Design and description
The reciprocating group displaced 1,010–1,030 long tons (1,030–1,050 t) at standard load and 1,305–1,325 long tons (1,326–1,346 t) at deep load The ships measured 225 feet (68.6 m) long overall with a beam of 35 feet 6 inches (10.8 m). They had a draught of 12 feet 3 inches (3.7 m). The ships' complement consisted of 85 officers and ratings. [3]
The reciprocating ships had two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,400 indicated horsepower (1,800 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). They carried a maximum of 660 long tons (671 t) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). [3]
The Algerine class was armed with a QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft gun [4] and four twin-gun mounts for Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. The latter guns were in short supply when the first ships were being completed and they often got a proportion of single mounts. By 1944, single-barrel Bofors 40 mm mounts began replacing the twin 20 mm mounts on a one for one basis. All of the ships were fitted for four throwers and two rails for depth charges. Many Canadian ships omitted their sweeping gear in exchange for a 24-barrel Hedgehog spigot mortar and a stowage capacity for 90+ depth charges. [3]
Construction and career
Fort Frances was ordered on 25 November 1942 as part of the 1943 building program. [5] The minesweeper was laid down on 11 May 1943 by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Company Ltd. at Port Arthur, Ontario and launched on 30 October. [5] The ship was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy on 28 October 1944 at Port Arthur. [6]
After working up in Bermuda in January 1945, Fort Frances returned to Halifax, Nova Scotia and joined the Western Escort Force convoy escort groups W-8 and W-9 for short periods before the end of the war in Europe. [6] The minesweeper was paid off into maintenance reserve on 3 August 1945. [6] [5] The ship was recommissioned on 23 October 1945 and this deployment lasted until 5 April 1946, when Fort Frances was paid off for the final time. [6]
In 1948, Fort Frances was transferred to the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys for use as a hydrographic ship. In 1958 she was converted into an oceanographic survey ship. [6] [5] Three laboratories were installed along with the ability to carry up to eight scientists, her main purpose being underwater acoustic research. [7] Fort Frances served in this duty until she was sold in 1974 for scrap and broken up. [6] In 2009, Fort Frances was presented with a framed history of the ship in commemoration of the Canadian Naval Centennial. [8]
HMS Mariner was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. Laid down as HMCS Kincardine for the Royal Canadian Navy she was transferred on completion to the Royal Navy as HMS Mariner. She survived the war and was sold to Myanmar in 1958 as Yang Myo Aung.
The Algerine-class minesweeper was a large group of minesweepers built for the Royal Navy (RN) and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during the Second World War. 110 ships of the class were launched between 1942 and 1944.
HMCS Kapuskasing was an Algerine-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. The vessel was primarily used as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. Following the war she saw service as a hydrographic survey ship with the Department of Mines. She was named for Kapuskasing, Ontario.
HMCS Oshawa was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Following the war, the ship was converted to an oceanographic research vessel and remained in this capacity until being scrapped in 1966.
HMCS Rockcliffe was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Following the war, the ship saw service as training vessel before being scrapped in 1960.
HMCS Middlesex was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1944, the vessel served as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. Following the war, the ship ran aground on 2 December 1946 and broken up for scrap.
HMCS New Liskeard was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Following the war, the ship saw service first as a training ship and then later, as an oceanographic research vessel. She remained in service until 1969.
HMCS Portage was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Following the war, the ship saw service as a training vessel before being scrapped in 1961.
HMCS Fundy was a Fundy-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1938 to 1945. The minesweeper was the first warship built for Canada since 1918. She saw service in the Atlantic Ocean during the Second World War. The vessel was named for the Bay of Fundy. After the war she had an extensive civilian career.
HMCS Sault Ste. Marie was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1943, the minesweeper was used as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. Following the war, the minesweeper saw service as a training vessel before being scrapped in 1960.
HMCS St. Boniface was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. During the war, the vessel was used as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. Following the war, the ship was sold for civilian use as a merchant vessel, last being registered in 1954.
HMCS Wallaceburg was an Algerine-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War as a convoy escort during the Battle of the Atlantic. After the war the vessel was used from 1950 to 1959 for cadet training. In 1959 she was sold to the Belgian Navy and served until 1969 as Georges Lecointe, the second ship to be named after Georges Lecointe.
HMCS Winnipeg was an Algerine-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Used primarily as a convoy escort, the vessel served in the Battle of the Atlantic. Following the war she placed in reserve before being sold to Belgium and renamed A.F. Dufour. She served with the Belgian Navy until 1966.
HMCS Digby was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She saw action in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of the St. Lawrence. After the war she was supposed to be transferred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police but that was cancelled and instead was recommissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy, serving until 1956.
HMS Providence was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. Laid down as HMCS Forrest Hill for the Royal Canadian Navy she was transferred on completion to the Royal Navy as HMS Providence. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1958.
HMCS Brockville was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She was used as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of the St. Lawrence. Following the war, the vessel was transferred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and renamed Macleod. After five years service with them, the ship was reacquired the Royal Canadian Navy and recommissioned. She remained in service until 1958.
HMCS Quinte was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. The ship entered service in 1941 and took part in the Battle of the Atlantic. On 30 November 1942, Quinte ran aground and sank off Cape Breton Island. The ship was re-floated and repaired and spent the rest of the war as a training ship. Following the war, the minesweeper was used for naval research until decommissioned in 1946. The vessel was sold for scrap and broken up in 1947.
HMS Felicity (J369) was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.
HMS Niger (J442) was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.
HMS Onyx (J221) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.
This page is based on this
Wikipedia article Text is available under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Canada
