RCN Corvettes (Flower Class): HMCS Charlottetown K244/HMCS Chicoutimi K156/HMCS Chilliwack K131HMCS Cobalt K124/HMCS Cobourg K333/HMCS Collingwood K180/HMCS Dauphin K157/HMCS Dawson K104/HMCS Drumheller K167/HMCS Dundas K229/HMCS Dunvegan K177

Royal Canadian Navy Corvettes (Flower Class)

HMCS Charlottetown (K244)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Charlottetown (K244) (Flower-class).  Built by the Kingston Shipbuilding Co., Ltd, Ont., she was commissioned at Quebec City on 13 Dec 1941 and arrived at Halifax on 18 Dec 1941.  She was a member of WLEF until mid-Jul 1942, when she was transferred to Gulf Escort Force owing to increased U-boat activity in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  She was employed as escort to Quebec-Sydney convoys until 11 Sep 1942, when she was torpedoed and sunk by U-517 in the St. Lawrence River near Cap Chat, Quebec.  Six of her crew were lost that day, 4 later died of wounds resulting from the sinking.  She had earlier delivered convoy SQ.35 to Rimouski and was en route back to Gaspé, her base, at the time.

A member of HMCS Charlottetown's crew, Bowser died after the German submarine U-517 sank his ship in the St. Lawrence River in September 1942.  Charlottetown had been sailing with HMCS Clayoquot and, as the ships had not been "zig-zagging," they presented less-difficult targets for U-517.  Most of Charlottetown's crew survived the torpedoing but several, including Bowser, were severely injured by depth charges which exploded as their ship sank.  His funeral at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Gaspé, Quebec, emphasized the proximity of the battle of the St. Lawrence to the Canadian home front

(DND Photo)

HMCS Charlottetown (K244) (Flower-class).

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Charlottetown (K244) (Flower-class).

HMCS Chicoutimi (K156)

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Chicoutimi (K156) (Flower-class).  Built by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, she was commissioned at Montreal on 12 May 1941.  HMCS Chicoutimi arrived at Halifax on 17 May 1941.  She carried out workups and then joined Sydney Force, escorting ocean convoys on the first leg of their eastward journey.  In Sep 1941 she joined Newfoundland Command and left Sydney on 29 Sep 1941 to escort convoy SC.47 to Iceland.  She was employed for the next five months as an ocean escort between St. John's and Iceland and, later, Londonderry.  Reassigned to WLEF, she left 'Derry on 27 Feb 1942, to meet convoy On.71.  She served with WLEF until Aug 1944 (from Jun 1943, on with EG W-1), when she was transferred to HMCS Cornwallis as a training ship.  In Apr 1945, she went to Sydney Force and, on 16 Jun 1945, was paid off at Sorel for disposal.  She was sold to Steel Co. of Canada, Hamilton, Ontario, in Jun 1946 and broken up in the same year.  A credit to her builders, Canadian Vickers, HMCS Chicoutimi required only three short refits during her active career, and she was one of the few corvettes to survive the war with a short fo'c's'le.

HMCS Chilliwack (K131)

(Naval Museum of Alberta Photo)

