HMCS Minas: Difference between revisions
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In September 1941, ''Minas'' sailed for the [[East Coast of Canada|East Coast]], arriving at [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]] on 19 October. The minesweeper was assigned to Sydney Force as a local escort. In January 1942, she transferred to [[Newfoundland Escort Force|Newfoundland Force]], remaining with them until November that year. She joined the [[Western Local Escort Force]] (WLEF) as a convoy escort that month and served in an unaffiliated capacity until June 1943. On 21 November 1942, ''Minas'', along with the [[corvette]] {{HMCS|Timmins|K223|2}}, rescued 60 survivors of the merchant ship ''Empire Sailor'' which had been torpedoed by {{GS|U-518||2}}. Several survivors later died of the phosgene gas they had inhaled when their ship was hit.<ref name=u1/> She collided with {{HMS|Liscomb}} on 3 February 1943, near Halifax; the damage resulted in a month of repairs. She became a part of EG W-7 of WLEF in June 1943. She joined escort group W-4 in December.<ref name=mac172/> |
In September 1941, ''Minas'' sailed for the [[East Coast of Canada|East Coast]], arriving at [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]] on 19 October. The minesweeper was assigned to Sydney Force as a local escort. In January 1942, she transferred to [[Newfoundland Escort Force|Newfoundland Force]], remaining with them until November that year. She joined the [[Western Local Escort Force]] (WLEF) as a convoy escort that month and served in an unaffiliated capacity until June 1943. On 21 November 1942, ''Minas'', along with the [[corvette]] {{HMCS|Timmins|K223|2}}, rescued 60 survivors of the merchant ship ''Empire Sailor'' which had been torpedoed by {{GS|U-518||2}}. Several survivors later died of the phosgene gas they had inhaled when their ship was hit.<ref name=u1/> She collided with {{HMS|Liscomb}} on 3 February 1943, near Halifax; the damage resulted in a month of repairs. She became a part of EG W-7 of WLEF in June 1943. She joined escort group W-4 in December.<ref name=mac172/> |
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On 20 February 1944, ''Minas'' left Halifax with three of her sisters, travelling to Great Britain as part of Canada's contribution to the [[invasion of Normandy]]. She arrived in March 1944 and was assigned to the [[31st Minesweeping Flotilla]], an all-Canadian flotilla of minesweepers taking part in the D-Day invasions.<ref name=mac172/><ref>Schull, p. 233</ref> During the invasion, ''Minas'' and her fellow minesweepers swept and marked channels through the German minefields leading into the invasion beaches.<ref>Schull, pp. 233-4</ref> The 31st Minesweeping Flotilla swept channel 3 on 6 June, completing the task unmolested by the Germans. ''Minas'' nearly collided with the {{ship|French cruiser|Georges Leygues}} as the assault fleet entered the swept channels.<ref>Schull, pp. 270-3</ref> She returned to Canada, undergoing a refit at [[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia]] in September 1944, rejoining the 31st Flotilla at [[Plymouth]] in January 1945.<ref name=mac172/> In April 1945, the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla joined the last large-scale combined operation in the European theatre in an attack on German naval bases in France that had been left untouched by [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] war effort to that point. Departing Plymouth on 12 April, the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla began operations in the mouth of the [[Gironde estuary]] on 14 April. They completed their duties on 16 April, unmolested by the Germans. While returning to Plymouth, the flotilla encountered a German trawler and captured it.<ref>Schull, pp. 395-6<ref> Later that year in September ''Minas'' returned to Canada and was [[Ship decommissioning|paid off]] into reserve at [[Shelburne, Nova Scotia|Shelburne]] on 6 October 1945.<ref name=mac172/> |
On 20 February 1944, ''Minas'' left Halifax with three of her sisters, travelling to Great Britain as part of Canada's contribution to the [[invasion of Normandy]]. She arrived in March 1944 and was assigned to the [[31st Minesweeping Flotilla]], an all-Canadian flotilla of minesweepers taking part in the D-Day invasions.<ref name=mac172/><ref>Schull, p. 233</ref> During the invasion, ''Minas'' and her fellow minesweepers swept and marked channels through the German minefields leading into the invasion beaches.<ref>Schull, pp. 233-4</ref> The 31st Minesweeping Flotilla swept channel 3 on 6 June, completing the task unmolested by the Germans. ''Minas'' nearly collided with the {{ship|French cruiser|Georges Leygues}} as the assault fleet entered the swept channels.<ref>Schull, pp. 270-3</ref> She returned to Canada, undergoing a refit at [[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia]] in September 1944, rejoining the 31st Flotilla at [[Plymouth]] in January 1945.<ref name=mac172/> In April 1945, the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla joined the last large-scale combined operation in the European theatre in an attack on German naval bases in France that had been left untouched by [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] war effort to that point. Departing Plymouth on 12 April, the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla began operations in the mouth of the [[Gironde estuary]] on 14 April. They completed their duties on 16 April, unmolested by the Germans. While returning to Plymouth, the flotilla encountered a German trawler and captured it.<ref>Schull, pp. 395-6</ref> Later that year in September ''Minas'' returned to Canada and was [[Ship decommissioning|paid off]] into reserve at [[Shelburne, Nova Scotia|Shelburne]] on 6 October 1945.<ref name=mac172/> |
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===Postwar service=== |
===Postwar service=== |
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Revision as of 23:08, 3 August 2016
| History | |
|---|---|
 Canada | |
| Name | Minas |
| Namesake | Minas Basin |
| Ordered | 23 February 1940 |
| Builder | Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd., Vancouver |
| Laid down | 18 October 1940 |
| Launched | 22 January 1941 |
| Commissioned | 2 August 1941 |
| Decommissioned | 6 October 1945 |
| Identification | pennant number: J165 |
| Recommissioned | 15 March 1955 |
| Decommissioned | 7 November 1955 |
| Identification | pennant number: 189 |
| Honours and awards | Atlantic 1941-44, Normandy 1944[1] |
| Fate | Sold for scrap 1958. |
| Badge | Argent, a pile barry wavy or and azure, and over all placed horizontally, a billet gules.[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Template:Sclass- |
| Displacement | 673 tons |
| Length | 171.5 ft (52.3 m) |
| Beam | 28.5 ft (8.7 m) |
| Draught | 8.25 ft (2.5 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 Admiralty 3-drum water tube boilers, 2 shafts, vertical triple-expansion reciprocating engines, 2,400 ihp (1,790 kW) |
| Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h) |
| Complement | 70 |
| Armament |
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HMCS Minas was a Template:Sclass- that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She saw action in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Invasion of Normandy. She was named for Minas Basin.[2] After the war she was reactivated for a short period of time in 1955 before being sold for scrap.
