HMCS Regina (K234)
Encyclopedia
HMCS Regina (K234) was a Royal Canadian Navy
Flower-class corvette
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 14 October of that year. She was commissioned into the RCN on 22 January 1942. On 3 July 1942 Regina rescued 25 survivors from the crew of the American merchant SS Alexander Macomb
which was torpedoed and sunk by U-215
east of Cape Cod
at 41-48N, 66-35W. On 8 February 1943, Regina attacked and sank the Italian submarine Avorio off Philippeville, Algeria.
On 8 August 1944, Regina was torpedoed and sunk by U-667 8 nautical miles (14.8 km) north of Trevose Head
on the coast of Cornwall
at 50°42′N 5°3′W while rescuing survivors of the American merchant Ezra Weston. The warship sank in 28 seconds. 30 of the ship's crew were killed. The wreck of Regina and the Ezra Weston rest in 60 metres (196.9 ft) of water. The exploration of these wrecks by a crew of researchers was the subject of an episode of the television documentary series "Deep Sea Mysteries".
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...
Flower-class corvette
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...
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 14 October of that year. She was commissioned into the RCN on 22 January 1942. On 3 July 1942 Regina rescued 25 survivors from the crew of the American merchant SS Alexander Macomb
SS Alexander Macomb
SS Alexander Macomb was a Liberty ship of the United States Merchant Marine during World War II. Construction began on Hull 2023 on 18 February 1942 at the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Baltimore, Maryland, under Maritime Commission contract 0036. See,...
which was torpedoed and sunk by U-215
Unterseeboot 215
German submarine U-215 was a Type VIID mine-laying U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.U-215 was one of six U-boats of its kind, equipped with special vertical tubes that launched mines. Her keel was laid down 15 November 1940 by Germaniawerft in Kiel...
east of Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
at 41-48N, 66-35W. On 8 February 1943, Regina attacked and sank the Italian submarine Avorio off Philippeville, Algeria.
On 8 August 1944, Regina was torpedoed and sunk by U-667 8 nautical miles (14.8 km) north of Trevose Head
Trevose Head
Trevose Head is a headland on the Atlantic coast of north Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately west of Padstow. The South West Coast Path runs around the whole promontory and is within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Trevose Head Heritage Coast...
on the coast of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
at 50°42′N 5°3′W while rescuing survivors of the American merchant Ezra Weston. The warship sank in 28 seconds. 30 of the ship's crew were killed. The wreck of Regina and the Ezra Weston rest in 60 metres (196.9 ft) of water. The exploration of these wrecks by a crew of researchers was the subject of an episode of the television documentary series "Deep Sea Mysteries".
Commanding officers
- Lt. Cdr. Roland Fraser Harris, RCNR (22 January 1942 - 23 February 1942)
- Lt. R.S. Kelly, RCNR (24 February 1942 - 20 October 1942)
- A/Lt. Cdr. Harry Freeland, RCNR (21 October 1942 - 3 September 1943)
- Promoted to Lt.Cdr. on 1 January 1943
- Lt. Jack Wiles Radford, RCNR (4 September 1943 - 8 August 1944)