HMCS Stormont (K327)

	HMCS Stormont
History
Canada
Name	Stormont
Namesake	Stormont, Ontario
Ordered	October 1941
Builder	Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal
Yard number	167
Laid down	23 December 1942
Launched	14 July 1943
Commissioned	27 November 1943
Decommissioned	9 November 1945
Identification	Pennant number: K327
Honours and; awards	Arctic 1944, Atlantic 1944–45, English Channel 1944, Normandy 1944
Fate	Sold to Aristotle Onassis as yacht Christina
General characteristics
Class and type	River-class frigate
Displacement	1,445 long tons (1,468 t; 1,618 short tons); 2,110 long tons (2,140 t; 2,360 short tons) (deep load);
Length	283 ft (86.26 m) p/p ; 301.25 ft (91.82 m) o/a ;
Beam	36.5 ft (11.13 m)
Draught	9 ft (2.74 m); 13 ft (3.96 m) (deep load)
Propulsion	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, reciprocating vertical triple expansion, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed	20 knots (37.0 km/h); 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h) (turbine ships);
Range	646 long tons (656 t; 724 short tons) oil fuel; 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 km) at 15 knots (27.8 km/h)
Complement	157
Armament	2 × QF 4 in (102 mm) /45 Mk. XVI on twin mount HA/LA Mk.XIX; 1 × QF 12 pdr (3 in (76 mm)) 12 cwt /40 Mk. V on mounting HA/LA Mk.IX (not all ships); 8 × 20 mm QF Oerlikon A/A on twin mounts Mk.V; 1 × Hedgehog 24 spigot A/S projector; up to 150 depth charges ;

Last updated February 25, 2023

HMCS Stormont is a former River-class frigate that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic, but saw service in the Arctic Ocean. She was named for Stormont, Ontario. After the war she was turned into the luxury yacht Christina by Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis. She continues to sail.

Stormont was ordered October 1941 as part of the 1942–1943 River-class building program.^[2]^[3] She was laid down on 23 December 1942 by Canadian Vickers Ltd. at Montreal and launched 14 July 1943.^[3] She was commissioned into the RCN at Quebec City on 27 November 1943 with the pennant K327.^[2]

Background

The River-class frigate was designed by William Reed of Smith's Dock Company of South Bank-on-Tees. Originally called a "twin-screw corvette", its purpose was to improve on the convoy escort classes in service with the Royal Navy at the time, including the Flower-class corvette. The first orders were placed by the Royal Navy in 1940 and the vessels were named for rivers in the United Kingdom, giving name to the class. In Canada they were named after towns and cities though they kept the same designation.^[4] The name "frigate" was suggested by Vice-Admiral Percy Nelles of the Royal Canadian Navy and was adopted later that year.^[5]

Improvements over the corvette design included improved accommodation which was markedly better. The twin engines gave only three more knots of speed but extended the range of the ship to nearly double that of a corvette at 7,200 nautical miles (13,300 km) at 12 knots.^[5] Among other lessons applied to the design was an armament package better designed to combat U-boats including a twin 4-inch mount forward and 12-pounder aft.^[4] 15 Canadian frigates were initially fitted with a single 4-inch gun forward but with the exception of HMCS Valleyfield, they were all eventually upgraded to the double mount.^[5] For underwater targets, the River-class frigate was equipped with a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar and depth charge rails aft and four side-mounted throwers.^[4]

River-class frigates were the first Royal Canadian Navy warships to carry the 147B Sword horizontal fan echo sonar transmitter in addition to the irregular ASDIC. This allowed the ship to maintain contact with targets even while firing unless a target was struck. Improved radar and direction-finding equipment improved the RCN's ability to find and track enemy submarines over the previous classes.^[4]

Canada originally ordered the construction of 33 frigates in October 1941.^[4]^[5] The design was too big for the shipyards on the Great Lakes so all the frigates built in Canada were built in dockyards along the west coast or along the St. Lawrence River.^[5] In all Canada ordered the construction of 60 frigates including ten for the Royal Navy that transferred two to the United States Navy.^[4]

