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HMCS Chilliwack

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HMCS Chilliwack was a Flower-class corvette who served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She saw action primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Chilliwack, British Columbia.

HMCS Chilliwack, circa 1942.
History
Canada
NameChilliwack
NamesakeChilliwack, British Columbia
Ordered14 February 1940
BuilderBurrard Dry Dock, North Vancouver
Laid down3 July 1940
Launched14 September 1940
Commissioned8 April 1941
Out of servicePaid off 14 July 1945
IdentificationPennant number: K131
Honours and
awards		Atlantic 1941-45[1]
FateScrapped 1946.
General characteristics
Class and typeFlower-class corvette (original)[2]
Displacement925 long tons (940 t; 1,036 short tons)
Length205 ft (62.48 m)o/a
Beam33 ft (10.06 m)
Draught11.5 ft (3.51 m)
Propulsion
  • single shaft
  • 2 × fire tube Scotch boilers
  • 1 × 4-cycle triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
  • 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Speed16 knots (29.6 km/h)
Range3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement85
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × SW1C or 2C radar
  • 1 × Type 123A or Type 127DV sonar
Armament

Background

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Main article: Flower-class corvette

Flower-class corvettes like Chilliwack serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail-driven corvettes.[3][4][5] The "corvette" designation was created by the French as a class of small warships; the Royal Navy borrowed the term for a period but discontinued its use in 1877.[6] During the hurried preparations for war in the late 1930s, Winston Churchill reactivated the corvette class, needing a name for smaller ships used in an escort capacity, in this case based on a whaling ship design.[7] The generic name "flower" was used to designate the class of these ships, which – in the Royal Navy – were named after flowering plants.[8]

Corvettes commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were named after communities for the most part, to better represent the people who took part in building them. This idea was put forth by Admiral Percy W. Nelles. Sponsors were commonly associated with the community for which the ship was named. Royal Navy corvettes were designed as open sea escorts, while Canadian corvettes were developed for coastal auxiliary roles which was exemplified by their minesweeping gear. Eventually the Canadian corvettes would be modified to allow them to perform better on the open seas.[9]

Construction

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Chilliwack was ordered on 14 February 1940 as part of the 1939-1940 Flower-class building program. At Burrard Dry Dock in North Vancouver, British Columbia she was laid down on 3 July 1940. Chilliwack was launched on 14 September 1940 and commissioned on 8 April 1941 at Vancouver.[10] She is named after the city of Chilliwack, British Columbia. In April 1943 until October 1943, Chilliwack was refitting at Dartmouth, where her fo'c'sle was extended.[11]

War service

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Bell from HMCS Chilliwack at the Chilliwack Military Museum, 2019

After commissioning she was sent to Halifax, arriving on 19 June 1941. She was assigned to Newfoundland Command in July and spent the rest of the year escorting convoys between St. John's and Iceland. In February 1942 she began work as an ocean escort, a position she continued with few interruptions until November 1944.[11]

Chilliwack participated in the battle for convoy SC 67 before assignment to Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) group C1 in June 1942. With group C1, she shared credit for sinking U-356 during the battle for convoy ON 154, and participated in the battles for convoy SC 94 and convoy HX 222. Chilliwack then joined MOEF group A3 in the battle for convoy ON 166. In December 1943 after completing her refit and work up, Chilliwack joined escort group W-8 of Western Escort Force. In March 1944, she assisted in the sinking of U-744 along with several other escorts while escorting convoy HX 280.[11] Chilliwack escorted fourteen trans-Atlantic convoys without loss in 1944 and spent 1945 escorting North American coastal convoys with the Western Local Escort Force.[12]

In April 1945 she was reassigned to Halifax Force before being lent to escort group C-1 again for one round trip in May. Chilliwack was paid off on 14 July 1945 at Sorel, Quebec.[11] The ship was sold after the war and scrapped in 1946.[2]

