HMCS Parry Sound

Last updated

HMCS Parry Sound.jpg
HMCS Parry Sound
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgCanada
NameHMCS Parry Sound
Namesake Parry Sound, Ontario
OrderedJune 1942
Builder Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel
Laid down11 June 1943
Launched13 November 1943
Commissioned30 August 1944
Decommissioned10 July 1945
Identification Pennant number: K341
Honours and
awards
Atlantic 1944-45 [1]
FateSold for mercantile use
General characteristics
Class and typeModified Flower-class corvette
Displacement1,015 long tons (1,031 t; 1,137 short tons)
Length208 ft (63.4 m)o/a
Beam33 ft (10.1 m)
Draught11 ft (3.35 m)
Propulsion
  • single shaft
  • 2 × water tube boilers
  • 1 × 4-cylinder 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)
Complement90
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × Type 271 SW2C radar
  • 1 × Type 144 sonar
Armament

HMCS Parry Sound was a modified Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Parry Sound, Ontario.

Contents

Background

Flower-class corvettes like Parry Sound serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail-driven corvettes. [2] [3] [4] 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. [5] 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. [6] The generic name "flower" was used to designate the class of these ships, which – in the Royal Navy – were named after flowering plants. [7]

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. [8]

Construction

Parry Sound was ordered in June 1942 as part of the 1943-44 Increased Endurance Flower-class building program, which followed the main layout of the 1942-43 program. The only significant difference is that the majority of the 43-44 program replaced the 2-pounder Mk.VIII single "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun with 2 twin 20-mm and 2 single 20-mm anti-aircraft guns. [8] Parry Sound was laid down by Marine Industries Ltd. at Sorel, Quebec 11 June 1943 and launched 13 November 1943. [9] She was commissioned into the RCN 30 August 1944 at Midland, Ontario. [10] [11]

Service history

After workups in Bermuda, Parry Sound was assigned to the Mid-Ocean Escort Force in November 1944. She was allocated to escort group C-7 as a trans-Atlantic convoy escort. She escorted her first convoy in December 1944. On 17 January 1945, while escorting HX 332, she developed mechanical defects and was forced to return to port for repairs. The repairs took two months to complete and Parry Sound returned to service as a convoy escort in April 1945. She returned to Canada in June 1945. [10]

Parry Sound was paid off 10 July 1945 at Sydney, Nova Scotia. She was transferred to the War Assets Corporation and sold for conversion in 1950 to a whale-catcher. She reappeared as Olympic Champion in 1950 under a Honduran flag. In 1956 she was sold and renamed Otori Maru No. 15. [10] In 1961 she was renamed Kyo Maru No.22. She was last noted on Lloyd's Register in 1978. [9] [11] The ship was deleted in 1979. [12]

Notes

  1. "Battle Honours". Britain's Navy. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  2. Ossian, Robert. "Complete List of Sailing Vessels". The Pirate King. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  3. Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. (1978). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons & Warfare. Vol. 11. London: Phoebus. pp. 1137–1142.
  4. Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II . New Jersey: Random House. 1996. p.  68. ISBN   0-517-67963-9.
  5. Blake, Nicholas; Lawrence, Richard (2005). The Illustrated Companion to Nelson's Navy. Stackpole Books. pp. 39–63. ISBN   0-8117-3275-4.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 1 2 Macpherson, Ken; Milner, Marc (1993). Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy 1939-1945. St. Catharines: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN   1-55125-052-7.
  9. 1 2 "HMCS Parry Sound (K 341)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 Macpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910-1981 : a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. p. 101. ISBN   0-00216-856-1.
  11. 1 2 Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN   978-1-86176-281-8.
  12. "Parry Sound (5199143)" . Miramar Ship Index . Retrieved 16 July 2016.

Related Research Articles

HMCS <i>Asbestos</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

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

HMCS <i>West York</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS West York was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Canadian Navy which took part in convoy escort duties during the Second World War. Named after Weston, Ontario, she was built by Midland Shipyards Ltd. in Midland, Ontario and commissioned on 6 October 1944 at Collingwood.

HMCS <i>Brantford</i> Flower-class corvette

HMCS Brantford was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named for Brantford, Ontario.

HMCS <i>Trillium</i> Flower-class corvette

HMCS Trillium was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served mainly as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was one of ten corvettes loaned to the Canadian navy by the Royal Navy and the only one which remained an ocean escort throughout the war. She was named after the flowering plant genus Trillium, which includes wakerobin, tri flower, and birthroot.

HMCS <i>Fredericton</i> (K245) British Flower-class corvette

HMCS Fredericton was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Canadian Navy. She was ordered from Marine Industries Ltd. in Sorel, Quebec and laid down on 22 March 1941. She was launched on 2 September 1941 and commissioned on 8 December 1941. She was named after the community of Fredericton, New Brunswick.

HMCS <i>Lachute</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Lachute was a modified Flower-class corvette that 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 Lachute, Quebec. After the war she was sold to the Dominican Navy.

HMCS <i>Beauharnois</i> (K540) Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Beauharnois was a modified Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic. After the war it was sold to a Jewish resettlement movement and eventually made its way into the nascent Israeli Navy.

HMCS <i>Orillia</i> Flower-class corvette of the Royal Canadian Navy

HMCS Orillia was a Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named for Orillia, Ontario.

HMCS <i>Saskatoon</i> (K158) Flower-class corvette

HMCS Saskatoon was a Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She saw service primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic. She is named for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

HMCS <i>Owen Sound</i> Modified Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War

HMCS Owen Sound was a modified Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Owen Sound, Ontario.

HMCS <i>Belleville</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Belleville was a modified Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Belleville, Ontario. After the war she was sold to the Dominican Navy and served with them until 1972.

HMCS <i>Merrittonia</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Merrittonia was a modified Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Merritton, Ontario. Her name was altered at the request of the town council. She was originally named HMCS Pointe Claire but it was changed March 1944 before commissioning.

HMCS <i>Peterborough</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Peterborough was a modified Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Peterborough, Ontario. After the war she was sold to the Dominican Navy.

HMCS <i>Smiths Falls</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Smiths Falls was a modified Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Smiths Falls, Ontario. She was the last Flower-class corvette to enter service with the RCN.

HMCS <i>Stellarton</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Stellarton was a modified Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Stellarton, Nova Scotia. After the war she was sold to the Chilean Navy.

HMCS <i>Strathroy</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Strathroy was a modified Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Strathroy-Caradoc, Ontario. After the war she was sold to the Chilean Navy.

HMCS <i>Thorlock</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Thorlock was a modified Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Thorold, Ontario. Her name was changed due to local preference. After the war she was sold to the Chilean Navy.

HMCS <i>Forest Hill</i> Royal Canadian Navy modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Forest Hill was a modified Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was originally laid down by the Royal Navy as HMS Ceanothos but was never commissioned into the RN, being transferred to the RCN before completion. She is named for Forest Hill, Ontario, a town that was eventually amalgamated into the larger city Toronto, Ontario.

HMCS <i>Giffard</i> (K402) Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Giffard was a modified Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was originally laid down by the British Royal Navy as HMS Buddleia but was never commissioned into the former, being transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy before completion. She is named for Giffard, Quebec, which at the time was a small village, but was eventually amalgamated into first, Beauport Quebec and then finally, Quebec City.

HMCS <i>Mimico</i> Modified Flower-class corvette

HMCS Mimico was a modified Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was originally laid down by the Royal Navy as HMS Bullrush but was never commissioned into the RN, being transferred to the RCN before completion. She is named for Mimico, Ontario, a town that was eventually amalgamated into the larger city Toronto, Ontario.