Royal Canadian Navy Minesweepers (Algerine Class): HMCS Border Cities J344/Fort Frances J396/Kapuskasing J326/Middlesex J328/New Liskeard J397/Oshawa J330/Portage J331/Rockcliffe J355/Sault Ste. Marie J334/St. Boniface J332/Wallaceburg J336/Winnipeg J337

RCN 1939–1945, Minesweepers (Algerine Class)

HMCS Border Cities (J344) (Algerine-class); HMCS Fort Frances (J396) (Algerine-class); HMCS Kapuskasing (J326) (Algerine-class); HMCS Middlesex (J328) (Algerine-class); HMCS New Liskeard (J397) (Algerine-class); HMCS Oshawa (J330) (Algerine-class); HMCS Portage (J331) (Algerine-class); HMCS Rockcliffe (J355) (Algerine-class); HMCS Sault Ste. Marie (J334) (Algerine-class); HMCS St. Boniface (J332) (Algerine-class); HMCS Wallaceburg (J336) (Algerine-class); HMCS Winnipeg (J337) (Algerine-class).

‍HMCS Border Cities (J344)

(Harold Moore Photo)

HMCS Border Cities (J344) (Algerine-class).  Built at Port Arthur, Ontario, she was commissioned there on 18 May 1944.  HMCS Border Cities arrived at Halifax in mid-Jun 1944, and on 8 Jul 1944 proceeded to Bermuda to work up.  Returning to Halifax on 3 Aug 1944, she was assigned to Senior Officer's ship to EG W-2 of WLEF.  In Jun 1945, she was assigned to Atlantic Coast Command and in Aug 1945, placed temporarily in maintenance reserve at Sydney.  On 10 Nov 1945 she left, with four sister ships for the west coast, and on 15 Jan 1946, was paid off into reserve at Esquimalt.  She was sold for scrap in 1948 and broken up at Victoria soon afterward.  Her hulk was scuttled as a breakwater (possibly at Kelsey Bay).

(DND Photo via the CFB Esquimalt Naval Museum)

HMCS Border Cities (J344) (Algerine-class).

  (Harold Moore Photo)

HMCS Border Cities (J344) (Algerine-class).

(Harold Moore Photo)

HMCS Border Cities (J344) (Algerine-class).

(Harold Moore Photo)

HMCS Border Cities (J344) (Algerine-class).

HMCS Fort Frances (J396), 170.

(Elizabeth Wagner Photo)

HMCS Fort Frances (J396) (Algerine-class).  Commissioned at Port Arthur on 28 Oct 1944, she arrived at Halifax on 26 Nov 1944, and sailed for Bermuda in Jan 1945 to work up.  Returning to Halifax, HMCS Fort Frances served briefly with escort groups W-8 and W-9 of Western Escort Force before being paid off into maintenance reserve on 3 Aug 1945.  She was again commissioned (170) from 23 Oct 1945 to 5 Apr 1946, and in 1948 was handed over to the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys as a hydrographic survey ship.  In 1958 she reverted to naval service as a civilian-manned oceanographic research vessel.  She was sold for breaking-up in 1974.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Fort Frances (170) (Algerine-class).

HMCS Kapuskasing (J326), 171, 173

(DND Photo)

HMCS Kapuskasing (J326) (Algerine-class).  Commissioned at Port Arthur on 17 Aug 1944, HMCS Kapuskasing arrived at Halifax early in Sep 1944 and on 1 Oct 1944 proceeded to Bermuda to work up.  She returned to Halifax in mid-Nov 1944 and was assigned as Senior Officer's ship to EG W-1 of Western Escort Force.  When the force was disbanded in Jun 1945, she was placed temporarily in maintenance reserve at Sydney, then taken to Halifax for refit in Nov 1945.  On completion of the refit, she was paid off into reserve on 27 March 1946.  In 1949, she was loaned to the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys and converted for hydrographic survey work.  She returned to the Navy in 1972 (171) and was based in Halifax.  HMCS Kapuskasing became part of the navy’s auxiliary fleet (pennant number 173), manned by a civilian crew until she was expended as a target on 3 October 1978.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4950905)

HMCS Kapuskasing (J326) firing her forward gun, 1944.

