HMCS Cobalt (K124)
Encyclopedia
HMCS Cobalt was a of 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...
which took part in convoy escort duties during World War II. Built at Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
and commissioned there on 25 November 1940, Cobalt was taken to Halifax in advance of completion to beat the St. Lawrence freeze-up, arriving 24 December.
Wartime service
Completing early in January 1941 she worked up and joined Halifax Force, but left on 23 May 1941 with the other six corvettes that first formed NEF. For the next six months she operated as an ocean escort between St. John’s and Iceland, proceeding in mid-November to Liverpool, Nova Scotia for three months’ refit. Following completion, she made two round trips to Londonderry before being assigned in May 1942 to WLEF, with which she was to spend the balance of the war. She served with EG W-6 from June 1943; with W-5 from April 1944; and with W-7 from February 1945. During the second of two other extensive refits at Liverpool, Nova Scotia from April to 20 July 1944 her fo’c’s’le was lengthened.Post-war service
She was paid off at Sorel on 17 June 1945 and subsequently sold for conversion to a whale-catcher, entering service in 1953 as the Dutch Johanna W. Vinke. On 31 December 1961 she suffered a boiler explosion while whaling, and was declared a constructive total loss. She was broken up at Cape Town in 1963.Commanding officers
A/LCdr R.B. Campbell, RCNR, 25 Nov 1940 – 19 May 1941Lt. C. J. Angus, RCNR, 20 May 1941 – 3 Jan 1943
Lt. M.F. Oliver, RCNR, 4 Jan 1943 – 6 Feb 1943
Lt. C. J. Angus, RCNR, 7 Feb 1943 – 5 May 1943
A/LCdr R.A. Judges, RCNVR, 6 May 1943 – 3 Mar 1944
Lt. A.A.R. Dykes, RCNR, 4 Mar 1944, 17 Mar 1944
A/LCdr R.M. Wallace, RCNVR, 26 Jun 1944 – 17 Jun 1945