HMCS Arvida

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

HMCS Arvida
History
Canada
NameArvida
NamesakeArvida, Quebec
Ordered23 January 1940
BuilderMorton Engineering & Dry Dock Co., Quebec City
Laid down28 February 1940
Launched21 September 1940
Commissioned22 May 1941
Decommissioned14 June 1945
IdentificationPennant number: K113
Honours and
awards		Atlantic 1941–45
FateSold for mercantile use
History
Name
  • La Ceiba
  • Rio Samo
In service1950
Out of service1954
FateScrapped in Spain, 1987
General characteristics
Class and typeFlower-class corvette (original)
Displacement950 long tons (970 t)
Length205 ft 1 in (62.51 m) o/a
Beam33 ft 1 in (10.08 m)
Draught13 ft 5 in (4.09 m)
Installed power2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Propulsion
Speed16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range3,450 nmi (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement47
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × SW1C or 2C radar
  • 1 × Type 123A or Type 127DV sonar
Armament

HMCS Arvida was a

ONS 92 in May 1942, ON 127 in September 1942 and SC 107 in November 1942, the last of which saw the removal of Canadian escorts from convoy duty for retraining. Following the war, the vessel was converted into a cargo ship and renamed La Ceiba and then Rio Samo. The ship was last registered
in 1954 and was sold for scrap in 1987 in Spain.

Design and description

Main article: Flower-class corvette

Flower-class

kW). The Scotch boilers were replaced with water-tube boilers in later 1939–1940 and 1940–1941 Programme ships. The corvettes had a maximum speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). This gave them a range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).[5] The vessels were extremely wet.[6]

The Canadian Flower-class vessels were initially armed with a

ASDIC sonar set installed. The Flower-class ships had a complement of 47 officers and ratings.[3] The Royal Canadian Navy initially ordered 54 corvettes in 1940 and these were fitted with Mark II Oropesa minesweeping gear used for destroying contact mines.[8] Part of the depth charge rails were made portable so the minesweeping gear could be utilised.[9]

Modifications

In Canadian service the vessels were altered due to experience with the design's deficiencies. The

bow was increased, which led to an enlarged bridge. This allowed for the installation of Oerlikon 20 mm (0.8 in) cannon, replacing the Browning and Vickers machine guns.[12] Some of the corvettes were rearmed with Hedgehog anti-submarine mortars.[13] The complements of the ships grew throughout the war rising from the initial 47 to as many as 104.[12]

Construction and career

Ordered on 23 January 1940 from

Morton Engineering and Dry Dock Co. as part of the 1939–1940 Flower-class building program,[14] Arvida was laid down on 28 February. She was launched on 21 September 1940 and commissioned at Quebec City on 22 May 1941.[15]

After

ONS 92 in May 1942, ON 127 in September 1942 and SC 107 in November 1942. During ONS 127 she rescued survivors from the sinking Canadian destroyer HMCS Ottawa which had been hit by two torpedoes.[15] Convoy SC 107 was such a disaster that it contributed to Canadian warships being removed from service as ocean escorts for further training.[16] The ship underwent the first of the modifications at Saint John, New Brunswick from January to April 1942 and then the second from December 1942 to March 1943.[15]

In January 1943, the composition of the escort groups changed and Arvida was assigned to escort group C1 of the

Mid-Ocean Escort Force.[17] On 15 April 1943, Arvida, temporarily assigned to the American escort group A3 when the convoy they were escorting HX 223 was attacked by German U-boats. Only one cargo ship was lost in the ensuing battle.[18] In late April 1943, Arvida was assigned to the new Canadian escort group C5, which had been created after the final American pullout of convoy escort duties. On its first mission escorting convoy ON 182, the transit was pushed further north to avoid large concentrations of U-boats.[19] While escorting convoy ON 188 in mid-June 1943, Arvida was damaged by her own detonating depth charges. She spent a week repairing in Iceland.[15]

From January to April 1944 Arvida had her forecastle extended at Baltimore, Maryland. Following the ship's reactivation, Arvida was assigned to the Western Local Escort Force as part of escort group W7. In August of that year Arvida was reassigned to group W2. December 1944 saw her transferred to group W8 with whom she would remain until the end of the war.[15] For participation in the Battle of the Atlantic, Arvida was awarded the battle honour "Atlantic 1941–45".[20]

Mercantile service

Arvida was

Sorel, Quebec. She was sold for mercantile purposes.[15] The ship was converted to a cargo ship in 1950 with a gross register tonnage of 1,117 tons.[21] She was in service in 1950 as La Ceiba under a Spanish flag. She was last registered on Lloyd's Register in 1953–1954.[15][22] In 1957, she was renamed Rio Samo and broken up in Spain in 1987.[21]

Citations

  1. ^ Fitzsimons 1978, pp. 1137–1142.
  2. ^ Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II, p. 68.
  3. ^ a b c Preston & Raven 1973, p. 1.
  4. ^ McKay & Harland 1993, p. 8.
  5. ^ a b Lynch 1981, p. 66.
  6. ^ McKay & Harland 1993, p. 11.
  7. ^ McKay & Harland 1993, p. 14.
  8. ^ McKay & Harland 1993, p. 12.
  9. ^ Preston & Raven 1973, pp. 3–4.
  10. ^ Preston & Raven 1973, p. 4.
  11. ^ Lynch 1981, p. 12.
  12. ^ a b Lynch 1981, pp. 10, 12.
  13. ^ Macpherson & Barrie 2002, p. 103.
  14. ^ Helgason.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Macpherson & Barrie 2002, p. 108.
  16. ^ German 1990, pp. 125, 129.
  17. ^ Rohwer 2005, p. 222.
  18. ^ Rohwer 2005, pp. 245–246.
  19. ^ Rohwer 2005, p. 247.
  20. ^ Thomas 1998, p. 33.
  21. ^ a b "Arvida (5296446)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  22. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8
    .

References

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HMCS_Arvida&oldid=1177633223"