A-Class destroyer modified to suit RCN requirements
and ordered by the Canadian Government from John I
Thornycroft at Woolston
on 29th February 1929 with HMCS SKEENA. The ship was laid down as Yard No. 1091 on 27th September 1929 and launched on 11th July
1930. Build was completed on 22nd May 1931 and she was then commissioned for service in the Royal
Canadian Navy. Before the outbreak of war in September 1939 this destroyer was
deployed with the Eastern Division of the RCN based at Halifax.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
As this ship belonged to the
Royal Canadian Navy there is no record
in the
Admiralty Listing of Battle Honours
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Similarly details are not
available in the Admiralty Record of Ships Badges.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 3 9
September
Deployed for Local Escort of Atlantic convoys to and from Newfoundland. Transferred to
America and West Indies Station and deployed for interception of blockade runners based at Kingston, Jamaica with RN ships.
October
Deployed with HM Cruisers ORION and CARADOC for patrol duties.
23rd - Sighted German freighter EMY FRIEDRICH during
patrol with HMS ORION. (Note: Enemy ship scuttled on approach.)
November
West Indies deployment in continuation.
December
Transferred to Halifax and took passage to resume Atlantic convoy escort
duties.
1 9 4 0
January
Deployed at Halifax for Local Escort.
February to September
Halifax deployment in continuation. (For details
of Atlantic convoy defence see Naval Staff History,
ALLIED CONVOY
SYSTEM IN WW2 by A Hague, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO) and THE BATTLE
OF THE ATLANTIC by D MacIntyre.)
October
Transferred to RN Escort Group for convoy defence
in NW Approaches based in UK. Took passage to join Group in Western Approaches
Command.
November
Deployed for convoy escort in NW Approaches including HX47.
December
1st - Hit by torpedo fired from Italian submarine ARGO 300 miles from
Irish coast
during escort of HX47. Bow structure destroyed and three of ship's company
killed.
Withdrawn from escort and took passage under own power to Barrow for
repair
in commercial shipyard.
1 9 4 1
January to April
Under repair including fit of new bow structure. Nominated for
service with Newfoundland Escort Force based in St. Johns on completion of repair.
May
Post refit trials.
23rd - Took passage from Greenock to resume convoy defence
with new Group.
June to July
Deployed with Newfoundland Escort Force.
August
Detached for escort of HM Battleship PRINCE OF WALES during passage in
western
Atlantic.
(Note: HMS PRINCE OF WALES was taking Winston Churchill to Placenta Bay, Newfoundland
for Atlantic Charter Meeting with US President.)
9th - Joined escort during final stage of passage to
Placenta Bay.
12th - Released from escort and resumed Atlantic
convoy defence duties.
September to December
Atlantic convoy defence deployment with
Newfoundland Escort Force in continuation.
1 9 4 2
January
Deployed with escort for Convoy OS52.
Sustained serious structure
damage in adverse weather conditions. On arrival at St. Johns with
OS52 withdrawn from service and taken in hand for repair.
February to April
Under repair.
Nominated for service with 3rd
Canadian Escort Group on completion of post repair
trials and work-up.
May
Joined HM Canadian Destroyer SKEENA, HM Canadian Corvettes WETASKIWIN, SACKVILLE,
GALT and CAMROSE for escort of Convoy HX191.
(For details of changes in
convoy defence and enemy tactics see SEEK AND STRIKE, HITLER'S
U-BOAT WAR and Naval Staff History.)
June
Atlantic convoy escort in continuation.
July
Joined escort of Convoy ON115 with HM Canadian
Destroyers SKEENA and HAMILTON, HM Canadian Corvettes AGASSIZ, SACKVILLE and
WETASKIWIN.
August to October
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
November
15th - Involved in collision with Panamanian
mercantile AZRA during escort of convoy and sustained
serious damage to stern
structure when depth charges exploded after release. Ships disabled
and taken in tow to St John, New Brunswick for repair.
(Note: There were no
casualties.)
On survey ship declared beyond economic repair. Structure
sealed to allow passage under tow to Halifax.
December
Ship in use for shore training of new entry ratings as a tender to HMCS
CORNWALLIS.
1 9 4 3 t o
1 9 4 4
Training deployment at Halifax in continuation.
1 9 4 5
January to June
Training deployment at Halifax.
