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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMCS SAGUENAY (D 79) -  A-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMCS Saguenay, stern destroyed by depth charges exploding after collision on 15 November 1942 (Photo Ships/Ken Macpherson/Naval Museum of Alberta, click to enlarge)

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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)

 

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revised 25/6/11
further editing is required