Wartime service

Stormont joined the RCN's Atlantic Fleet at Halifax, Nova Scotia under command of George Myra, an experienced pre-war merchant captain who had served as the alternate captain of the famous schooner Bluenose .^[6] After training at St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia, she was assigned to escort group EG 9 out of Derry in March 1944. She served as one of 57 RCN vessels to support Operation Neptune, the amphibious invasion of Normandy, France that were part of D-Day (Operation Overlord) in June 1944.^[2]^[6]

In July 1944, she towed the damaged HMCS Matane (K444) to Plymouth after the Matane had been struck by a glider bomb.^[2] In October 1944 she escorted a convoy to Gibraltar and in December, convoys on the Murmansk run to the Kola Inlet.^[2]^[6] During this period, Stormont spent a record 63 days at sea, the longest active period of any frigate during the war.^[7] She returned to Canada in early 1945 to begin a tropicalization refit at Shelburne, Nova Scotia in preparation for service in the Pacific Ocean. The refit, which was begun in June 1945, was cancelled on 20 August, due to the surrender of Japan.^[2] She was decommissioned by the RCN on 9 November 1945 and placed in reserve.^[2]^[3]

Civilian use

Originally sold in 1947 for conversion to a merchant ship, Stormont was re-sold to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1951. She underwent a four million dollar rebuild as the luxury yacht Christina , named after his daughter Christina Onassis.^[8] She was sent to Kiel, Germany for the rebuild.^[6]Christina was fitted with a full-sized swimming pool, a spiral staircase and 19 lavish staterooms.^[7] It became a popular destination for celebrities and was the site of the wedding reception of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and the actress, Grace Kelly.^[8]

After Aristotle Onassis' death in 1975, his daughter Christina inherited the vessel, and donated it to the Greek government in 1978 to serve as a presidential yacht. As such, she was rechristened Argo and was, over time, allowed to decay and deteriorate. In 1998, she was purchased by another Greek shipowner, John Paul Papanicolaou, who restored her and renamed her into Christina O.^[2] As of 2013, she was still in operation.^[8]

Related Research Articles

River-class frigate 1941 class of frigates of the Royal Navy

The River class was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic. The majority served with the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), with some serving in the other Allied navies: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Free French Naval Forces, the Royal Netherlands Navy and, post-war, the South African Navy.

HMCS Eastview was a River-class frigate that served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1944-1946. She served as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named after the Ottawa suburb of Eastview.

HMCS Antigonish was a River-class frigate that served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1944–1946 and as a Prestonian-class frigate from 1957–1966. She is named for Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Her photo is featured on the cover of the 1994 album Frigate by the band April Wine.

HMCS Cap de la Madeleine was a River-class frigate that served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1944-1945 and as a Prestonian-class frigate from 1954-1965. She saw action in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort during the Second World War. She is named for Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, which is now a part of Trois-Rivières.

HMCS Fort Erie was a River-class frigate that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War and as a Prestonian-class frigate from 1956-1965. She was named for Fort Erie, Ontario.

HMCS Kokanee was a River-class frigate that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She saw action primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. After the war she was sold to India and converted into a pilot vessel.

HMCS Cape Breton was a River-class frigate that served the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during the Second World War. She served primarily as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic during the war. She was named for Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. She was the first to carry her name, HMCS Cape Breton was the second.

HMCS Swansea was a Canadian River-class frigate that was the most successful U-boat hunter in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, having a hand in the destruction of four of them. She saw service in the Battle of the Atlantic from 1943 to 1945. Following the war she was refit as a Prestonian-class frigate. She is named for Swansea, Ontario.

HMCS Carlplace was a River-class frigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily as an ocean convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. After the war, she was sold to the Dominican Republic and renamed Presidente Trujillo and in 1962, Mella.

HMCS Lanark was a River-class frigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War and again from 1956–1965 as a Prestonian-class frigate. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Lanark, Ontario.

