RCN Corvettes (Flower Class): HMCS Lachute K440/HMCS Lethbridge K160/HMCS Levis K115/HMCS Lindsay K338/HMCS Long Branch K487/HMCS Louisburg K143/HMCS Louisburg K401/HMCS Lunenburg K151/HMCS Matapedia K112/HMCS Mayflower K191/HMCS Merrittonia K688

RCN Corvettes (Flower Class), Part 3

HMCS Lachute (K440)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Lachute (K440) (Flower-class).  Built at Quebec City, she was commissioned there on 26 Oct 1944.  HMCS Lachute arrived at Halifax in mid-Nov 1944 and left for Bermuda on 02 Dec 1944 for three weeks' workups . Assigned on her return to EG C-5 at St. John's, she left there on 5 Jan 1945, to escort her first convoy, SC.164.  She served the remainder of her career as a mid-ocean escort, leaving Londonderry on 26 May 1945 to join ON.305, the last westbound convoy of the war.  On 10 Jul 1945 she was paid off and placed in reserve at Sorel.  In 1947 she was sold to the Dominican Republic and joined its navy as Colon.  Deleted from the active list in 1978, she was driven ashore in a hurricane on 31 Aug 1979 alongside her sister Juan Alejandro Acosta (former HMCS Louisburg K401).

HMCS Lethbridge (K160)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Lethbridge (K160) (Flower-class).  Commissioned at Montreal on 25 Jun 1941, HMCS Lethbridge arrived at Halifax on 04 Jul 1941.  She served briefly with Sydney Force before joined NEF and leaving Sydney on 11 Oct 1941 with convoy SV.49 for Iceland.  She was employed between St. John's and Iceland until Feb 1942, and thereafter on the "Newfie-Derry" run.  On 20 Jun 1942, she left Londonderry for the last time, and on her return to Halifax joined Gulf Escort Force to escort Quebec-Sydney convoys.  After refitting at Liverpool, NS, from 10 Sep to 22 Oct 1942 and working up at Pictou, she arrived at New York on 18 Nov 1942 to be placed under US control as escort to New York-Guantanamo convoys.  In Mar 1943, she returned to Halifax to join WLEF for the remainder of the war, from Jun 1943, as a member of EG W-3 and from Apr 1944, as a member of W-5.  She acquired her extended fo'c's'le during a refit at Sydney from Jan to Mar 1944, which was followed by three weeks' working-up at Bermuda in Apr 1944.  She was paid off on 23 Jul 1945, at Sorel and sold to Marine Industries Ltd., who resold her in 1952 for conversion to a whale-catcher.  The conversion was completed in 1955, she entered service under the Dutch flag as Nicolaas Vinke.  She was broken up at Santander, Spain, in 1966.

HMCS Lévis (K115)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Lévis (K115) (Flower-class).  Commissioned on 16 May 1941, at Quebec City, Levis arrived at Halifax on 29 May 1941, worked up there and in Jun 1941, joined NEF.  On 13 Sep 1941, after one round trip to Iceland, she left St. John's as ocean escort to convoy SC.44.  On 19 Sep 1941 she was torpedoed by U-74, 120 miles east of Cape Farwell, Greenland, resulting in the loss of 18 lives.  She initially survived the torpedoing but sunk later that day while under tow by HMCS Mayflower.  During the several hours she remained afloat, the remainder of her ship's company were taken off by her sisters HMCS Mayflower and HMCS Agassiz.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, PA136257)

HMCS Lévis (K115) (Flower-class), shortly after she was torpedoed by U-74.  She sank sunk off Greenland, 19 Sep 1941.

HMCS Lindsay (K338)

(Dave Chamberlain Photo)