HMCS Chilliwack (K131) (Flower-class).  Built by Burrard Dry Dock Co., Ltd, she was commissioned at Vancouver on 8 Apr 1941.  She arrived at Halifax on 19 Jun 1941, was assigned to Newfoundland Command in July, and for the rest of the year escorted convoys between St. John's and Iceland.  Early in Feb 1942 Chilliwack escorted SC.67, her first transatlantic convoy, and was thereafter employed almost continuously as an ocean escort until Nov 1944.  From Jun 1942, onward she was a member of EG C-1, and during this period escorted three convoys around which epic battles were fought: SC.94 (Aug 1942), ONS.154 (Dec 1942), and ON.166 (Feb 1943).  In addition, she assisted in sinking two U-boats: U-356 when escort to ONS.154, 27 Dec 1942; and U-744 when escort to HX.280, on 6 Mar 1944.  On that date, HMCS Chaudiere H99, HMCS St. Catharines K325, HMCS Chilliwack 131, HMCS Fennel K194 and HMCS Gatineau H61, along with two British ships, HMS Icarus and HMS Kenilworth Castle, started one of the longest U-boat hunts Canadian ships participated in during the Second World War.  A total of 291 depth charges, 87,300 pounds of high explosive were required to bring the U-boat to the surface.  Fifteen hundred signals were passed between the ships as they stalked, attacked, waited and again attacked the submarine U-744 through a day and a night of rough weather.  U-744 was forced to surface on 6 March 1944, after a 31-hour pursuit by these Canadian and British ships.  U-744 was then boarded by allied sailors, who retrieved code books and other documents.  Most of this was lost while being transferred between the U-Boat and the allied ships.  After attempts to tow the submarine into port failed, U-744 was scuttled by the allied warships.  In the course of a major refit from Apr to Oct 1943, at Dartmouth, NS, she acquired her long fo'c's'le.  Assigned on 4 Dec 1943 to EG WE-8, WEF, she left for a month's workups in Bermuda.  Reassigned in Apr 1945, to Halifax Force, she was temporarily lent to EG C-1 the following month for one final round trip to Londonderry.  Paid off 14 Jul 1945 and laid up at Sorel, she was broken up at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1946.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Chilliwack (K131) (Flower-class).

(Scott Wilson McMurdo Photo)

Photo of the capture of U-744, taken from HMCS Chilliwack, 6 March 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, PA-112996)

Photo of the capture of U-744, taken from HMCS Chilliwack, 6 March 1944.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Chilliwack (K131) (Flower-class).

HMCS Cobalt (K124)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Cobalt (K124) (Flower-class).  Built at Port Arthur and commissioned there on 25 Nov 1940, HMCS Cobalt was taken to Halifax in advance of completion to beat the St. Lawrence freeze-up, arriving 24 Dec 1940.  Completed early in Jan 1941, she worked up and joined Halifax Force, but left on 23 May 1941 with the other six corvettes and first formed NEF.  For the next six months she operated as an ocean escort between St. John's and Iceland, proceeding in mid-Nov 1941 to Liverpool, NS, for three moths' refit.  Following completion she made two round trips to Londonderry before being assigned in May 1942, to WLEF, with which she was to spend the balance of the war.  She served with EG W-6 from Jun 1943; with W-5 from Apr 1944; and with W-7 from Feb 1945.  During the second of two other extensive refits at Liverpool, NS, from Apr to 20 Jul 1944, her fo'c's'le was lengthened.  She was paid off at Sorel on 17 Jun 1945, and subsequently sold for conversion to a whale-catcher, entering service in 1953 as the Dutch Johanna W. Vinke.  She was broken up in South Africa in 1966.

(CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Photo)

HMCS Cobalt (K124) (Flower-class).

(DND Photo)

HMCS Cobalt (K124) (Flower-class).

HMCS Cobourg (K333)

(Linda Carleton Photo)

HMCS Cobourg (K333) (Flower-class).  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).  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.

HMCS Dauphin (K157)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Dauphin (K157) (Flower-class).  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.

HMCS Dawson (K104)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Dawson (K104) (Flower-class).  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.