(RCN Heritage Officer Photo)

HMCS Kapuskasing being prepared to be towed out to sea as a live-fire target, 3 Oct 1978.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3204731)

HMCS Kapuskasing (J326), Algerine class minesweeper in convoy, June 1945.

HMCS Middlesex (J328)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Middlesex (J328) (Algerine-class).  She was commissioned at Port Arthur on 8 Jun 1944, arrived at Halifax in mid-July and sailed for Bermuda in Aug 1944 to work up.  Assigned to EG W-3 of Western Force, she joined the group in New York on 30 Aug 1944, direct from Bermuda.  HMCS Middlesex was principally engaged as southern local escort to UK-bound convoys out of New York.  She was the Senior Officer's ship from mid-Nov 1944, until the force was disbanded in Jun 1945, whereupon she refitted at Halifax and was placed in maintenance reserve there.  In Mar 1946, she returned to service as emergency ship at Halifax.  On 2 Dec 1946, en route to assist the fishing vessel Ohio, she ran ashore on Half Island Point, near Halifax.  Her crew escaped unharmed.  She was declared a total loss.

HMCS New Liskeard (J397), 168

(Kerry Dunphy Photo)

HMCS New Liskeard (J397) (Algerine-class).  Built at Port Arthur, Ontario, she was commissioned there on 21 Nov 1944.  HMCS New Liskeard arrived at Halifax on 15 Dec 1944 and proceeded to Bermuda for workups in Mar 1945.  Upon her return in Apr 1945 she was assigned to EG W-8 of Western Escort Force.  When EG W-8 was disbanded in Jun 1945, she was allocated to HMCS Cornwallis as a training ship from Jul to Sep 1945.  She was then placed in maintenance reserve, first at Sydney and then at Halifax, until the end of the year.  Refitted at Halifax, she was re-commissioned (168) on 9 Apr 1946, as a training ship for cadets.  On 22 Apr 1958, she was paid off for conversion to an oceanographic research vessel, serving as such until 1 May 1969.  Later that year she was taken to Dartmouth Cove, NS, and broken up.

(DND Photo)

HMCS New Liskeard (J397) (Algerine-class).

HMCS Oshawa (J330)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Oshawa (J330) (Algerine-class).  Built by the Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co., Port Arthur, Ontario, she was commissioned at Port Arthur on 6 Jul 1944.  She arrived at Halifax on 18 Aug 1944 and after working-up in Bermuda in September, she was allocated to EG W-6 of Western Escort Force as Senior Officer's Ship.  On 10 May 1945. as the senior warship of the convoy escort group, HMCS Oshawa was dispatched to accept the surrender of U-889.  Her escort group was disbanded in Jun 1945, and HMCS Oshawa was paid off into maintenance reserve at Sydney on 28 Jul.  She was re-commissioned (174) on 24 Oct 1945, and in Nov 1945 sailed for Esquimalt.  She arrived there 21 Dec 1945 and on 24 Feb 1946, was paid off into reserve.  During one more commission from 11 Apr 1956 to 07 Nov 1958 she was part of the Twelfth Canadian Escort Squadron before beginning her conversion to an oceanographic research vessel on 2 Nov 1956.  She was extensively converted for oceanographic research and was manned by the RCN until 6 Nov 1958 when she was again paid off and re-designated as CNAV Oshawa, manned by a civilian crew, a role in which she continued, until sold to Capital Iron and Metal, Victoria on 28 Aug 1966 and broken up in 1966-1967.

(Roger Heward Photo)

HMCS Oshawa (J330) (Algerine-class).

(Roger Heward Photo)

HMCS Oshawa (J330) (Algerine-class).

(Roger Heward Photo)

HMCS Oshawa (J330) (Algerine-class).

(Roger Heward Photo)

HMCS Oshawa (J330) (Algerine-class).

