HMCS Calgary (K231)
Encyclopedia
HMCS Calgary was a Royal Canadian Navy
which took part in convoy escort duties during World War II
.
She was laid down at Marine Industries Ltd.
, Sorel on 22 March 1941 and launched on 23 August of that year. She was commissioned into the RCN on 16 December 1941.
southwest of Sable Island
at 43°30′N 60°35′W.
In November 1942 Calgary was deployed to assist in Operation Torch
, the amphibious invasion of French North Africa as part of the North African Campaign
.
On 23 August 1943 Calgary, as part of the 5th Support Group, was deployed to relieve the 40th Escort Group which was undertaking a U-boat hunt off Cape Ortegal. The warships of both groups were attacked by 14 Dornier Do 217
s and 7 Junkers Ju 87
s that were carrying a new weapon, the Henschel Hs 293
anti-ship guided missile. Several sailors were killed and injured on (40th EG) but Calgary escaped damage. Two days later, the 5th SG was relieved by the 1st Support Group and the warships of both groups were again attacked by 18 Dornier Do 217
s also carrying Hs 293s. was heavily damaged and was sunk but Calgary again escaped damage.
On 20 November 1943 Calgary, along with and , depth charged and sank U-536 northeast of the Azores
at 43°50′N 19°39′W.
In June 1944 Calgary was deployed to assist in Operation Neptune
, the amphibious invasion of Normandy
, France known as D-Day
(Operation Overlord
).
On 29 December 1944 Calgary depth charged and sank U-322 in the English Channel
south of Weymouth at 50°25′N 02°26′W.
.
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...
which took part in convoy escort duties during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
She was laid down at Marine Industries Ltd.
Marine Industries Limited
Marine Industries Limited was a Canadian ship building company, in Sorel, Quebec, with a shipyard located on the Richelieu river about 1 km from the St. Lawrence River. It employed up to 10,000 people during the post WWII boom....
, Sorel on 22 March 1941 and launched on 23 August of that year. She was commissioned into the RCN on 16 December 1941.
Wartime service
On 30 July 1942 Calgary, under the command of Lieutenant H.K. Hill RCNVR, rescued 71 survivors from the crew of the British merchant ship Pacific Pioneer that was torpedoed and sunk by U-132German submarine U-132 (1941)
German submarine U-132 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 10 August 1940 by Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack, launched on 10 April 1941 and commissioned on 29 May that year. In four patrols, U-132 sank eight ships for a total...
southwest of Sable Island
Sable Island
Sable Island is a small Canadian island situated 300 km southeast of mainland Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is a year-round home to approximately five people...
at 43°30′N 60°35′W.
In November 1942 Calgary was deployed to assist in Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the amphibious invasion of French North Africa as part of the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
.
On 23 August 1943 Calgary, as part of the 5th Support Group, was deployed to relieve the 40th Escort Group which was undertaking a U-boat hunt off Cape Ortegal. The warships of both groups were attacked by 14 Dornier Do 217
Dornier Do 217
The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by German Luftwaffe during World War II as a more powerful version of the Dornier Do 17, known as the Fliegender Bleistift . Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber, its design was refined during 1939 and production began in late 1940...
s and 7 Junkers Ju 87
Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
s that were carrying a new weapon, the Henschel Hs 293
Henschel Hs 293
The Henschel Hs 293 was a World War II German anti-ship guided missile: a radio-controlled glide bomb with a rocket engine slung underneath it. It was designed by Herbert A. Wagner.- History :...
anti-ship guided missile. Several sailors were killed and injured on (40th EG) but Calgary escaped damage. Two days later, the 5th SG was relieved by the 1st Support Group and the warships of both groups were again attacked by 18 Dornier Do 217
Dornier Do 217
The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by German Luftwaffe during World War II as a more powerful version of the Dornier Do 17, known as the Fliegender Bleistift . Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber, its design was refined during 1939 and production began in late 1940...
s also carrying Hs 293s. was heavily damaged and was sunk but Calgary again escaped damage.
On 20 November 1943 Calgary, along with and , depth charged and sank U-536 northeast of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
at 43°50′N 19°39′W.
In June 1944 Calgary was deployed to assist in Operation Neptune
Operation Neptune
The Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings commenced on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 , beginning at 6:30 AM British Double Summer Time...
, the amphibious invasion of Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, France known as D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
(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...
).
On 29 December 1944 Calgary depth charged and sank U-322 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...
south of Weymouth at 50°25′N 02°26′W.
Decommissioning
Calgary was decommissioned from the RCN on 19 June 1945. She was sold on 30 August 1946 and scrapped in 1951 at HamiltonHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
.