HMCS Chicoutimi (K156)

HMCS Chicoutimi was a Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as an ocean escort. She was named for Chicoutimi, Quebec.

For other ships with the same name, see HMCS Chicoutimi.

HMCS Chicoutimi
History
Canada
Name: Chicoutimi
Namesake: Chicoutimi, Quebec
Ordered: 20 January 1940
Builder: Canadian Vickers Ltd. Montreal, Quebec
Laid down: 5 July 1940
Launched: 16 October 1940
Commissioned: 12 May 1941
Out of service: 16 June 1945
Identification: Pennant number: K106
Honours and
awards:		 Atlantic 1941-44[1]
Fate: Sold for scrapping.
General characteristics
Class and type: Flower-class corvette (original)[2]
Displacement: 925 long tons (940 t; 1,036 short tons)
Length: 205 ft (62.48 m)o/a
Beam: 33 ft (10.06 m)
Draught: 11.5 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)
Speed: 16 knots (29.6 km/h)
Range: 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement: 85
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • 1 × SW1C or 2C radar
  • 1 × Type 123A or Type 127DV sonar
Armament:

Background
Main article: Flower-class corvette

Flower-class corvettes like Chicoutimi 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

Chicoutimi was ordered on 20 January 1940 as part of the 1939-1940 Flower-class building program. She was laid down 5 July 1940 by Canadian Vickers Ltd. at Montreal, Quebec and launched 16 October later that year. On 12 May 1941, Chicoutimi was commissioned at Montreal.[10] She was one of the few Flower-class corvettes not to have her fo'c'sle extended.[11]

War service

After arriving at Halifax on 17 May 1941, she was initially assigned to Sydney Force. In September 1941 she joined Newfoundland Escort Force as a mid-ocean escort. She served the next five months escorting convoys across the Atlantic.[11]

In February 1942, Chicoutimi was reassigned to the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF). She served with WLEF until August 1944. Beginning in June 1943, she did so as part of escort group W-1.[11]

In August 1944, Chicoutimi was sent to join HMCS Cornwallis as a training ship. She remained so for the rest of the year and into early 1945. In April 1945, she rejoined Sydney Force and remained with that unit until the end of the war. She was paid off at Sorel, Quebec on 16 June 1945. The ship was sold in June 1946 and broken up at Hamilton.[11][12]

References
  1. "Battle Honours". Britain's Navy. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  2. 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. 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. Catharines: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN 1-55125-052-7.
  10. "HMCS Chicoutimi (K 156)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  11. Macpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910-1981 : a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. pp. 73, 231. ISBN 0-00216-856-1.
  12. "Chicoutimi (6111726)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  • Hazegray. "Flower Class". Canadian Navy of Yesterday and Today. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  • Ready, Aye, Ready. "HMCS Chicoutimi (1st)". Retrieved 16 August 2013.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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