HMCS Portage (J331)

(Rick Hamilton Photo)

HMCS Portage (J331) (Algerine-class).  Built by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., Port Arthur, Ontario, she was named for Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.  She was commissioned at Port Arthur on 22 Oct 1943, and arrived at Halifax on 28 Nov 1943.  After working up in St. Margaret's Bay, HMCS Portage was assigned to EG W-2 of Western Escort Force as Senior Officer's Ship, late in Jan 1944.  In mid-Apr 1944 she was transferred, still as S.O., to W-3, and continued as such until late Oct 1944, when she underwent an extensive refit at Liverpool, NS.  She then proceeded to Bermuda for workups, rejoining W-3 in Mar 1945.  The group was disbanded in Jun 1945 and HMCS Portage was placed in maintenance reserve at Sydney and then at Halifax, when she was paid off on 31 Jul 1946.  She was re-activated for training purposes (169) during the summers of 1947 and 1948, and spent most of the period between 1949 and 1959 in the same role, much of the time on the Great Lakes.  She was finally paid off 26 Sep 1958, and scrapped at Sorel three years later.

(CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Photo)

HMCS Portage (J331) (Algerine-class).

(Erling Baldorf Photo)

HMCS Portage (J331) (Algerine-class).

(USN Naval History and Heritage Photo)

HMCS Portage (J331)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3203647)

HMCS Portage (J331) entering a canal, Lock No. 6, 14 June 1949.

HMCS Rockcliffe (J355)

(Roger Heward Photo)

HMCS Rockcliffe (J355) (Algerine-class).  Commissioned at Port Arthur on 30 Sep 1944, HMCS Rockcliffe arrived at Halifax on 30 Oct 1944 and proceeded to Bermuda to work up . Upon returning to Halifax in mid-Dec 1944 she was assigned to EG W-6 until Jun 1945.  She escorted the surrendered U-889 part of the way to Shelburne, NS, on 10 May 1945.  Paid off to reserve at Sydney on 28 Jul 1945, she was re-commissioned (173) for passage to Esquimalt, where she arrived on 21 Dec 1945.  On 12 Jan 1946, she was again paid off into reserve, but was re-commissioned on 3 Mar 1947, to serve as a training ship.  In 1948 she was listed as an oceanographic vessel.  In Jul 1949, she was listed a a depot ship.  She was finally paid off on 15 Aug 1950, and scrapped ten years later.

(Roger Heward Photo)

HMCS Rockcliffe (J355) (Algerine-class), at Bathurst, NB, Jul 1945.

(Roger Heward Photo)

HMCS Rockcliffe (J355) (Algerine-class).

(Roger Heward Photo)

HMCS Rockcliffe (J355) (Algerine-class).

HMCS Sault Ste. Marie (J334), 176

(Len Burton Photo)

HMCS Sault Ste. Marie (J334) (Algerine-class), ca 1950.  Commissioned at Port Arthur on 24 Jun 1943, this was the first Algerine class ship to join the RCN.  Originally intended to be named The Soo, she was renamed owing to objections from her namesake city.  HMCS Sault Ste. Marie arrived at Halifax on 8 Aug 1943, and proceeded to Bermuda for workups in Sep 1943.  On her return she joined EG W-9 of Western Escort Force, serving as Senior Officer's ship until mid-Apr 1945.  She then transferred as S.O. to W-7 until the group was disbanded in Jun 1945.  After a short period in reserve at Sydney she was ordered to the west coast, arriving at Esquimalt on 12 Dec 1945.  She was paid off into reserve on 12 Jan 1946, but re-commissioned (176) for reserve training on 7 May 1949.  In July 1950, HMCS Sault Ste Marie was in the San Diego area on minesweeping exercise with the USN.  After an enjoyable port visit she departed San Francisco and headed on into gale force winds up to 68 knots.  For three days, all hatches were battened down, and everyone stayed below decks.  At one point she only made 3 nautical miles in a 15-hour period hour period, before she settled down to following seas just 200 miles south of Esquimalt.  Then she had a pea soup fog the rest of the way home.  She returned to the east coast in mid-Dec 1955, and spent the summers of 1956 to 1958 on the Great Lakes.  She was paid off on 1 Oct 1958, and broken up in 1960 at Sorel.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4950902)

HMCS Sault Ste. Marie (J334) (Algerine-class).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4950921)

HMCS Sault Ste. Marie (J334) (Algerine-class).