July
30th - Paid-off and placed on Disposal List.
P o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMCS SAGUENAY was sold for breaking-up by
International Iron and Metal at Hamilton, Ontario and arrived there under tow in 1946.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMCS SAGUENAY
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy
sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy
arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16/09/39
|
16/09/39
|
HX 001
|
17/09/39
|
30/09/39
|
|
19/09/39
|
19/09/39
|
HXF 001
|
20/09/39
|
29/09/39
|
|
25/09/39
|
25/09/39
|
HXF 002
|
26/09/39
|
04/10/39
|
|
12/12/39
|
12/12/39
|
HX 012
|
13/12/39
|
27/12/39
|
|
19/12/39
|
19/12/39
|
HXF 013
|
20/12/39
|
30/12/39
|
|
20/12/39
|
20/12/39
|
HX 013
|
22/12/39
|
04/01/40
|
|
27/12/39
|
27/12/39
|
HXF 014
|
29/12/39
|
08/01/40
|
|
29/12/39
|
29/12/39
|
HX 014
|
30/12/39
|
12/01/40
|
|
12/01/40
|
12/01/40
|
HXF 016
|
13/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
|
14/01/40
|
14/01/40
|
HX 016
|
15/01/40
|
28/01/40
|
|
28/01/40
|
28/01/40
|
HXF 018
|
29/01/40
|
08/02/40
|
|
31/01/40
|
31/01/40
|
HX 018
|
10/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
|
04/02/40
|
04/02/40
|
HXF 019
|
05/02/40
|
17/02/40
|
|
07/02/40
|
07/02/40
|
HX 019
|
08/02/40
|
22/02/40
|
|
18/02/40
|
18/02/40
|
HX 021
|
19/02/40
|
04/03/40
|
|
02/03/40
|
02/03/40
|
HX 024
|
03/03/40
|
17/03/40
|
|
10/03/40
|
10/03/40
|
HX 026
|
11/03/40
|
26/03/40
|
|
18/03/40
|
18/03/40
|
HX 028
|
19/03/40
|
02/04/40
|
|
25/03/40
|
25/03/40
|
HX 030
|
26/03/40
|
09/04/40
|
|
02/04/40
|
02/04/40
|
HX 032
|
03/04/40
|
17/04/40
|
|
10/04/40
|
10/04/40
|
HX 034
|
11/04/40
|
26/04/40
|
|
18/04/40
|
18/04/40
|
HX 036
|
19/04/40
|
03/05/40
|
|
26/04/40
|
26/04/40
|
HX 038
|
27/04/40
|
12/05/40
|
|
04/05/40
|
04/05/40
|
HX 040
|
05/05/40
|
19/05/40
|
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
TC 004
|
14/05/40
|
21/05/40
|
|
20/05/40
|
20/05/40
|
HX 044
|
21/05/40
|
03/06/40
|
|
24/05/40
|
24/05/40
|
HX 045
|
25/05/40
|
08/06/40
|
|
28/05/40
|
28/05/40
|
HX 046
|
29/05/40
|
12/06/40
|
|
02/06/40
|
02/06/40
|
HX 047
|
03/06/40
|
17/06/40
|
|
05/06/40
|
05/06/40
|
HX 048
|
06/06/40
|
20/06/40
|
|
09/06/40
|
09/06/40
|
HX 049
|
10/06/40
|
24/06/40
|
|
11/06/40
|
11/06/40
|
TC 005
|
13/06/40
|
21/06/40
|
|
13/06/40
|
13/06/40
|
HX 050
|
14/06/40
|
30/06/40
|
|
07/07/40
|
07/07/40
|
HX 056
|
08/07/40
|
22/07/40
|
|
11/07/40
|
11/07/40
|
HX 057
|
12/07/40
|
26/07/40
|
|
15/07/40
|
15/07/40
|
HX 058
|
16/07/40
|
31/07/40
|
|
19/07/40
|
19/07/40
|
HX 059
|
20/07/40
|
03/08/40
|
|
27/07/40
|
31/07/40
|
HX 061
|
10/08/40
|
11/08/40
|
|
04/08/40
|
04/08/40
|
HX 063
|
05/08/40
|
19/08/40
|
