.png) HMCSDigby | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Canada | |
| Name | Digby |
| Namesake | Digby, Nova Scotia |
| Builder | Davie Shipbuilding,Lauzon |
| Laid down | 20 March 1941 |
| Launched | 5 June 1942 |
| Commissioned | 26 July 1942 |
| Decommissioned | 31 July 1945 |
| Identification | Pennant number:J267 |
| Recommissioned | 29 April 1953 |
| Decommissioned | 14 November 1956 |
| Identification | Pennant number:179 |
| Honours & awards | Atlantic 1942–44,[1] Gulf of St. Lawrence 1942, 1944.[2] |
| Fate | Broken up 1956 |
| Badge | Azure, an ostrich argent, holding in its beak a horseshoe or, and supporting with its dexter foot a bezant.[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Bangor-class minesweeper |
| Displacement | 592 long tons (601 t) |
| Length | 162 ft (49.4 m) |
| Beam | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Draught | 8.25 ft (2.51 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 shafts, 9-cylinder diesel, 2,000 bhp (1,500 kW) |
| Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h) |
| Complement | 83 |
| Armament |
|
HMCSDigby was aBangor-classminesweeper that served in theRoyal Canadian Navy during theSecond World War. She saw action in theBattle of the Atlantic and theBattle of the St. Lawrence. After the war she was supposed to be transferred to theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police but that was cancelled and instead was recommissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy, serving until 1956.
TheBangor class was initially to be a scaled down minesweeper design of theHalcyon class inRoyal Navy service.[3][4] However, due to the difficulty procuring diesel engines led to the small number of the diesel version being completed.[4] The shipsdisplaced 592 long tons (601 t) standard and 690 long tons (700 t) fully loaded. They were 162 feet (49.4 m)long with abeam of 28 feet (8.5 m) and adraught of 8 feet 3 inches (2.51 m).[4][5] However, the size of the ship led to criticisms of their being too cramped for magnetic or acoustic minesweeping gear.[4] This may have been due to all the additions made during the war with the installation ofASDIC, radar anddepth charges.[3]
TheBangor class came in two versions.Digby was of the diesel-powered version, being equipped with a 9-cylinder diesel engine driving two shafts that produced 2,000brake horsepower (1,500 kW). This gave the ship a maximum speed of 16.5knots (30.6 km/h). The vessels carried 65 long tons (66 t) of oil.[4] The vessels had a complement of 6 officers and 77 ratings.[5]
The Canadian diesel-poweredBangors were armed with a singlequick-firing (QF)12-pounder 12 cwt gun mounted forward.[4][5][a] Initially the design called for a 4-inch (102 mm) gun, however these were replaced with 12-pounder guns. The ships were also fitted with aQF 2-pounder Mark VIII gun aft and were eventually fitted with single-mountedQF 20 mm Oerlikon guns on thebridge wings.[6] For those ships assigned to convoy duty, they were armed with two depth charge launchers and two chutes to deploy the 40 depth charges they carried.[4][6]
Digby was ordered as part of the 1940–41 building programme. The minesweeper'skeel was laid down on 20 March 1941 byDavie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Ltd. atLauzon, Quebec and the ship waslaunched on 5 June 1942.[5][7] She wascommissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy on 26 July 1942 atQuebec City.[5]
After working up atPictou,Digby joined theWestern Local Escort Force (WLEF). In January 1943 WLEF organized escort groups.Digby was assigned to 24.18.1 alongside thecorvettesArrowhead andChicoutimi.[8] In June 1943, when WLEF reorganized their escort groups, she was assigned to escort group W-5. She remained with the group until April 1944 when a refit was required, to be performed atLunenburg. The refit was completed atHalifax and upon returning from workups in Bermuda, she was assigned to Sydney Force.[5]
In February 1945,Digby was assigned to Newfoundland Force until returning to Canada and beingpaid off on 31 July 1945. She was placed in reserve atShelburne, Nova Scotia.[5] After the warDigby was offered for transfer to theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police Marine Section, to be renamedPerry. However, the takeover did not take place.[5][9] The vessel was taken toSorel to lay in strategic reserve until 1951, when she was reacquired by the Royal Canadian Navy. She was refitted for training duties.[5]
Digby was recommissioned on 29 April 1953 with the new pennant number 179.[7] The ship was refit before reentering service, receiving aHedgehog anti-submarine mortar and the 12-pounder gun was removed and replaced with a40 mm Bofors gun.[6] She was used, along withHMCS Granby, in 1953 onLake Ontario to test the Royal Canadian Navy'sDATAR system.[10] In October 1954Digby transferred to the west coast withBrockville andJonquiere.[11] On 4 December 1955,Brockville,Digby andCordova formed the Second Canadian Reserve Squadron for training purposes at Esquimalt.[12][13]
She was paid off on 14 November 1956 and sold for scrap.[5][9]Digby wasbroken up in 1956–57.[14]
