RCN Minesweepers (Lake Class): HMCS Alder Lake J480/HMCS Ash Lake J481/HMCS Beech Lake J482/HMCS Birch Lake J483/HMCS Cedar Lake J484/HMCS Cherry Lake J485/HMCS Elm Lake J486/HMCS Fir Lake J487

RCN 1939–1945, Minesweepers (Lake Class)

Minesweepers (Lake Class)

The Lake Class Minesweepers were copies of the Admiralty type, 126-foot wooden-hulled minesweepers, of which 24 were completed in east-coast yards for the RN.  Of the 16 for which orders were placed by the RCN, only 10 were completed as warships, VJ-Day having intervened, and these were transferred to the USSR.  The 3 on which work was stopped were completed for civilian use.  The remaining 3 were apparently never begun.  (Ken Macpherson and John Burgess, The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-1981, Collins, Toronto, 1982, p.135)

HMCS Alder Lake (J480) (Lake-class); HMCS Ash Lake (J481) (Lake-class); HMCS Beech Lake (J482) (Lake-class); HMCS Birch Lake (J483) (Lake-class); HMCS Cedar Lake (J484) (Lake-class); HMCS Cherry Lake (J485) (Lake-class); HMCS Elm Lake (J486) (Lake-class); HMCS Fir Lake (J487) (Lake-class); HMCS Hickory Lake (J488) (Lake-class); HMCS Larch Lake (J489) (Lake-class); HMCS Maple Lake (J490) (Lake-class); HMCS Oak Lake (J491) (Lake-class); HMCS Pine Lake (J492) (Lake-class); HMCS Poplar Lake (J493) (Lake-class); HMCS Spruce Lake (J494) (Lake-class); HMCS Willow Lake (J495) (Lake-class).

HMCS Alder Lake (J480) (Lake-class)

(Midland and Area-Portraits of the Past Photo)

HMCS Alder Lake (J480) (Lake-class).  Transferred to USSR, 20 Sep1945 as T-196.

HMCS Ash Lake (J481) (Lake-class).  Transferred to the Department of Mines as Cartier.

HMCS Beech Lake (J482) (Lake-class).  Built at Vancouver Shipyards Ltd., she was launched on 31 May 1945.  Transferred to USSR, 5 February 1946 as T-200.  Re-named GRS-2 in 1956.

HMCS Birch Lake (J483) (Lake-class).  Completed as MV Aspy III.

HMCS Cedar Lake (J484) (Lake-class).  Transferred to USSR, 1 Nov 1945 as T-197.

HMCS Cherry Lake (J485) (Lake-class).  Cancelled 22 Oct 1945.

HMCS Elm Lake (J486) (Lake Class).  Transferred to USSR as T-193.

HMCS Fir Lake (J487) (Lake-class).  Completed as mission ship Regina Polaris.

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