sep 1959, following conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (320).  On 21 Dec 1966, she assumed the name and duties of the retiring diving tender HMCS Granby, but was paid off 31 Dec 1973, and sold for scrap the following year.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Victoriaville (K684) (River-class).

HMCS Waskesiu (K330)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4821046)

HMCS Waskesiu (K330) (River-class), 1944.  The first frigate completed on the west coast, HMCS Waskesiu was commissioned at Victoria on 16 Jun 1943, and left for Halifax on 8 Jul.  She worked up in Bermuda the following month, returning to Halifax on 11 Sep 1943, and late in Oct 1943 left for Londonderry to join EG 5, re-numbered EG 6 on 21 Nov 1943.  HMCS Waskesiu served chiefly in UK waters, but early in 1944 supported Gibraltar and Sierra Leone convoys.  On 24 Feb 1944, while escort to SC.153, she sank U-257, and in Apr 1944 made a trip to North Russia to bring back convoy RA.59.  On 28 Apr 1944, HMCS Waskesiu, HMCS Grou K518, HMCS Outremont K322 and HMCS Cape Breton K350 departed Kola Inlet with Convoy RA.59; arriving at Loch Ewe on 6 May 1944.  She was present on D-Day.  On 14 Sep 1944 she left 'Derry with ONF.253 for Canada, and soon after arriving began an extensive refit at Shelburne.  On its completion in Mar 1945, she proceeded to Bermuda to work up, following which she sailed for Londonderry via Horta.  She left 'Derry for Canada late in May 1945, proceeding to Esquimalt in Jun 1945 to commence tropicalization refit, but work suspended in Aug 1945 and she was paid off into reserve on 29 Jan 1946.  She was sold to the Indian government in 1947 for conversion to a pilot vessel, and re-named Hooghly in 1950.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3560512)

HMCS Waskesiu (K330) (River-class), Signalman Ken Worsencroft, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR), Halifax, Nova Scotia, April 1944.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Waskesiu (K330) (River-class).

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Waskesiu (K330) (River-class).

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Waskesiu (K330) (River-class).

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Waskesiu (K330) (River-class).

HMCS Wentworth (K331)

(Gary Metford Photo)

HMCS Wentworth (K331) (River-class).  HMCS Wentworth was commissioned on 7 Dec 1943, at Victoria and arrived at Halifax 24 Jan 1944.  She left for Bermuda to work up, but defects forced her to return and the working-up exercises were carried out in St. Margaret's Bay.  In Jun 1944 she joined EG C-4, becoming Senior Officer's ship in Aug 1944, and remained continuously on convoy duty until Feb 1945, when she commenced a major refit at Shelburne, from 7 Mar to 9 Aug 1945.  She was paid off on 10 Oct 1945, to reserve in Bedford Basin, and broken up in 1947 at Sydney.

(Gary Medford Photo)

HMCS Wentworth (K331).

(DND Photo, Maritime Museum of British Columbia)

HMCS Wentworth (K331).

‍

‍