HMCS Lindsay (K338) (Flower-class).  Launched and commissioned at Midland on 15 Nov 1943, HMCS Lindsay arrived at Halifax in Dec 1943 and late in Jan 1944, sailed to Bermuda for three weeks' workups.  Upon her return she was briefly attached to EG W-5, but left Halifax on 23 Apr 1944 to join Western Approaches Command at Londonderry.  For the next four months she served in UK waters, taking part in the D-Day invasion, as an unallocated unit.  In Sep 1944, she joined the RN's EG 41, Plymouth Command, for service in the Channel.  On Saturday May 20th 1944 at 04:50 hrs while sailing back to Londonderry from Larne at 12 knots in line with HMCS Port Arthur, HMCS Trentonian, HMCS Alberni (Senior Officer), and HMCS Lindsay, last in the column - HMCS Lindsay was involved in a collision with a civilian fishing trawler, the St. Springwell.  Damage was minimal.  HMCS Springwell was found totally responsible.  The owners of the trawler attempted to sue for damages but later dropped the suit due to impending travel and witness costs.  In Aug 1944, HMCS Lindsay went into drydock in Milford Haven, South Wales, to have the damage to her bow from her collision with St. Springwell repaired.  On 22 Jan 1945, HMCS Lindsay was damaged in collision with HMS Brilliant southwest of the Isle of Wight.  Following temporary repairs at Davenport from  22 Jan to 19 Feb 1945, she sailed for Canada via Londonderry, arriving at Halifax early in Mar 1945.  She left there on 15 Mar 1945 for Saint John, where she was under refit until 22 Jun 1945, then proceeded to Sydney and was paid off on 18 Jul 1945.  She was sold for mercantile use in 1946 and renamed North Shore, later passing into Greek registry for Mediterranean passenger service until the name of Lemnos.  She was broken up ten years later.

(Dave Chamberlain Photo)

HMCS Lindsay (K338) (Flower-class).

HMCS Long Branch (K487)

(Dale Davies Photo)

HMCS Long Branch (K487) (Flower-class).  Built for the RN as HMS Candytuft, she was launched on 28 Sep 1943.  Transferred to the RCN in Sep 1943 she was commissioned on 5 Jan 1944 as HMCS Long Branch K487; named after a village near Toronto.  In Apr 1944, following a month's workups at Tobermory, HMCS Long Branch joined EG C-5 at Londonderry, and sailed to pick up her maiden convoy, ONS.233.  She developed mechanical defects on the crossing and was under repair at St. John's for six weeks.  She left St. John's 14 Jun 1944 to resume her duties, but returned from her next westbound convoy with the assistance of HM tug Tenacity.  Repaired, she left St. John's on 23 Jul 1944 to join HXS.300, the largest convoy of the war, and continued as an ocean escort until her final departure from "Derry on 27 Jan 1945.  Arriving at Halifax on 11 Feb 1945, she commenced a refit on completion of which, in Apr 1945, she was assigned to Halifax Force for local duties.  On 17 Jun 1945 she was paid off at Sorel for disposal.  Sold for commercial use in 1947, she was renamed Rexton Kent II (later dropping the "II") and finally scuttled off the east coast in 1966.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4950836)

HMCS Long Branch (K487) (Flower-class)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Long Branch (K487) (Flower-class), 5-inch Gun and shell, 1944.

HMCS Louisburg (K143)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Louisburg (K143) (Flower-class).  Built at Quebec City and commissioned there on 2 Oct 1941, HMCS Louisburg arrived at Halifax on 15 Oct 1941.  She was assigned to Sydney Force until mid-Jan 1942, when she was transferred to Newfoundland Command.  On 1 Feb 1942 she left St. John's for Londonderry as escort to convoy SC.67, another of whose escorts, HMCS Spikenard, was lost.  After a long refit at Halifax, from 27 Mar 1942 to 27 Jun 1942, HMCS Louisburg made two more round trips to 'Derry before being assigned to duties in connection with Operation "Torch," the invasion of North Africa.  She arrived at Londonderry on 23 Sep 1942, then proceeded to the Humber for fitting of extra A/A/ armament.  This work was completed on 18 Oct 1942.  On 9 Dec 1942, while anchored at Londonderry, she was accidentally rammed by HMS Bideford, necessitation five weeks' repairs at Belfast.  HMCS Louisburg had scarcely commenced her "Torch" duties when, on the afternoon of 6 Feb 1943 near Cape Tenes, Algeria convoy KMF-8 (Gibraltar to Bone) was attacked by Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero bombers. HMCS Louisburg was hit by bombs and torpedoes and sank in position 36º15'N, 00º15'E.  Forty-three of her crew were lost including several RN sailors and 2 Canadian sailors who died later of injuries received as a result of the sinking.