HMCS Drumheller (K167)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Drumheller (K167) (Flower-class).  Built at Collingwood, Ontario, she was commissioned at Montreal on 13 Sep 1941.  HMCS Drumheller arrived at Halifax on 25 Sep 1941.  She joined Sydney Force in Nov 1941 after completing workups, but soon afterward transferred to Newfoundland Command, and left St. John's on 11 Dec 1941 to join her first convoy, SC.59, for Iceland.  HMCS Drumheller was employed for two months on that convoy run, but on 06 Feb 1942, arrived at Londonderry - one of the first Canadian ships to do so.  She left for St. John's the following week, but developed mechanical defects en route and returned to the UK to refit at Southampton.  On completion of the repairs she arrived at Tobermory on 22 Mar 1942 to work up, resuming ocean escort service at the end of Apr 1942 as a member of EG C-2.  She served with the group until Apr 1944, with respite only from mid-Nov 1943 to 15 Jan 1944, while undergoing a refit, including fo'c's'le extension, at New York City.  Her most hectic convoy was the combined ON.202/ONS.18 of Sep 1943, which lost six merchant vessels and three escorts.  On 13 May 1943, while escorting HX.237 she, HMS Lagan, and a Sunderland aircraft collaborated in sinking U-456.  In Apr 1944 HMCS Drumheller was allocated to Western Approaches Command, Greenock, for invasion duties, transferring in September to Portsmouth Command . She served with the latter until the end of the war, escorting convoys in UK coastal waters, and returned to Canada in mid-May, 1945.  Paid off on 11 Jul 1945, at Sydney, she was broken up in 1949 at Hamilton, Ontario.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Drumheller (K167) (Flower-class).

HMCS Dundas (K229)

(Jeff Simpson Photo)

HMCS Dundas (K229) (Flower-class), 25 July 1941.  Built at Victoria and commissioned on 1 Apr 1942, she joined Esquimalt Force after working up, and in Aug 1942 made a round trip as convoy escort to Kodiak, Alaska, in support of the Aleutian campaign.  On 13 Sep 1942 she sailed for the east coast to replace an Operation "Torch" nominee, joining WLEF upon arrival at Halifax on 13 Oct 1942.  She served with EG W-7 from Jun 1943, with W-5 from Sep 1943, and with W-4 from Apr 1944.  In the course of a major refit at Montreal from 13 Jun to 19 Nov 1943, HMCS Dundas acquired her extended fo'c's'le. She commenced another long refit early in Jan 1945, at Liverpool, NS, resuming service in Apr 1945.  Paid off on 17 Jul 1945 at Sorel, she was sold later that year and broken up in 1946 at Hamilton, Ontario.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Dundas (K229) (Flower-class).

HMCS Dunvegan (K177)

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Dunvegan (K177) (Flower-class).  Named after a village in Nova Scotia, HMCS Dunvegan was commissioned at Sorel on 9 Sep 1941, and arrived at Halifax a week later.  She joined Sydney Force after working up, but in mid-Nov 1941 was transferred to Newfoundland Command, leaving St. John's on 18 Nov 1941 as ocean escort to convoy SC.55 as far as Iceland.  On her return she underwent repairs at Halifax, and on their completion in Jan 1942, was assigned briefly to WLEF.  On 27 Jan 1942, while escorting convoy HX.172, both engines of HMCS Annapolis stopped because of water in the oil fuel.  HMCS Dunvegan came to her aid.  While trying to pass a line for a tow, HMCS Dunvegan fouled the line in her own propeller.  With rapidly deteriorating weather,  HMCS Annapolis drifted into HMCS Dunvegan and sustained damage to her own propellers and substructure.  As a result of the collision, the two ships limped into Halifax Harbour with HMCS Annapolis towing her would-be rescuer.  Resuming her duties as ocean escort with Newfoundland Command, she arrived at Londonderry on 10 Mar 1942.  In succeeding weeks she made two more round trips to 'Derry, leaving that port for the last time in mid-Jun 1942.  On reaching Halifax, she was assigned to WLEF and, in Jun 1943, to its EG W-8.  In Oct 1943, she proceeded to Baltimore, MD, for a refit which included fo'c's'le extension and lasted until the end of the year.  She then carried out workups off Norfolk, VA, completing the process in Bermuda after some repairs at Halifax.  On her return she resumed her duties with WLEF, from Apr 1944 onward as a member of EG W-6.  On 7 May 1945, she left Halifax as local escort to convoy SC.175, but was detached on 10 May 1945 to act, with HMCS Rockcliffe, as escort to the surrendered U-889.  She was paid off on 3 Jul 1945, at Sydney, and sold in 1946 to the Venezuelan Navy, serving as Indepencia until broken up in 1953.