HMCS Lévis was a River-class frigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily as a convoy escort in the Battle of the St. Lawrence and the Battle of the Atlantic. She was the second ship to bear the name of Lévis, the first being a Flower-class corvette that had been sunk earlier in the war. She was named for Lévis, Quebec.

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

HMCS Orkney was a River-class frigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy as a convoy escort during the Second World War. She was named for Orkney, Saskatchewan. After the war she was purchased and used by the Israeli immigrant movement, then taken over by the nascent Israeli Navy and renamed Mivtah. She was sold by Israel to Ceylon who renamed her Mahasena.

HMCS Poundmaker was a River-class frigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. It saw action as a convoy escort during the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named for the Poundmaker Cree Nation of Saskatchewan. After the war she was sold to Peru and renamed Teniente Ferré in 1947.

HMCS Sea Cliff was a River-class frigate 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 named for Leamington, Ontario, but due to possible confusion with HMS Leamington, she was given a name associated with the town. Following the war, she was sold to the Chilean Navy and renamed Covadonga.

HMCS Springhill was a River-class frigate 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, mainly in the Battle of the St. Lawrence. She was named for Springhill, Nova Scotia.

HMCS St. Pierre was a River-class frigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She saw action as a convoy escort during the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named for Havre-Saint-Pierre, Quebec, whose name was shortened due to its length. After the war she was sold to Peru and renamed Teniente Palacios in 1947.

HMCS St. Catharines was a River-class frigate 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 named for St. Catharines, Ontario. After the war she was re-purposed as a weather ship for use by the Department of Transport of Canada.

HMCS Matane was a River-class frigate 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 named for Matane, Quebec.

HMCS Wentworth was a River-class frigate 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 named in honour of the town of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She could not be named HMCS Dartmouth for fear of confusion with HMS Dartmouth, and so was named after a famous early resident, Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor Sir John Wentworth. Her name is often mistakenly associated with Wentworth County, Ontario, in honour of the city of Hamilton.

References

↑ "Battle Honours". Britain's Navy. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Macpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910–1981 : a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. ISBN 0-00216-856-1.
1 2 3 "HMCS Stormont (K 327)". uboat.net. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Fact Sheet No. 21 – Canadian River Class Frigates" . Retrieved 3 April 2014.
1 2 3 4 5 Macpherson, Ken (1989). Frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy 1943–1974. Lewiston, New York: Vanwell Publishing. pp. 6–7, 15. ISBN 0920277225.
1 2 3 4 "Christina O: From Snowy Nova Scotia to the Sunny Mediterranean, how a Canadian Frigate Became the World's Most Famous Super Yacht". The Marine Curator: Artifacts, Images and History from the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
1 2 Boswell, Randy (23 February 2012). "Canadian war ship turned luxury yacht opens to London sightseers". The National Post. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
1 2 3 Boswell, Randy (4 July 2013). "'The last word in opulence': Lavishly refitted D-Day warship, Christina O, on sale for $34-million". The National Post. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

External links

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[Britain-1] "Battle Honours". Britain's Navy. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

[Macpherson-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Macpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910–1981 : a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. ISBN 0-00216-856-1.

[uboat-3] 1 2 3 "HMCS Stormont (K 327)". uboat.net. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

[WarMuseum-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Fact Sheet No. 21 – Canadian River Class Frigates" . Retrieved 3 April 2014.

[Macpherson2-5] 1 2 3 4 5 Macpherson, Ken (1989). Frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy 1943–1974. Lewiston, New York: Vanwell Publishing. pp. 6–7, 15. ISBN 0920277225.

[curator-6] 1 2 3 4 "Christina O: From Snowy Nova Scotia to the Sunny Mediterranean, how a Canadian Frigate Became the World's Most Famous Super Yacht". The Marine Curator: Artifacts, Images and History from the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

[Post-7] 1 2 Boswell, Randy (23 February 2012). "Canadian war ship turned luxury yacht opens to London sightseers". The National Post. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

[Post2-8] 1 2 3 Boswell, Randy (4 July 2013). "'The last word in opulence': Lavishly refitted D-Day warship, Christina O, on sale for $34-million". The National Post. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

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