(Riggio family, Photo)

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 bombers of the 193ª Squadriglia Bombardamento Terrestre (193th Land Bombing Squadrilla), 87º Gruppo (87th Group), 30º Stormo(87th Wing).

HMCS Louisburg (K401)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Louisburg (K401) (Flower-class).  Built at Quebec City, she was launched on 13 Jul 1943 and commissioned there on 13 Dec 1943.  She sailed to Halifax in advance of completion in order to escape the freeze-up, arriving in late Dec 1943, and was not ready for service until Feb 1944.  Late in Mar 1944 she went to Bermuda for workups and upon returning to Halifax was assigned as an unallocated unit to Western Approaches Command, Londonderry.  She sailed for the UK on 23 Apr 1944 and spent the next four months on escort duties associated with the invasion.  In Sep 1944 she was allocated to EG 41, Plymouth, and late in Mar 1945, returned home for refit at Saint John.  Upon completion of this refit she was paid off at Sorel on 25 Jun 1945 and placed in reserve there.  She was sold in 1947 to the Dominican Navy and renamed Juan Alejandro Acosta.  Deleted from active list in 1978, she was driven ashore in a hurricane on 31 Aug 1979 alongside her sister Colon (former HMCS Lachute).

HMCS Lunenburg (K151)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Lunenburg (K151) (Flower-class).  Launched on 10 Jul 1941 at Lauzon, Quebec, she was commissioned on 4 Dec 1941, at Quebec City.  She arrived at Halifax on 13 Dec 1941 and after working up did escort duty between Halifax and St. John's.  In Jul 1942, she was transferred to Halifax Force as escort to Quebec City-Hamilton Inlet (Labrador) convoys.  HMCS Lunenburg arrived at Sydney on 31 Aug 1942 to join Gulf Escort Force, but two weeks later was detached for Operation "Torch" duties.  Arriving at Londonderry on 27 Sep 1942, she proceeded to Liverpool for extra A/A armament and in Nov 1942 began a four-month stint escorting convoys between the UK and the Mediterranean.  At the end of Mar 1943, she returned to Liverpool for a major refit, including fo'c's'le extension, completing on 17 Aug 1943.  After a brief sojourn in Canadian waters she was assigned to EG 6, Western Approaches Command, arriving at Plymouth late in Nov 1943.  For the next five months she operated in support of convoys between the UK and Gibraltar, and between Londonderry and other UK ports, as well as patrolling the Northwestern Approaches from her Londonderry base.  On 11 Jan 1944, while so employed, she was attacked by U-953 (Oblt Karl-Heinz Marbach) 50N-18W but was not hit.  When the group's corvettes were replaced with frigates in Apr 1944, HMCS Lunenburg went to Western Approaches Command Greenock, to be based at Portsmouth for invasion duties.  For the next five months she was employed primarily in the English Channel.  She left Londonderry on 23 Sep 1944 for refit begun at Saint John, NB, but completed at Halifax in mid-Jan 1945.  Following work-ups in Bermuda she returned to the UK via the Azores, to serve with Plymouth Command until the end of the war.  In May 1945, she visited St. Helier during the re-occupation of the Channel Islands.  She left Greenock in mid-Jun 1945 for Halifax, was paid off at Sorel on 23 Jul 1945, and broken up at Hamilton in 1946.

(Debbie King Photo)

HMCS Lunenburg (K151) (Flower-class) in the English Channel off Portland 10 Jun 1944

HMCS Matapedia (K112)

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Matapedia (K112) (Flower-class).  Commissioned at Quebec City on 9 May 1941, HMCS Matapedia arrived at Halifax on 24 May 1941.  She was assigned to Sydney Force as a local escort until late Sep 1941, when she was transferred to Newfoundland Command for ocean escort work between St. John's and Iceland.  On her first trip, she left Sydney on 29 Sep 1941 for Iceland with convoy SC.47.  After three round trips she left St. John's on 6 Feb 1942, with SC.68 for Londonderry, returning in Mar 1942 with ON.70.  It was to her only trip to the UK, as she joined WLEF on her return and, with the exception of a stint with Gaspé Force from Nov to Dec 1944, remained with WLEF until the end of the war.  She underwent a major refit at Pictou.  On 8 May 1943, she was rammed amidships in a thick fog off Sambro Lightship by SS Scorton, and seriously damaged. After temporary repairs at Dartmouth from 10 Sep to 12 Oct 1943, she was towed to Liverpool, NS, for full repairs and refit, including fo'c's'le extension.  This was completed early in Feb 1944, and a month later she proceeded to Bermuda for two weeks' workups, on her return joining EG W-4 for the balance of the war.  She underwent one further major refit from 15 Feb to 28 Apr 1945, at Halifax, again followed by workups in Bermuda, but the war was over now and she was paid off at Sorel on 16 Jun 1945.  HMCS Matapedia was broken up at the Steel Company of Canada, Hamilton, Ontario in 1950.

