HMCS Charlottetown (K244) (Flower class corvette)
Encyclopedia
HMCS Charlottetown (K244) was a Flower-class corvette
that served the Royal Canadian Navy
during World War II
.
Charlottetowns pennant number
K244 is unique in that it was also used for HMCS Charlottetown, a River-class frigate
.
Charlottetown was laid down at Kingston Shipbuilding Ltd., Kingston
on 11 June 1941 and launched on 10 September of that year. She was commissioned into the RCN at Quebec City
on 13 December and arrived at her homeport of Halifax
, Nova Scotia
on 18 December 1941.
Charlottetown served with the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) until mid-July 1942 when she was transferred to the Gulf Escort Force (GEF), serving in what is now referred to as the Battle of the St. Lawrence
.
She escorted Quebec City - Sydney, Nova Scotia
convoys until she was torpedoed and sunk on 11 September 1942 by U-517 6 nautical miles (11.1 km) off Cap Chat
in the St. Lawrence River along the northern shore of the Gaspé Peninsula
. Her Captain (Acting), Lt. Cmd. John W. Bonner, RCNR and 8 other crew were killed out of her crew of 64.
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 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...
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...
.
Charlottetowns pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
K244 is unique in that it was also used for HMCS Charlottetown, a River-class frigate
River class frigate
The River class frigate was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic....
.
Charlottetown was laid down at Kingston Shipbuilding Ltd., Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
on 11 June 1941 and launched on 10 September of that year. She was commissioned into the RCN at Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
on 13 December and arrived at her homeport of 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...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
on 18 December 1941.
Charlottetown served with the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) until mid-July 1942 when she was transferred to the Gulf Escort Force (GEF), serving in what is now referred to as the Battle of the St. Lawrence
Battle of the St. Lawrence
The Battle of the St. Lawrence involved a number of submarine and anti-submarine actions throughout the lower St. Lawrence River and the entire Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Strait of Belle Isle and Cabot Strait from May-October 1942, September 1943, and again in October-November 1944...
.
She escorted Quebec City - Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
convoys until she was torpedoed and sunk on 11 September 1942 by U-517 6 nautical miles (11.1 km) off Cap Chat
Cap-Chat, Quebec
Cap-Chat is a town in the Canadian province of Québec, in the Regional County Municipality of Haute-Gaspésie, and in the administrative region of Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Its geographical co-ordinates are lat. 49°6′ N; long. 66°41′ W. Cap-Chat is found 16 km west of...
in the St. Lawrence River along the northern shore of the Gaspé Peninsula
Gaspé Peninsula
The Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
. Her Captain (Acting), Lt. Cmd. John W. Bonner, RCNR and 8 other crew were killed out of her crew of 64.