HMCS PICTOU (K146)
HMCS PICTOU
The History of HMCS PICTOU
Commissioned at Quebec City on April 29, 1941, Pictou arrived at Halifax on May 12. She joined Newfoundland Command and left St. John's on June 6 with HX.131 for Iceland, one of the first two corvettes to escort an HX convoy. She remained on the St. John's-Iceland run for the rest of the year. After brief repairs at Halifax she returned to St. John's, where breakdowns forced her to turn back from three successive convoys. She finally crossed with H.180 in March, 1942, to Londonderry, carried out further repairs at Liverpool and, on completion early in June, join EG C-4. On August 5, while escorting convoy ON.116, she was rammed in a fog near St. John's by the Norwegian SS Hindanger, suffering severe damage to her stern. After completing repairs at Halifax on September 20, she joined EG C-2. On her return from the U.K. with ON.149 in December, 1942, she required further repairs at Halifax, followed immediately by refit at Liverpool, N.S. In May, 1943, she joined EG C-3, and on December 17 left Londonderry for the last time. From early January to March 31, 1944, she was refitting at New York, incidentally receiving her extended fo'c's'le. She then proceeded to Bermuda for three weeks' working-up, returning in mid-June to join EG W-5, Western Escort Force. Paid off on July 12, 1945, at Sorel, she was sold for conversion to a whale-catcher, entering service in 1950 as the Honduran-flag Olympic Chaser. Again sold in 1956, she served at Otori Maru No. 7 until converted to a barge in 1962.
HMCS PICTOU Statistical Data
- Pendant: K146
- 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: Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon, Que.
- Keel Laid: 12-Jul-40
- Date Launched: 05-Oct-40
- Date Commissioned: 29-Apr-41
- Paid off: 12-Jul-45
Remarks
Focsle Extended, New York, NY, 31 Mar 44