|
08/08/40
|
08/08/40
|
HX 064
|
10/08/40
|
23/08/40
|
|
08/08/40
|
08/08/40
|
SHX 064
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
|
12/08/40
|
12/08/40
|
HX 065
|
14/08/40
|
27/08/40
|
|
12/08/40
|
12/08/40
|
SHX 065
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
|
16/08/40
|
16/08/40
|
HX 066
|
18/08/40
|
31/08/40
|
|
16/08/40
|
16/08/40
|
SHX 066
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
|
20/08/40
|
20/08/40
|
HX 067
|
22/08/40
|
04/09/40
|
|
20/08/40
|
20/08/40
|
SHX 067
|
22/08/40
|
unknown
|
|
24/08/40
|
24/08/40
|
HX 068
|
26/08/40
|
08/09/40
|
|
28/08/40
|
28/08/40
|
HX 069
|
30/08/40
|
12/09/40
|
|
28/08/40
|
28/08/40
|
SHX 069
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
|
05/09/40
|
05/09/40
|
HX 071
|
06/09/40
|
20/09/40
|
|
09/09/40
|
09/09/40
|
HX 072
|
10/09/40
|
21/09/40
|
|
21/09/40
|
21/09/40
|
HX 075
|
22/09/40
|
07/10/40
|
|
26/09/40
|
26/09/40
|
HX 076
|
27/09/40
|
10/10/40
|
|
30/09/40
|
30/09/40
|
HX 077
|
01/10/40
|
15/10/40
|
|
08/10/40
|
08/10/40
|
HX 079
|
09/10/40
|
23/10/40
|
|
24/10/40
|
04/11/40
|
HX 083
|
05/11/40
|
07/11/40
|
|
24/10/40
|
05/11/40
|
SC 009
|
09/11/40
|
09/11/40
|
|
09/11/40
|
21/11/40
|
SC 011
|
26/11/40
|
26/11/40
|
|
20/11/40
|
30/11/40
|
HG 047
|
01/12/40
|
04/12/40
|
|
06/04/41
|
16/04/41
|
HX 119A
|
20/04/41
|
22/04/41
|
|
09/05/41
|
12/05/41
|
HP
|
12/05/41
|
24/05/41
|
|
10/06/41
|
14/06/41
|
HX 132
|
23/06/41
|
28/06/41
|
|
10/06/41
|
16/06/41
|
SC 034
|
23/06/41
|
29/06/41
|
|
21/06/41
|
26/06/41
|
OB 338
|
03/07/41
|
03/07/41
|
|
06/07/41
|
09/07/41
|
HX 137
|
17/07/41
|
22/07/41
|
|
17/07/41
|
22/07/41
|
OB 348
|
30/07/41
|
31/07/41
|
|
26/08/41
|
27/08/41
|
TC 012B
|
01/09/41
|
01/09/41
|
|
08/09/41
|
08/09/41
|
CT 002
|
14/09/41
|
14/09/41
|
|
16/12/41
|
18/12/41
|
SC 060
|
27/12/41
|
31/12/41
|
|
31/12/41
|
05/01/42
|
ON 052
|
11/01/42
|
11/01/42
|
|
11/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
SC 079
|
27/04/42
|
27/04/42
|
|
08/05/42
|
09/05/42
|
ON 093
|
15/05/42
|
17/05/42
|
|
24/05/42
|
28/05/42
|
HX 191
|
05/06/42
|
06/06/42
|
|
16/06/42
|
18/06/42
|
ON 104
|
27/06/42
|
02/07/42
|
|
03/07/42
|
06/07/42
|
SC 090
|
16/07/42
|
16/07/42
|
|
24/07/42
|
25/07/42
|
ON 115
|
01/08/42
|
08/08/42
|
|
09/08/42
|
12/08/42
|
HX 202
|
17/08/42
|
21/08/42
|
|
12/08/42
|
17/08/42
|
ON 121
|
20/08/42
|
27/08/42
|
|
29/08/42
|
02/09/42
|
SC 098
|
12/09/42
|
13/09/42
|
|
18/09/42
|
19/09/42
|
ON 131
|
28/09/42
|
04/10/42
|
|
01/10/42
|
07/10/42
|
HX 210
|
15/10/42
|
16/10/42
|
|
25/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
ON 141
|
02/11/42
|
10/11/42
|
|
13/11/42
|
13/11/42
|
HJ 018
|
15/11/42
|
15/11/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
