HMCS CHAMBLY (K116)
HMCS CHAMBLY
The History of HMCS CHAMBLY
Commissioned at Quebec City on December 18, 1940, Chambly arrived at Halifax on December 24. After working up she joined Halifax Force, and on May 23, 1941, left Halifax as on of the original seven corvettes forming NEF. She served continuously as on ocean escort between St. John's and Iceland until December 8, when she returned to Halifax for refit. During this period she took part in two major convoy battles: HX.133 (June, 1941), which lost 18. In the latter case she had left St. John's on September 5 with Moose Jaw for exercises, and when SC.42 came under attack, they received permission to join the convoy off Greenland in support. Just before joining on September 10, they came upon U 501 trailing the convoy, and sank her. Chambly served as a mid-ocean escort to Iceland for the balance of 1941, then underwent repairs at Halifax from December 8, 1941 to February 22, 1942. She then made a round trip to Londonderry as an escort in March, 1942 and, on her return to St. John's on March 28, was based there to reinforce ocean escorts in the western Atlantic, doubling as a training ship. In September she resumed regular mid-ocean escort duties, with time out for refit at Liverpool, N.S., from November 26, 1942 to February 13, 1943. From March to August, 1943, she was a member of EG C-2, then briefly joined the newly formed EG 9 at St. John's and, in September, EG 5. In December she returned to Liverpool, N.S. for three months' refit, including fo'c's'le extension. After workups in St. Margaret's Bay she resumed mid-ocean duties, the time with C-1, until her final departure from Londonderry on March 11, 1945. She was refitting at Louisbourg when the ware ended, and was paid off and laid up at Sorel on June 20. Sold in 1946 for conversion to a whale-catcher, she entered service in 1952 under the Dutch flag as Sonja Vinke, and was broken up at Santander, Spain, in 1966.
HMCS CHAMBLY Statistical Data
- Pendant: K116
- 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: Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal. Que.
- Keel Laid: 20-Feb-40
- Date Launched: 29-Jul-40
- Date Commissioned: 18-Dec-40
- Paid off: 20-Jun-45
Remarks
Focsle Extended, Liverpool, NS, 17 Mar 44