(Charles James Sadler Photo)

HMCS Matapedia (K112) (Flower-class).

HMCS Mayflower (K191)

(Naval Museum of Alberta Photo)

HMCS Mayflower (K191) (Flower-class).

HMCS Mayflower (K191) (Flower-class).  Built for the RN, she was commissioned at Montreal on 28 Nov 1940 as HMS Mayflower.  She arrived at Halifax on 11 Dec 1940 to work up and complete stores.  On 9 Feb 1941, HMS Mayflower left with convoy HX.108 for the UK, fitted, like her sister HMS Hepatica, with a dummy gun.  This and other shortcomings were looked after on the Tyne River, where she was pronounced complete on 5 May 1941.  On 15 May 1941, she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned as HMCS Mayflower K191.  Soon after, she left Loch Ewe as a member of EG 4 with convoy OB.332 for Iceland on 10 Jun 1941.  Later that month she joined Newfoundland Command, and for the remainder of the year served between Iceland at St. John's as an ocean escort.  During this period she took part in the battle of convoy SC.44, when four merchant ships and HMCS Levis were lost,  HMCS Mayflower collected survivors of the latter.  After a major refit at Charleston, SC, from 9 Dec 1941 to 9 Feb 1942, HMCS Mayflower resumed her mid-ocean role on the "Newfie-Derry" run until Apr 1944.  In Mar 1943, while escorting Convoy ON.77 from Liverpool, England, the SS Imperial Transport was torpedoed by U-94.  Her crew was rescued by the Free French corvette Aconit.  HMCS Mayflower was ordered to sink the stricken vessel at daybreak with gunfire.  When daybreak came, a boarding party was sent over and it was determined she would be saved.  Five days later, under escort of HMCS Mayflower, the SS Imperial Transport made port at St. John's, Newfoundland.  In Apr 1942, she became a member of EG A-3, transferring to C-3 in Feb 1943.  She underwent two further long refits: from 29 Oct 1942 to 11 Jan 1943, at Pictou; and from 29 Nov 1943 to 14 Feb 1944, at Norfolk, VA.  She received her extended fo'c's'le during the latter, following which she worked up in St. Margaret's Bay, then sailed on 21 Apr 1944 for the UK to join Western Approaches Command, Greenock, for invasion duties.  She left Oban on 31 May 1944 to escort blockships for Normandy and arrived off the beaches on the day after D-Day.  For the remainder of the war she operated in UK waters, and on 31 May 1945, was paid off for return to the RN.  Laid up at Grangemouth, Scotland, she was broken up at Inverkeithing in 1949.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Mayflower (K191) (Flower-class).

HMCS Merrittonia (K688)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Merrittonia (K688) (Flower-class).  Laid down as HMCS Pointe Claire, she was renamed HMCS Merrittonia, Ontario, in Mar 1944.  Commissioned at Quebec City on 10 Nov 1944, she arrived at Halifax in mid-Dec 1944 and sailed to Bermuda for a month's workups.  On her return HMCS Merrittonia was assigned to EG C-7 and left St. John's on 7 Feb 1945 to meet the group, which was westbound with convoy ON.283 from Britain.  Thereafter, she was continuously employed on North Atlantic convoy duty.  She left Londonderry for the final time at the beginning of Jun 1945.  She was paid off on 11 Jul and laid up at Sorel for disposal.  Purchased by K.C. Irving Ltd., Moncton, NB, on 16 Nov 1945, she was wrecked on the Nova Scotia coast on 30 Nov 1945.

(John Vukson Photo)

HMCS Merrittonia (K688) (Flower-class).