RCN River class Frigates: HMCS Levis (K400), HMCS Longueuil (K672), HMCS Magog (K673), HMCS Matane (K444), HMCS Meon (K269), HMCS Monnow (K441)
HMCS Levis (K400)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Levis (K400) River class Frigate. Commissioned at Quebec City on 21 Jul 1944 she arrived in Bermuda at the end of Aug 1944 to work up, and a month later left for Halifax to join the newly formed EG 27. She spent the balance of the war with the group, on patrol and escort duty out of Halifax, and on 4 Jun 1945 commenced tropicalization at Lunenburg, NS. The work was completed 26 Nov 1945 and she sailed a month later for Esquimalt, arriving 30 Jan 1946. Paid off on 15 Feb 1946 to reserve there, she was sold in 1947 and her hull expended the following year as part of a breakwater at Oyster Bay, BC.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Levis (K400) River class Frigate.
HMCS Longueuil (K672)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Longueuil (K672) River class Frigate. Built by Canadian Vickers, Ltd, she was commissioned on 18 May 1944, at Montreal. HMCS Longueuil arrived 30 Jun 1944 in Bermuda to work up. In Jul 1944 she became a member of EG C-2, and on 7 Aug 1944 left St. John’s for Londonderry with convoy HXF.302. She spent her entire wartime career on convoy duty and for varying periods was Senior Officer’s ship of her group. Returning to Canada in Jun 1945, she proceeded to Vancouver for tropicalization refit, but this was cancelled and the ship paid off 31 Dec 1945 at Esquimalt. She was sold in 1947 and, reportedly, expended as part of a breakwater at Kelsey Bay; BC, in 1948.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Longueuil (K672) River class Frigate.
HMCS Magog (K673)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Magog (K673) River class Frigate. Built by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, she was commissioned in Montreal on 7 Mar 1944. HMCS Magog arrived at Halifax on 28 May 1944 and worked up briefly in St. Margaret’s Bay before sailing for Bermuda to complete the process in Jul 1944. She then returned to Montreal for repairs, subsequently completing these at Halifax in August. There she joined EG 16, performing A/S duty in the Halifax, Gaspé, and Sydney areas. On 14 Oct 1944, while escorting convoy GONS.33 (the Gulf section of ONS.33), she was torpedoed and badly damaged by U-1223 in the St. Lawrence River off Pointe des Monts. Lacking 60 feet of her stern, she was towed to Quebec and there adjudged a constructive total loss. Paid off 20 Dec 1944 to care and maintenance, she was sold in 1947 to Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel, who scrapped her in 1948.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4090376)
HMCS Magog (K673) River class Frigate, after being torpedoed by U-1223, 14 Oct 1944.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo)
HMCS Magog (K673) River class Frigate, in drydock after being torpedoed by U-1223.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Magog (K673) River class Frigate, 14 Oct 1944
HMCS Matane (K444)
(IWM Photo, FL15119)
HMCS Matane (K444) River class Frigate. Launched at Montreal on 29 May 1943, she was commissioned there on 22 Oct 1943. HMCS Matane arrived at Halifax 13 Nov 1943 and began working up in St. Margaret’s Bay completing the process at Pictou. In Apr 1944, she joined EG 9, Londonderry, as Senior Officer’s ship, thereafter serving mainly on escort and patrol duty in U.K. waters. On 22 Apr 1944 HMCS Matane sank the German U-boat U-311 in the North Atlantic south west of Iceland by depth charges, in a joint attack with HMCS Swansea. The credit for U-311’s destruction was not confirmed until after the end of the war, when German and British intelligence attributed the kill to these two ships, as opposed to attack by aircraft, the latter having been thought to be the case prior to the post-war analyses. She was present on D-Day. On 20 Jul 1944 she was hit by a German glider bomb off Brest and towed, badly damaged, to Plymouth by HMCS Meon. In Apr 1945, she completed eight and one-half months’ repairs at Dunstaffnage, Scotland, working up at Tobermory and, on 12 May 1945, sailed from Greenock to escort convoy JW.67 to North Russia. She was detached on 14 May 1945, however, to help escort 14 surrendered U-boats from Trondheim to Loch Eriboll. In June, after one round trip to Gibraltar as convoy escort, she left Londonderry for Esquimalt via Halifax. She arrived at Esquimalt in Jul 1945 and on 11 Feb 1946, was paid off into reserve there. She was sold in 1947 and her hull sunk in 1948 as part of a breakwater at Oyster Bay, BC.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Matane (K444) River class Frigate.
(RN Photo)
HMCS Matane (K444) River class Frigate. 12 April 1944.