HMCS Rockcliffe

Last updated

History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgCanada
NameRockcliffe
Namesake Rockcliffe Park
Builder Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Port Arthur
Laid down23 December 1942
Launched19 August 1943
Commissioned30 September 1944
Decommissioned28 July 1945
Identification Pennant number J335
Recommissioned3 March 1947
Decommissioned15 August 1950
Identification266
Honours and
awards		Atlantic 1945 [1]
FateSold for scrap 24 March 1960
BadgeArgent, a squirrel sable sejant on a broken tree branch proper, holding between the forepaws a fid or marlin spike or [1]
General characteristics
Class and type Algerine-class minesweeper
Displacement
  • 1,030 long tons (1,047 t) (standard)
  • 1,325 long tons (1,346 t) (deep)
Length225 ft (69 m) o/a
Beam35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
Draught12.25 ft 6 in (3.89 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Range5,000  nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement85
Armament

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.

Contents

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. [2]

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). [2]

The Algerine class was armed with a QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft gun [3] 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. [2]

Construction and career

Named after Rockliffe Park, a suburb of Ottawa, Ontario, Rockcliffe was laid down on 23 December 1942 by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. at Port Arthur, Ontario. The ship was launched on 19 August 1943 and commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy at Port Arthur on 30 September 1944. [4]

Following her commissioning, Rockcliffe sailed up the St. Lawrence River to Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was sent to Bermuda to work up and upon her return to Halifax in mid-December 1944, was assigned to the Western Escort Force for convoy escort duties in the Battle of the Atlantic. The minesweeper joined escort group W-6 with which she remained until June 1945 when it was disbanded. On 10 May 1945 she was part of the group that captured the German Type IX submarine U-889. She escorted the submarine to Shelburne, Nova Scotia. [4]

Rockcliffe was paid off into reserve on 28 July 1945 at Sydney, Nova Scotia, she was then transferred to the west coast arriving at Esquimalt, British Columbia on 14 January 1946. On 3 March 1947, the minesweeper was recommissioned for use as a training ship. [4] In 1948, the minesweeper was used for oceanographic duties. [5] Rockcliffe was paid off on 15 August 1950 for the final time. Rockcliffe was sold for scrap on 24 March 1960 and broken up at Vancouver. [4] [6]

After decommissioning the ship's bell was presented to the officer's mess at CFB Rockcliffe on 30 May 1967 and formed part of the chandelier.

See also

Related Research Articles

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 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 <i>Fort Frances</i> Royal Canadian Navy minesweeper

HMCS Fort Frances was an Algerine-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily as a coastal convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. The ship was named for Fort Frances, a town in northwestern Ontario. Following the war, the vessel was transferred to the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys and used for hydrographic and oceanographic survey. The vessel was discarded in 1974 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 <i>Fundy</i> (J88)

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 <i>Wallaceburg</i>

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 <i>Winnipeg</i> (J337)

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 <i>Digby</i>

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.

HMCS Minas 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 Invasion of Normandy. She was named for Minas Basin. After the war she was reactivated for a short period of time in 1955 before being sold for scrap.

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 Noranda was a Canadian Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy in 1940. She was launched on 13 June 1941 and escorted convoys for the rest of the war. After the war the minesweeper was refitted and was transferred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as Irvine. In 1962, the ship was sold and was turned into the yacht Miriana. Renamed Marijana and Viking L&R in 1969, the yacht sank in May 1971 off the coast of Jamaica.

HMCS Transcona was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She was launched on 26 April 1941. After the war, she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police under the name French. The vessel served until 1961 before being sold for scrap and broken up later that year.

HMCS <i>Goderich</i>

HMCS Goderich was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1941, Goderich spent the entire war as a local convoy escort based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The vessel was decommissioned in 1945 and placed in reserve. Reacquired during the Korean War, the vessel was modernized but never re-entered service and was sold for scrap and broken up in 1959.

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.

HMCS Wasaga was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1941, the minesweeper took part in the Battle of the Atlantic and the invasion of Normandy. Following the end of the war, the vessel was sold in 1946 and broken up for scrap in 1947.

HMCS Westmount was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1942, the minesweeper spent the entire war on the Atlantic Canada coast. Following the war, the ship was laid up in reserve until reacquired in 1952 during the Korean War. Never re-entering service with the Royal Canadian Navy, the vessel was sold to the Turkish Navy in 1958. Renamed Bornova, the minesweeper was discarded in 1972.

References

  1. 1 2 Arbuckle, p. 104
  2. 1 2 3 Lenton, p. 261
  3. ↑ Chesneau, p. 65
  4. 1 2 3 4 Macpherson & Barrie, p. 198
  5. ↑ "Plenty of Seatime". The Crowsnest. Vol. 1, no. 1. King's Printer. November 1948. p. 2.
  6. ↑ "Rockcliffe (6120049)" . Miramar Ship Index . Retrieved 31 July 2016.

Bibliography


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.