RCN Flower class Corvettes: HMCS Cobourg (K333), HMCS Collingwood (K180), HMCS Dauphin (K157), HMCS Dawson (K104)
HMCS Cobourg (K333)
(Linda Carleton Photo)
HMCS Cobourg (K333) Flower class Corvette. Launched at Midland, Ontario, she was commissioned there on 11 May 1944. She arrived at Halifax 17 Jun 1944, having visited her namesake port en route. She arrived in Bermuda in mid-Jul 1944 for three weeks’ workups and on her return was allocated to EG C-6, St. John’s. HMCS Cobourg served with the group as a mid-ocean escort for the duration of the war, leaving Londonderry on 27 Mar 1945, to join convoy ON.293 for her last trip westward. She arrived at Halifax 02 May 1945 for refit and was paid off 15 June 1945 at Sorel to await disposal. Sold into mercantile service in 1945, she began her new career in 1947 under the name of Camco. In 1956 she assumed the name Puerto del Sol under Panamanian flag, and on 1 Jul 1971 or 1972, burned and sank at New Orleans. She was later raised and broken up.
HMCS Collingwood (K180)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Collingwood (K180) Flower class Corvette. The first RCN corvette to enter service, HMCS Collingwood, was commissioned on 9 Nov 1940, at Collingwood, arrived at Halifax 04 Dec 1940, and joined Halifax Force in Jan 1941. She sailed on 23 May 1941 as one of the seven corvettes that were charter members of Newfoundland Command, and in Jun 1941 commenced six months’ employment as an escort between St. John’s and Iceland. Early in Dec 1941 she began a two-month refit at Halifax, following which she resumed mid-ocean escort duties between St. John’s and Londonderry. These duties continued, with time off for three minor refits, until the end of 1944. From Dec 1942, onward she was a member of EG C-4. HMCS Collingwood was involved in one major convoy battle, that of HX.133 in Jun 1941, when eight ships were torpedoed and six sunk. During her refit at New York City from Oct to Dec 1943, she received her extended fo’c’s’le. She left Londonderry on 16 Nov 1944, for the last time, refitted briefly at Liverpool, NS, then went to Digby to serve as a training ship from Apr to Jun 1945. She was paid off on 23 Jul 1945 and laid up at Sorel. She was sold in Jul 1950 and broken up by Steel Co. of Canada, Hamilton, Ontario, the same year.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Collingwood (K180) Flower class Corvette.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Collingwood (K180) Flower class Corvette.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Collingwood (K180) Flower class Corvette.
HMCS Dauphin (K157)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Dauphin (K157) Flower class Corvette. Built by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, she was commissioned at Montreal on 17 May 1941 and arrived at Halifax on 24 May 1941. She joined Sydney Force late in Jun 1941 and in Sep 1941 transferred to Newfoundland Command. She left Sydney on 05 Sep 1941 to join her maiden convoy, SC.43, continuing on to the UK for further workups at Tobermory and returning to mid-ocean service in mid-Oct 1941. HMCS Dauphin was almost continuously employed as an ocean escort until Aug 1944, after Dec 1942 as a member of EG A-3, (re-designated C-5 in Jun 1943). She escorted three particularly strenuous convoys: SC.100 (Sep 1942), On.166 (Feb 1943), and SC.121 (Mar 1943). In the course of a major refit at Pictou from Apr to Sep 1943, her fo’c’s’le was lengthened. Dauphin left Londonderry for the last time on 11 Aug 1944, underwent refit at Liverpool, NS, then proceeded to Bermuda to work up. Returning in Jan 1945, she was assigned to EG W-7, Western Escort Force, for the balance of the war. She was paid off at Sorel on 20 Jun 1945, and sold for conversion to a merchant ship at the yards of Steel and Engine Products, Liverpool, NS. Named Dundas Kent, just as she neared completion she caught fire and burned at the pier. After being repaired she entered service in 1949 as the Honduran Cortes. She became the Ecuadorian flagged vessel San Antonio in 1955. She was still listed in Lloyd’s Register in 1977-78.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3554046)
HMCS Dauphin (K157) Flower class Corvette, just completed, Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montréal, Quebec.
(Bill Cox Photo)
HMCS Dauphin (K157) Flower class Corvette during her refit at Thompson Brothers’ yard in Liverpool, Nova Scotia sometime between August 1944 and January 1945.
HMCS Dawson (K104)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Dawson (K104) Flower class Corvette. Built at Victoria, BC, HMCS Dawson was commissioned on 6 Oct 1941 and, after working up, joined Esquimalt Force for local patrol duty. On 20 Aug 1942, she arrived at Kodiak, Alaska, to take part in the Aleutian campaign under US operational control, returning to Esquimalt 4 Nov 1942. She resumed her duties with Esquimalt Force until Feb 1943, when she again proceeded to Alaskan waters to work with US naval units until the end of May 1943. In Sep 1943 she commenced a major refit, including fo’c’s’le extension, at Vancouver, worked up following its completion 29 Jan 1944, and on 14 Feb 1944 left for Halifax. Arriving there 25 Mar 1944, she joined EG W-7, WEF. Early in Jan 1945, she began a refit at Dartmouth, on completion of which in Apr 1945 she went to Bermuda to work up. The European war had ended by the time she returned, and she was paid off 19 Jun 1945 at Sorel. Sold for scrap; she foundered at her moorings on 22 Mar 1946 at Hamilton. She was later raised and broken up.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Dawson (K104) Flower class Corvette.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Dawson (K104) Flower class Corvette.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Dawson (K104) Flower class Corvette.