HMCS Alberni (K103)
Encyclopedia
HMCS Alberni (K103) was a Flower-class corvette
that served in the Royal Canadian Navy
(RCN).
, British Columbia
and laid down on 29 April. She was launched on 22 August 1940 and commissioned into the RCN on 4 February 1941. She was named after Alberni in British Columbia. The town of Alberni later merged with nearby Port Alberni to create one town after the tsunami of 1964 which originated in Alaska
and wiped out much of Alberni.
and joined the RCN's Atlantic Fleet in Halifax
. She was assigned to the Newfoundland Escort Force and tasked as a mid-ocean convoy escort in the western North Atlantic where she played a vital role in escorting Convoy SC42 and subsequent North Atlantic convoys.
On 3 May 1942 the Alberni (Lieutenant Commander G.O. Baugh, RCNR), along with , rescued 47 survivors from the British tanker British Workman that was torpedoed and sunk by U-455 southeast of Cape Race
at 44-07N, 51-53W. Alberni then had her boilers replaced through the rest of the month of May.
On 27 October 1942, Alberni (Lt. I.H. Bell, RCNR), rescued 12 survivors from the American tanker Gurney E. Newlin that had been torpedoed and damaged by U-436 at 54-51N, 30-06W. The Gurney E. Newlin was sunk the following day by U-606.
On 28 October 1942, Alberni, along with , rescued 81 survivors from the British whaling ship Sourabaya that had been torpedoed and sunk the previous day by U-436 at 54-32N, 31-02W.
Alberni was assigned briefly to the Mediterranean Sea
during 1943 and to the fleet operating in support of Operation Overlord
in spring 1944.
, commanded by Hans-Joachim Förster
, in the English Channel
at 50-18N, 00-51W. She was escorting a convoy approximately 25 nautical miles (46.3 km) southeast of St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight
at 11:45 on 21 August 1944. 59 crew were lost after the torpedo struck the warship on her port side immediately aft of the engine room, causing her to sink in less than a minute. (Acting) Lt. F. William was awarded the Royal Humane Society
's bronze medal for his work in saving members of the crew. 31 crew members were rescued by Royal Navy motor torpedo boat
s (MTB).
In 2000 a privately funded memorial titled "The Alberni Project" The Alberni Project - Canadian Heritage Website was established to honour all the crew who served on Alberni from the time she was commissioned in 1941 at Esquimalt BC until her sinking in 1944.
With the help of HMCS Alberni family members, private and public contributions this memorial provides a growing dedication to preserving the times of the Battle of the Atlantic through the eyes and voices of all Royal Canadian Navy personnel involved in the Battle of the Atlantic.
A traveling exhibit and memorial has appeared at numerous venues in British Columbia mostly on Vancouver Island.
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
that served in the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
(RCN).
Construction
She was ordered on 14 February 1940 from Yarrows Ltd. in EsquimaltEsquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and laid down on 29 April. She was launched on 22 August 1940 and commissioned into the RCN on 4 February 1941. She was named after Alberni in British Columbia. The town of Alberni later merged with nearby Port Alberni to create one town after the tsunami of 1964 which originated in Alaska
Good Friday Earthquake
The 1964 Alaska earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan Earthquake, the Portage Earthquake and the Good Friday Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that began at 5:36 P.M. AST on Good Friday, March 27, 1964...
and wiped out much of Alberni.
Wartime service
Alberni sailed to the Panama CanalPanama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and joined the RCN's Atlantic Fleet in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
. She was assigned to the Newfoundland Escort Force and tasked as a mid-ocean convoy escort in the western North Atlantic where she played a vital role in escorting Convoy SC42 and subsequent North Atlantic convoys.
On 3 May 1942 the Alberni (Lieutenant Commander G.O. Baugh, RCNR), along with , rescued 47 survivors from the British tanker British Workman that was torpedoed and sunk by U-455 southeast of Cape Race
Cape Race
Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", or "bare"...
at 44-07N, 51-53W. Alberni then had her boilers replaced through the rest of the month of May.
On 27 October 1942, Alberni (Lt. I.H. Bell, RCNR), rescued 12 survivors from the American tanker Gurney E. Newlin that had been torpedoed and damaged by U-436 at 54-51N, 30-06W. The Gurney E. Newlin was sunk the following day by U-606.
On 28 October 1942, Alberni, along with , rescued 81 survivors from the British whaling ship Sourabaya that had been torpedoed and sunk the previous day by U-436 at 54-32N, 31-02W.
Alberni was assigned briefly to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
during 1943 and to the fleet operating in support of Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
in spring 1944.
Sinking
She was torpedoed and sunk by U-480German submarine U-480
U-480 was an experimental Kriegsmarine Type VIIC U-boat of World War II, considered by many to be the first stealth submarine. It was equipped with a special rubber coating that made it harder to detect by British ASDIC sonar.-The coating:The Germans developed a...
, commanded by Hans-Joachim Förster
Hans-Joachim Förster
Hans-Joachim Förster was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
at 50-18N, 00-51W. She was escorting a convoy approximately 25 nautical miles (46.3 km) southeast of St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
at 11:45 on 21 August 1944. 59 crew were lost after the torpedo struck the warship on her port side immediately aft of the engine room, causing her to sink in less than a minute. (Acting) Lt. F. William was awarded the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society
The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
's bronze medal for his work in saving members of the crew. 31 crew members were rescued by Royal Navy motor torpedo boat
Motor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
s (MTB).
Memorial
In 1997, the wreck was first dived and identified by archaeologist Innes McCartney and later featured as part of Deep Wreck Mysteries television series, alongside the wreck of U480.In 2000 a privately funded memorial titled "The Alberni Project" The Alberni Project - Canadian Heritage Website was established to honour all the crew who served on Alberni from the time she was commissioned in 1941 at Esquimalt BC until her sinking in 1944.
With the help of HMCS Alberni family members, private and public contributions this memorial provides a growing dedication to preserving the times of the Battle of the Atlantic through the eyes and voices of all Royal Canadian Navy personnel involved in the Battle of the Atlantic.
A traveling exhibit and memorial has appeared at numerous venues in British Columbia mostly on Vancouver Island.