(USN Naval History and Heritage Photo)

HMCS Sault Ste. Marie (J334).

HMCS St. Boniface (J332)

(Naval Museum of Manitoba Photo)

HMCS St. Boniface (J332) (Algerine-class).  Built at Port Arthur, Ontario, she was commissioned there on 10 Sep 1943,.  HMCS St. Boniface arrived at Halifax late in Oct 1943, and worked up at Pictou from Nov to Dec 1943.  She was then assigned as Senior Officer's ship to EG W-5 of Western Escort Force until mid-Apr 1944.  She then transferred to W-4, again as SO, until early Dec 1944 when, following minor repairs at Halifax, proceed to Bermuda to work up.  Upon returning to Canada, she rejoined W-4 until the group was disbanded in Jun 1945.  On 18 Apr 1945, HMCS St. Boniface was in a collision with SS Empire Chamois in the Halifax approaches, as the freighter's convoy, SC.173, was forming up for passage to the UK.  HMCS St. Boniface suffered extensive damage to her bows, but made Halifax under her own power and was under repair there for three months.  In Aug 1945, she became a training ship at HMCS Cornwallis until Jan 1946, when she was placed in reserve at Halifax.  She was finally paid off on 25 Sep 1946, and sold for mercantile use.  She was last noted under Panamanian flag as Bess Barry M. in 1954.

HMCS Wallaceburg (J336), 172

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Wallaceburg (J336) (Algerine-class).  Built by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Port Arthur, Ontario, she was commissioned at there on 18 Nov 1943.  She arrived at Halifax on 13 Dec 1943, and after working up was assigned to EG W-8, Western Escort Force, in Feb 1944.  In Apr 1944, HMCS Wallaceburg was transferred to EG W-6 as Senior Officer's ship but returned in December to W-8.  During Jul and Aug 1945, she was attached to HMCS Cornwallis for training, then placed in reserve, first at Sydney and then at Halifax.  She was paid off on 7 Oct 1946, but re-commissioned (172) on 1 Nov 1950 for cadet training.  HMCS Wallaceburg spent the summers of 1956 and 1957 on the Great Lakes and was paid off on 24 Sep 1957.  On 31 July 1959, she was transferred to the Belgian Navy, to serve as Georges Lecointe until she was discarded in 1969.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Wallaceburg (J336) (Algerine-class(

(DND Photo)

HMCS Wallaceburg (J336) (Algerine-class).

(Steve Hlasny Photo)

HMCS Wallaceburg (172) (Algerine-class).

‍HMCS Winnipeg (J337)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Winnipeg (J337) (Algerine-class).  Commissioned at Port Arthur on 29 Jul 1943, she arrived at Halifax in mid-Sep 1943 and, after working up at Pictou, was assigned to EG W-7 of Western Escort Force.  In Dec 1943 she was transferred to W-6, acting as Senior Officer's ship from Feb to Apr 1944.  HMCS Winnipeg then joined W-5, again as SO, and served with that group until it was disbanded in Jun 1945.  In Aug 1945 she was placed in reserve at Sydney, but was re-activated (177) for passage to Esquimalt, where she arrived on 21 Dec 1945.  She was paid off into reserve there on 11 Jan 1946, but in 1956 she was brought around to the east coast and, on 7 Aug 1959, handed over to the Belgian Navy as A.F. Dufour.  She was broken up in 1966.  It is not confirmed but the superstructure of HMCS Winnipeg may still be in use as a firefighting-training platform in Zeebrugge, Belgium.

US Naval History and Heritage Photos)

HMCS Winnipeg (J337) (Algerine-class).  

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