HMCS RESTIGOUCHE (1st) (H00)
HMCS RESTIGOUCHE (1st)
The History of HMCS RESTIGOUCHE (1st)
Completed in 1932 as HMS Comet, she was purchased at the same time at Ottawa and commissioned as Restigouche at Chatham, U.K., the same day. Like her sister, she arrived at Esquimalt November 7, 1938, and left for Halifax November 15, 1939. She performed local escort duties from that port until May 24, 1940, when she left for Plymouth, Upon arriving there on May 31 Restigouche was assigned to Western Approaches Command. While assisting in the evacuation of French ports she rescued survivors of Fraser. She left Liverpool at the end of August for a brief refit at Halifax, returning to the U.K. in January, 1941. In June, 1941, "Rustyguts" was allocated to Newfoundland Command, and in April, 1943, became a member of EG C-4, in the interval toiling ceaselessly as a mid-ocean escort. On December 13, 1941, she suffered storm damage en route to join convoy ON.44, and extensive repairs were carried out at Greenock. She was allocated to EG 12 in May, 1944, for invasion duties, including D-Day, and afterward carried out Channel and Biscay patrols from her base at Plymouth. She returned to Canada in September, 1944, for a major refit at Saint John, N.B. and Halifax, and upon completion proceeded to Bermuda for working up. Returning to Halifax on February 14, 1945, she performed various local duties, and after VE-Day was employed for three months bringing home military personnel from Newfoundland. Paid off on October 5, 1945, she was broken up the following year.
HMCS RESTIGOUCHE (1st) Statistical Data
- Pendant: H00
- Type: Destroyer
- Class: RIVER Class British
- Displacement: 1375 tonnes
- Length: 329 ft
- Width: 33 ft
- Draught: 10.2 ft
- Speed: 31 kts
- Compliment: 10 Officers and 171 Crew
- Arms: 4-4.7", 8-21" Torpedo Tube (2 x IV), 2-2 pdrs. Modified to 2-4.7", 1-3", 4-21" Torpedo Tubes (I x IV), 6-20mm and Hedgehog as war began.
- Builder: Portsmouth Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth, U.K.
- Keel Laid: 12-Sep-30
- Date Launched: 30-Sep-31
- Date Commissioned: 15-Jun-38
- Paid off: 06-Oct-45
Remarks
Ex HMS COMET