Construction and career
Minas was ordered on 23 February 1940[3] as part of the 1939–40 building programme.[4] Her keel was laid down on 18 October 1940 by Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd. at Vancouver. The ship was launched on 22 January 1941.[3][2] She was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy on 2 August 1941 at Vancouver.[2]
Second World War
In September 1941, Minas sailed for the East Coast, arriving at Halifax on 19 October. The minesweeper was assigned to Sydney Force as a local escort. In January 1942, she transferred to Newfoundland Force, remaining with them until November that year. She joined the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) as a convoy escort that month and served in an unaffiliated capacity until June 1943. On 21 November 1942, Minas, along with the corvette Timmins, rescued 60 survivors of the merchant ship Empire Sailor which had been torpedoed by U-518. Several survivors later died of the phosgene gas they had inhaled when their ship was hit.[3] She collided with HMS Liscomb on 3 February 1943, near Halifax; the damage resulted in a month of repairs. She became a part of EG W-7 of WLEF in June 1943. She joined escort group W-4 in December.[2]
On 20 February 1944, Minas left Halifax with three of her sisters, travelling to Great Britain as part of Canada's contribution to the invasion of Normandy. She arrived in March 1944 and was assigned to the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla, an all-Canadian flotilla of minesweepers taking part in the D-Day invasions.[2][5] During the invasion, Minas and her fellow minesweepers swept and marked channels through the German minefields leading into the invasion beaches.[6] The 31st Minesweeping Flotilla swept channel 3 on 6 June, completing the task unmolested by the Germans. Minas nearly collided with the French cruiser Georges Leygues as the assault fleet entered the swept channels.[7] She returned to Canada, undergoing a refit at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in September 1944, rejoining the 31st Flotilla at Plymouth in January 1945.[2] In April 1945, the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla joined the last large-scale combined operation in the European theatre in an attack on German naval bases in France that had been left untouched by Allied war effort to that point. Departing Plymouth on 12 April, the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla began operations in the mouth of the Gironde estuary on 14 April. They completed their duties on 16 April, unmolested by the Germans. While returning to Plymouth, the flotilla encountered a German trawler and captured it.[8] Later that year in September Minas returned to Canada and was paid off into reserve at Shelburne on 6 October 1945.[2]
Postwar service
After the war the decommissioned Minas was moved to Sorel. In 1952, she was reacquired by the Canadian Navy and recommissioned on 15 March 1955, to be used as a training vessel.[2] On 15 April 1955, Minas, Wallaceburg and Portage were assigned to the Eleventh Canadian Escort Squadron based out of Halifax.[9] She was paid off on 7 November 1955, sold in August 1958 and broken up in Seattle the following year.[2] The ship's wheel remains on display at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 53 in Baddeck, Nova Scotia.[10]
References
Citations
- ^ a b Arbuckle, p. 67
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Macpherson and Barrie, p. 172
- ^ a b c "HMCS Minas (J165)". uboat.net. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ Macpherson and Barrie, p. 167
- ^ Schull, p. 233
- ^ Schull, pp. 233-4
- ^ Schull, pp. 270-3
- ^ Schull, pp. 395-6
- ^ "Coastal Escorts Form Squadron". The Crowsnest. Vol. 7, no. 6. Queen's Printer. April 1955. p. 4.
- ^ "Victoria - 053". Nova Scotia Nunavut Command of the Royal Canadian Legion. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
Sources
- Arbuckle, J. Graeme (1987). Badges of the Canadian Navy. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Nimbus Publishing. ISBN 0-920852-49-1.
- Macpherson, Ken; Barrie, Ron (2002). The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910—2002 (Third ed.). St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN 1-55125-072-1.
