 HMCSAgassiz, taken sometime in 1944 or 1945. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Canada | |
| Name | Agassiz |
| Namesake | Agassiz, British Columbia |
| Ordered | January 1940 |
| Builder | Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd.,North Vancouver |
| Laid down | 29 April 1940 |
| Launched | 15 August 1940 |
| Commissioned | 23 January 1941 |
| Decommissioned | 14 June 1945 |
| Identification | Pennant number: K129 |
| Honours & awards | Atlantic 1941–45; Gulf of St. Lawrence 1944 |
| Fate | Sold in 1945 for scrapping |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Flower-classcorvette (original) |
| Displacement | 950long tons (970 t) |
| Length | 205 ft 1 in (62.51 m)o/a |
| Beam | 33 ft 1 in (10.08 m) |
| Draught | 13 ft 5 in (4.09 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 16knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Range | 3,450 nmi (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement | 47 |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
HMCSAgassiz was aFlower-classcorvette of theRoyal Canadian Navy. Named after the community ofAgassiz,British Columbia, the ship was constructed byBurrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd. inNorth Vancouver, British Columbia and waslaunched on 15 August 1940. The corvette wascommissioned on 23 January 1941 inVancouver, British Columbia. The Flower class were initially designed for coastal service during theSecond World War, but due to the demands of theBattle of the Atlantic,Agassiz was used primarily as an ocean escort forconvoys crossing the Atlantic Ocean in engagements with German submarines. Following the war, the corvette was sold forscrap.
Flower-classcorvettes likeAgassiz serving with theRoyal Canadian Navy during theSecond World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail-driven corvettes.[1][2] The Flower-class corvettes originated from a need that arose in 1938 to expand theRoyal Navy following theMunich Crisis.[3] A design request went out for a small escort for coastalconvoys.[4] Based on a traditionalwhaler-type design, the initial Canadian ships of the Flower class had astandard displacement of 950long tons (970 t). They were 205 feet 1 inch (62.51 m)long overall with abeam of 33 feet 1 inch (10.08 m) and a maximumdraught of 13 feet 5 inches (4.09 m). The initial 1939–1940 corvettes were powered by a four-cylindervertical triple expansion engine powered by steam from twoScotch boilers turning one three-bladedpropeller rated at 2,800indicated horsepower (2,100 kW). The Scotch boilers were replaced withwater-tube boilers in later 1939–1940 and 1940–1941 Programme ships. The corvettes had a maximum speed of 16knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). This gave them a range of 3,450nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).[5] The vessels were extremely wet.[6]
The Canadian Flower-class vessels were initially armed with aMk IX BL 4-inch (102 mm) gun forward on a CP 1 mounting and carried 100 rounds per gun. The corvettes were also armed with aQF Vickers 2-pounder (40 mm, 1.6 in) gun on a bandstand aft, two single-mounted.303 Vickers machine guns orBrowning 0.5-calibre machine guns foranti-aircraft defence and two twin-mounted.303 Lewis machine guns, usually sited on bridge wings.[3][5][7] Foranti-submarine warfare, they mounted twodepth charge throwers and initially carried 25 depth charges. The corvettes were designed with aType 123ASDIC sonar set installed. The Flower-class ships had a complement of 47 officers andratings.[3] The Royal Canadian Navy initially ordered 54 corvettes in 1940 and these were fitted with Mark II Oropesaminesweeping gear used for destroyingcontact mines.[8] Part of the depth charge rails were made portable so the minesweeping gear could be utilised.[9]
In Canadian service the vessels were altered due to experience with the design's deficiencies. Thegalley was moved further back in the ship and the mess and sleeping quarters combined. A direction-finding set was installed and enlargedbilge keels were installed to reduce rolling.[10] After the first 35–40 corvettes had been constructed, the foremast was shifted aft of thebridge and the mainmast was eliminated. Corvettes were first fitted with basicSW-1 and SW-2 CQ surface warningradar, notable for their fishbone-like antenna and reputation for failure in poor weather or in the dark. The compass house was moved further aft and the open-type bridge was situated in front of it. The ASDIC hut was moved in front and to a lower position on the bridge. The improvedType 271 radar was placed aft, with some units receivingType 291 radar for air search. The minesweeping gear, a feature of the first 54 corvettes, was removed.[11] Most Canadian Flower-class corvettes had theirforecastles extended which improved crew accommodation and seakeeping. Furthermore, the sheer and flare of thebow was increased, which led to an enlarged bridge. This allowed for the installation ofOerlikon 20 mm (0.8 in) cannon, replacing the Browning and Vickers machine guns.[12] Some of the corvettes were rearmed withHedgehog anti-submarinemortars.[13] The complements of the ships grew throughout the war rising from the initial 47 to as many as 104.[12]
The vessel was ordered as part of the 1939–1940 Programme in January 1940,[14] andlaid down on 29 April 1940 byBurrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd. inNorth Vancouver,British Columbia. Corvettes commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were not named after flowers, as the class name might suggest, but after communities for the most part, to better represent the people who took part in building them. This idea was put forth by AdmiralPercy W. Nelles. Sponsors were commonly associated with the community for which the ship was named.Agassiz, named for thetown in British Columbia, waslaunched on 15 August 1940 andcommissioned on 23 January 1941 inVancouver, British Columbia with thepennant number K129.[13]
After completionAgassiz was sent toHalifax,Nova Scotia, withsister shipsHMCS Wetaskiwin andHMCS Alberni via thePanama Canal arriving on 13 April 1941.[15] In May 1941 she was assigned to theNewfoundland Escort Force. She served continuously as an ocean escort until the end of 1943.[13] In August 1941,Agassiz was part of the escort 57-shipHX 143 convoy, which was guided around a GermanU-boat concentration in the North Atlantic.[16] On 1 September 1941, the escort groups were reformed andAgassiz joined Escort Group 19.[17]
