Allied Warships

HMCS Calgary (K 231)

Corvette of the Flower class

NavyThe Royal Canadian Navy
TypeCorvette
ClassFlower 
PennantK 231 
Built byMarine Industries Ltd. (Sorel, Quebec, Canada) 
Ordered20 Feb 1941 
Laid down22 Mar 1941 
Launched23 Aug 1941 
Commissioned16 Dec 1941 
End service19 Jun 1945 
History

Took part in operations Torch and Neptune.

Decommissioned 19 June 1945.
Sold on 30 August 1946.
Broken up at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1951.

 

Commands listed for HMCS Calgary (K 231)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1T/Lt. Gerald Lancaster, RCNR15 Nov 194119 Jun 1942
2T/Lt. Henry Knox Hill, RCNVR20 Jun 194217 Mar 1944
3Lt. Aubrey Alvin Randle Dykes, RCNR18 Mar 194415 Sep 1944
4T/Lt. Leonard Douglas Marne Saunders, RCNVR16 Sep 194425 May 1945
5T/Lt. George McCraney Orr, RCNVR26 May 194519 Jun 1945

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Notable events involving Calgary include:


19 Mar 1942
HMS P 512 (Lt. J.C. Ogle, DSC, RN) and HMS P 514 (Lt. W.A. Phillimore, RN) departed New London, Connecticut, USA for Halifax, Canada. They were escorted by HMCS Calgary (T/Lt. G. Lancaster, RCNR) and HMCS Charlottetown (T/Lt. J.W. Bonner, RCNR). (1)

30 Jul 1942
HMCS Calgary (T/Lt. H.K. Hill, RCNVR) picks up 71 survivors from the British merchant Pacific Pioneer that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-132 south-west of Sable Island in position 43°30'N, 60°35'W.

2 Dec 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Beagle (Cdr. R.C. Medley, DSO, RN), HMS Asphodel (Lt. H.P. Carse, DSC, RNVR), HMCS Louisburg (Lt.Cdr. W.F. Campbell, RCNVR), HMCS Calgary (T/Lt. H.K. Hill, RCNVR), HMS Burnham (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, DSC, RN) and HMS Watchman (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Rodgers, RN). (2)

15 Apr 1943
HMS H 33 (Lt. J.A. Spender, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Pelican (Cdr. G.N. Brewer, RN), HMS Jed (Lt.Cdr. R.C. Freaker, DSO, RD, RNR), HMCS Algoma (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J. Harding, RCNR), HMCS Calgary (T/Lt. H.K. Hill, RCNVR) and HMS Sunflower (A/Lt.Cdr. J. Plomer, RCNVR). (3)

24 Jun 1943
HMS H 34 (T/Lt. R.L. Willoughby, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR), HMS Nene (Cdr. J.D. Birch, RD, RNR), HMCS Calgary (T/Lt. H.K. Hill, RCNVR) and HMS Fusilier (T/Lt. F.M. Phillips, RNVR). (4)

25 Jun 1943
HMS P 511 (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMCS Calgary (T/Lt. H.K. Hill, RCNVR) and HMS Douglas (Lt.Cdr. K.H.J.L. Phibbs, RN). (5)

23 Aug 1943
On the 23th August 1943 the 40th Escort Group (Cdr. Dallison), consisting of the sloops HMS Landguard, HMS Bideford, HMS Hastings and the frigates HMS Exe, HMS Moyola and HMS Waveney were deployed on a U-boat hunt off Cape Ortegal. The whole operation was covered by the British light cruiser HMS Bermuda.

On the 25th August the Canadian 5th Support Group (Cdr. Tweed), consisting of the British frigates HMS Nene, HMS Tweed and the Canadian corvettes HMCS Calgary, HMCS Edmundston and HMCS Snowberry were deployed to relieve the 40th Escort Group. While this was in progress the ships were attacked at 1415 hrs by 14 Dornier Do-217's and 7 Ju-88's. with the new German weapon, the Henschel Glider Bombs, (the "Hs293 A-1"). Designed by the German Professor Herbert Wagner. HMS Landguard and HMS Bideford were the first of the Allied and R.N. ships to be attacked and damaged by them. This being the first time of their being brought into action against Allied ships. Several sailors were injured on HMS Bideford and one sailor was killed.

Another two days later on the 27th August 1943 the Canadian 5th Support group was relieved by the 1st Support group (Cdr. Brewer) consisting of the sloops HMS Pelican, HMS Egret and the frigates HMS Jed, HMS Rother, HMS Spey and HMS Evenlode. Also the covering cruiser HMS Bermuda was relieved by the Canadian destroyer HMCS Athabaskan and the British destroyer HMS Grenville. These ships were also attacked by the Germans. This time with 18 Dornier Do-217?s also carrying Henschel Glider Bombs. HMCS Athabaskan was heavily damaged and HMS Egret was sunk with the loss of 194 of her crew. After this loss the U-boat hunt was blown off.

20 Nov 1943
German U-boat U-536 was sunk in the North Atlantic north-east of the Azores, in position 43°50'N, 19°39'W, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Nene (Cdr. J.D. Birch, RD, RNR) and the Canadian corvettes HMCS Snowberry (T/Lt. J.A. Dunn, RCNVR) and HMCS Calgary (T/A/Lt.Cdr. H.K. Hill, RCNVR).

29 Dec 1944
German U-boat U-322 was sunk in the English Channel south of Weymouth, in position 50°25'N, 02°26'W, by depth charges from the Canadian corvette HMCS Calgary (T/Lt. L.D.M. Saunders, RCNVR).

Media links


Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy, 1939-1945

MacPherson, Ken and Milner, Marc

Sources

  1. ADM 199/1834
  2. ADM 173/17244
  3. ADM 173/17781
  4. ADM 173/17795
  5. ADM 173/17925

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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