HMCS BATTLEFORD (K165)
HMCS BATTLEFORD
The History of HMCS BATTLEFORD
Commissioned at Montreal on July 31, 1941, she arrived at Halifax on August 4, remaining there for six weeks while undergoing repairs, radar installation, and workups. Briefly a member of Sydney Force, Battleford transferred to NEW and left Sydney on November 28 to escort convoy SC.57 to Iceland. Returning to Halifax on January 7, 1942, she went to Liverpool, N.S., for a refit that kept her idle until the end of March. Arriving in the U.K. with a convoy early in May, she completed further repairs at Cardiff in mid-June, then carried out workups at Tobermory. From July, 1942 to May, 1943 she was a member of EG C-1, and in December was escort to convoy ONS.154, which was badly mauled, losing 14 ships. She participated with other RCN escorts in the destruction of U 356 on December 27. Arriving at Halifax on April 23, 1943, with her last ocean convoy, ONS.2, she commenced a two-month refit at Liverpool, N.S., joining EG W-4 of WLEF in mid-June. Early in April, 1944, she commenced a long refit at Sydney, including fo'c's'le extension, following which she proceeded to Bermuda to work up. Returning to Halifax, she was employed for the balance of the war as a local escort with EG W-3 and was paid off at Sorel July 18, 1945. Sold to the Venezuelan Navy in 1946 and renamed Libertad, she was wrecked April 13, 1949.
HMCS BATTLEFORD Statistical Data
- Pendant: K165
- Type: Corvette
- Class: FLOWER Class 1939-1940
- Displacement: 950 tonnes
- Length: 205.1 ft
- Width: 33.1 ft
- Draught: 11.5 ft
- Speed: 16 kts
- Compliment: 6 Officers and 79 Crew
- Arms: 1-4" Gun, 1-2 pdr, 2-20mm, Hedgehog
- Builder: Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood. Ont.
- Keel Laid: 30-Sep-40
- Date Launched: 15-Apr-41
- Date Commissioned: 31-Jul-41
- Paid off: 18-Jul-45
Remarks
Focsle Extended, Sydney, NS, 31 Jul 44