Trans-Atlantic convoys escorted

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Convoy Escort Group Dates Notes
HX 145 20–25 August 1941[13] 83 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 11 4–11 September 1941[14] 63 ships escorted without loss from Iceland to Newfoundland
SC 45 21–30 September 1941[15] 58 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 21 5–14 October 1941[14] 30 ships escorted without loss from Iceland to Newfoundland
SC 51 25 October – 4 November 1941[15] 38 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 33 11–19 November 1941[14] 49 ships escorted without loss from Iceland to Newfoundland
SC 59 14–21 December 1941[15] 39 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 50 28 December 1941 – 3 January 1942[14] 35 ships escorted without loss from Iceland to Newfoundland
SC 67 30 January – 11 February 1942[15] Newfoundland to Iceland; 1 ship torpedoed & sunk
ON 66 18–25 February 1942[14] 19 ships escorted without loss from Iceland to Newfoundland
HX 178 6–16 March 1942[13] 22 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 79 24 March – 1 April 1942[14] 29 ships escorted without loss from Iceland to Newfoundland
HX 195 MOEF group C1 24 June – 1 July 1942[13] 30 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 112 MOEF group C1 14–25 July 1942[14] 36 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
SC 94 MOEF group C1 2–8 August 1942[13] Newfoundland to Northern Ireland; 10 ships torpedoed & sunk
ON 123 MOEF group C1 22–31 August 1942[14] 39 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
SC 99 MOEF group C1 9–19 September 1942[15] 59 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 133 MOEF group C1 26 September – 5 Oct 1942[14] 35 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 211 MOEF group C1 13–20 October 1942[13] 29 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 143 MOEF group C1 2–11 November 1942[14] 26 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
SC 110 MOEF group C1 24 November – 5 December 1942[15] 33 ships escorted without loss from Halifax to Newfoundland
ON 154 MOEF group C1 19–30 December 1942[14] Northern Ireland to Newfoundland; 14 ships torpedoed (13 sank)
HX 222 MOEF group C1 11–22 January 1943[13] Newfoundland to Northern Ireland; 1 ship torpedoed & sunk
ON 166 MOEF group A3 12–25 February 1943[14] Northern Ireland to Newfoundland; 12 ships torpedoed (11 sank)
HX 265 11–20 November 1943[13] 51 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ONS 24 1–13 December 1943[14] 29 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 271 20–29 December 1943[13] 53 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 221 25 January – 6 February 1944[14] 63 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 280 2–5 March 1944[13] 63 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 230 31 March – 9 April 1944[14] 66 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 287 12–17 April 1944[13] 71 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 235 5–14 May 1944[14] 65 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 292 19–22 May 1944[13] 128 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 240 11–22 June 1944[14] 85 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 297 30 June – 10 July 1944[13] 116 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 245 19–28 July 1944[14] 101 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 302 8–16 August 1944[13] 96 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 250 25 August – 4 September 1944[14] 76 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland

References

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  1. ^ "Battle Honours". Britain's Navy. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  2. ^ a b Lenton, H.T.; Colledge, J.J (1968). British and Dominion Warships of World War II. Doubleday & Company. pp. 201, 212.
  3. ^ Ossian, Robert. "Complete List of Sailing Vessels". The Pirate King. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  4. ^ Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. (1978). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons & Warfare. Vol. 11. London: Phoebus. pp. 1137–1142.
  5. ^ Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II. New Jersey: Random House. 1996. p. 68. ISBN 0-517-67963-9.
  6. ^ Blake, Nicholas; Lawrence, Richard (2005). The Illustrated Companion to Nelson's Navy. Stackpole Books. pp. 39–63. ISBN 0-8117-3275-4.
  7. ^ Chesneau, Roger; Gardiner, Robert (June 1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. Naval Institute Press. p. 62. ISBN 0-87021-913-8.
  8. ^ Milner, Marc (1985). North Atlantic Run. Naval Institute Press. pp. 117–119, 142–145, 158, 175–176, 226, 235, 285–291. ISBN 0-87021-450-0.
  9. ^ Macpherson, Ken; Milner, Marc (1993). Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy 1939-1945. St. Catherines: Vanwell Publishing. p. 117. ISBN 1-55125-052-7.
  10. ^ "HMCS Chilliwack (K131)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  11. ^ a b c d Macpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910-1981 : a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. p. 72. ISBN 0-00216-856-1.
  12. ^ "Convoy Web". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "HX convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "ON convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "SC convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
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