 HMCSHepatica | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Hepatica |
| Namesake | Hepatica |
| Ordered | 22 January 1940 |
| Builder | Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Ltd.,Lauzon |
| Laid down | 24 February 1940 |
| Launched | 6 July 1940 |
| Commissioned | 12 November 1940 |
| Out of service | 15 May 1941 – loaned to Canada |
| Identification | Pennant number: K159 |
| Fate | Loaned toCanada 1941; returned 1945; scrapped 1948 |
| Canada | |
| Name | Hepatica |
| Acquired | Loaned from Royal Navy |
| Commissioned | 15 May 1941 |
| Out of service | 27 June 1945 |
| Identification | Pennant number: K159 |
| Motto | Caveant Hostes Sub Mare Hepaticus Vigilat (Beware Enemy Under The Sea Hepatica Watches) |
| Honours and awards | Atlantic 1940–45;[1] Gulf of St. Lawrence 1942, 1944[2] |
| Fate | Returned to the Royal Navy 27 June 1945. |
| Badge | Bulldog Head within a V |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Flower-classcorvette (original)[3] |
| Displacement | 925long tons (940 t; 1,036 short tons) |
| Length | 205 ft (62.48 m)o/a |
| Beam | 33 ft (10.06 m) |
| Draught | 11.5 ft (3.51 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 16 knots (29.6 km/h) |
| Range | 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h) |
| Complement | 85 |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
HMCSHepatica was aFlower-classcorvette that served primarily with theRoyal Canadian Navy during theSecond World War. She saw service in theBattle of the Atlantic as an ocean escort. Originally commissioned into theRoyal Navy, she was loaned toCanada in 1941.
Flower-class corvettes likeHepatica serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail-driven corvettes.[4][5][6] 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.[7] 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 awhaling ship design.[8] The generic name "flower" was used to designate the class of these ships, which – in the Royal Navy – were named after flowering plants.[9]
Hepatica was ordered on 22 January 1940 as part of the 1939–1940Flower-class building program. She was laid on 24 February 1940 byDavie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Ltd. inLauzon, Quebec and launched 6 July later that year.[10]Hepatica was commissioned into theRoyal Navy on 12 November 1940 atQuebec City. She sailed forHalifax and left harbour on 18 December with a convoy bound for theUnited Kingdom. She was completed in March 1941 atGreenock.[11] On 15 May 1941Heptaica was one of ten corvettes loaned toCanada. She could be told apart from other CanadianFlowers by her lack of minesweeping gear and the siting of the after gun tub amidships.[12]
Hepatica had two extensive refits during her service. She underwent her first from February to April 1943 atNew York. The second refit forHepatica, which saw herfo'c'sle extended, took place beginning in March 1944 and taking until June to complete, also at New York.[11]
After completing at Greenock and working up,Hepatica was assigned to Escort Group EG 4 in April 1941. She served with the unit until her transfer to Canada.[11]
Hepatica arrived in June 1941 on loan from the Royal Navy. She was assigned to theNewfoundland Escort Force where she worked with four escort groups over the next eleven months, her longest stint were with groups 23N, from July to September 1941 escorting convoys fromSt. John's toIceland and N12, from December 1941 until February 1942, where starting in January, she began escorting convoys from St. John's toDerry.[11]
In June 1942,Hepatica transferred to theTanker Escort Force for one trip, after theU-boat menace was extended to the North American coastline. In late July, she was reassigned to theGulf Escort Force, escorting convoys betweenQuebec andSydney. Later, in October, she was sent to escort the convoys between Quebec andLabrador.[11]
Hepatica joined theWestern Local Escort Force (WLEF) in December 1942 and would remain with this force for the better part of the war. In June 1943, she was assigned to escort group W-5 and then in April 1944, W-4. She remained with this escort group for the remainder of her service time with WLEF. In May 1945 she escortedHX 358 back to the United Kingdom, and was assigned toWestern Approaches Command for the remainder of the war.[11]
She was returned to the Royal Navy on 27 June 1945 atMilford Haven. Sold on 1 January 1948,Hepatica wasbroken up atLlanelly,Wales.[11][13]