On 18 September 1941, the German submarineU-74 sighted the convoySC 44 in theNorth Atlantic. The convoy was guarded by thedestroyerHMS Chesterfield and the corvettesAgassiz,HMCS Mayflower,HMCS Lévis andHMS Honeysuckle. Only four U-boats moved to engage and during the first night of battle,Lévis was sunk.[18]Agassiz recovered her survivors.[13] Four merchant vessels were sunk as well on 18/19 September. In response to the sinkings, the convoy protection was enhanced with the arrival of three more corvettes.[18]
Agassiz participated in the battle for convoyON 102 withMid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) group A3 in July 1942. She also fought the battles for convoy SC 97 with MOEF group C2 and the battles for convoy ON 115 and convoy SC 109 with MOEF group C3.[13] During the battle for ON 115,Agassiz opened fire on a surfaced U-boat, then aided in the recovery of the crew of the sunkenRMS Lochkatrine. The corvette then took thetankerG. S. Waldron under tow after the ship had beentorpedoed and crippled and brought it to safety. The crew receivedsalvage money for the effort.[19] In August 1942,Agassiz was re-assigned to theCaribbean Sea, escorting convoys of oil tankers between Caribbean ports. The corvette was part of the escort of the convoy TAW 12, travelling betweenTrinidad,Aruba andKey West that lost several ships.[6]
The ship's first major refit took place atLiverpool, Nova Scotia from early January 1943 until mid-March. Following her workups after her first major refit in early 1943,Agassiz was assigned to MOEF group C1 and escorted 12 trans-Atlantic convoys without loss before another major yard overhaul. The second took place atNew York, beginning in December 1943 and taking until March 1944 to complete. During her second refit, her forecastle was extended. After that overhaul,Agassiz escorted North American coastal convoys with theWestern Local Escort Force from March 1944 until February 1945. In April 1944, she was assigned to escort group W-2 and in August of that year to W-7. She remained with that group until the end of the war.[13][20]
Following the end of hostilitiesAgassiz waspaid off 14 June 1945 atSydney, Nova Scotia.[13] For service in during the Second World War,Agassiz was awarded thebattle honours "Atlantic 1941–45"[21] and "Gulf of St. Lawrence 1944."[22] She was sold for scrap November 1945 and broken up atMoncton, New Brunswick in 1946.[13]
| Convoy | Escort Group | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OB 347 | 22–31 July 1941[23] | 64 ships escorted without loss fromIceland to dispersal | |
| HX 143 | 8–17 August 1941[24] | 73 ships escorted without loss fromNewfoundland to Iceland | |
| ON 8 | 21–25 August 1941[25] | 46 ships escorted without loss from Iceland to Newfoundland | |
| SC 44 | 12–22 September 1941[26] | Newfoundland to Iceland; 4 ships torpedoed & sunk | |
| ON 19A | 22 September-4 October 1941[25] | Iceland shuttle | |
| SC 50 | 19–31 October 1941[26] | 41 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Iceland | |
| ON 32 | 6–14 November 1941[25] | 49 ships escorted without loss from Iceland to Newfoundland | |
| SC 56 | 24 November-5 December 1941[26] | 45 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Iceland | |
| HX 184 | 12–19 April 1942[24] | 30 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland toNorthern Ireland | |
| ON 91 | 2–11 May 1942[25] | 31 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland | |
| HX 190 | MOEF group A3 | 20–27 May 1942[24] | 18 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland |
| ON 102 | MOEF group A3 | 10–21 June 1942[25] | Northern Ireland to Newfoundland; 1 ship torpedoed & sunk |
| HX 196 | MOEF group A3 | 2–10 July 1942[24] | 42 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland |
| ON 114 | MOEF group A3 | 20–30 July 1942[25] | 32 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland |
| ON 115 | MOEF group C3 | 31 July-3 August 1942[25] | battle reinforcement |
| SC 97 | MOEF group C2 | 22–26 August 1942[26] | Newfoundland to Northern Ireland: 2 ships torpedoed & sunk |
| SC 98 | MOEF group C3 | 2–8 September 1942[26] | 69 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland |
| ON 131 | MOEF group C3 | 19–28 September 1942[25] | 54 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland |
| HX 210 | MOEF group C3 | 7–14 October 1942[24] | 36 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland |
| ON 141 | MOEF group C3 | 26 October-3 November 1942[25] | 59 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland |
| SC 109 | MOEF group C3 | 16–27 November 1942[26] | Newfoundland to Northern Ireland; 2 ships torpedoed (1 sank) |
| ON 152 | MOEF group C3 | 10–28 December 1942[25] | 15 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland |
| SC 127 | MOEF group C1 | 20 April-2 May 1943[26] | 55 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland |
| ON 184 | MOEF group C1 | 16–25 May 1943[25] | 39 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland |
| HX 242 | 6–14 June 1943[24] | 61 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland | |
| ON 190 | 25 June-3 July 1943[25] | 87 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland | |
| HX 247 | 14–21 July 1943[24] | 71 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland | |
| ON 195 | 1–8 August 1943[25] | 51 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland | |
| HX 252 | 20–27 August 1943[24] | 52 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland | |
| ON 201 | 10–18 September 1943[25] | 70 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland | |
| HX 258 | 28 September-5 October 1943[24] | 59 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland | |
| ON 207 | 19–28 October 1943[25] | 52 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland | |
| HX 264 | 5–16 November 1943[24] | 65 ships escorted without loss from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland | |
| ON 213 | 27 November–7 December 1943[25] | 60 ships escorted without loss from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland |
