RCN River class Frigates: HMCS Chebogue (K317), HMCS Joliette (K418), HMCS Jonquiere (K318), HMCS Springhill (K323)
HMCS Chebogue (K317)
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3199159)
HMCS Chebogue (K317) River class Frigate. She was commissioned at Esquimalt on 22 Feb 1944, and sailed for Halifax on 15 Mar 1944, arriving on 12 Apr 1944 . After working up in Bermuda in May 1944 she returned to Canada and was assigned to EG C-1. After visiting Yarmouth, NS, from 12-14 Jun 1944 she transited to St. John’s, Newfoundland. She left St. John’s on 23 Jun 1944 for Britain as part of the escort of convoy HXF.296. On her second return trip, this time as Senior Officer’s ship of EG C-1 escorting convoy ONS.33, she was torpedoed by U-1227 on 8 Oct 1944, 800 miles west of the British Isles. She had made some 900 miles under tow, successively, of HMCS Chambly, HMS Mournsey, HMCS Ribble, and the ocean tug HMS Earner when a storm caused the tow to part. She grounded on the rocky sand of Port Talbot. All 42 crew who were aboard were rescued. The Chebogue was re-floated the following day, taken to Port Talbot and placed in reserve. In Dec 1944 she was moved to Newport, Wales, to be made ready for a transatlantic crossing under tow, but instead was taken to Milford Haven and paid off on 25 Sep 1945. She was broken up locally in 1948.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Chebogue (K317) River class Frigate.
(Cathy Masters Photo)
HMCS Chebogue (K317), River class Frigate, St. John’s, Newfoundland, 4 Aug 1944.
(Peter Davis Photo)
HMCS Chebogue (K317) River class Frigate.
HMCS Joliette (K418)
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Joliette (K418) River class Frigate. Laid down at Morton Engineering & Dry Dock Co., Quebec City on 19 Jul 1943, she was commissioned there on 14 Jun 1944. HMCS Joliette left Quebec City on 1 Jul 1944 for Halifax, and th3en proceeded to Bermuda to work up. Returning to St. John’s in Aug 1944, she became a member of EG C-1 but on reaching Londonderry the following month was re-assigned to EG 25. Returning to ‘Derry on 22 Nov 1944 from her first round trip to Halifax, she ran aground in Lough Foyle, receiving extensive bottom damage. Repairs were effected at Belfast from 5 Dec 1944 to 5 Apr 1945, after which HMCS Joliette went to Tobermory to work up. She then returned to Londonderry, but sailed for Canada in Jun 1945. On 19 Nov 1945, she was paid off at Sydney and laid up at Shelburne. In 1946 she was sold to the Chilean Navy, to serve as Iquique. She led the mission to establish the Chileans first station on Antarctica. Iquique was disposed of in 1968.
(John Newton Photo)
HMCS Joliette (K418) River class Frigate. Laid down at Morton Engineering & Dry Dock Co., Quebec City on 19 Jul 1943, she was commissioned there on 14 Jun 1944. HMCS Joliette left Quebec City on 1 Jul
(Keith Oliver Photo)
HMCS Joliette (K418) River class Frigate), looking forward from the Quarterdeck.
(Brian Westhouse Photo)
HMCS Joliette (K418) River class Frigate with German U-boat U-889, Shelburne, Nova Scotia.
HMCS Jonquiere (K318)
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Jonquiere (K318) River class Frigate. Commissioned at Quebec City on 10 May 1944, she arrived at Halifax on 5 Jun 1944 and proceeded from there to Bermuda to work up. Returning in Aug 1944, HMCS Jonquiere was assigned to EG C-2 and after three Atlantic crossings was transferred to EG 26 at Londonderry. She was also based from time to time at Portsmouth and Plymouth, remaining in UK waters on A/S patrol until 27 May 1945, when she sailed with ON.305, the last westbound convoy. She was paid off 4 Dec 1945 at Shelburne, NS, and later taken to Lauzon for conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (318), re-commissioning 20 Sep 1954. Paid off on 12 Sep 1966, she was purchased by Capital Iron and Metal, Victoria, BC, in 1967 to be broken up. Shortly after purchased the price of scrap metal plummeted and she was not broken until up late 1971, early 1972.
(Randy Dawson Photo)
HMCS Jonquiere (K318) River class Frigate.
HMCS Springhill (K323)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Springhill (K323) River Class Frigate. 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, Nova Scotia.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Springhill (K323) River Class Frigate.