Ex USS THATCHER (Type C NEWPORT-Class) built by
Bethlehem Steel at Fore River. The ship was
laid down on 8th June 1918 and launched on
31st August
that year. Commissioned on 14th January 1919
for US Naval Service this ship was deployed
in the Pacific until 1922 when
she was laid up in Philadelphia. In
1940 she re-commissioned for US Navy use
after refit but later transferred to
the Royal Navy under the UK/US Lend/Lease
Agreement on 3rd September 1940.
Commissioned on 24th September that
year this destroyer was selected for
use
by the Royal Canadian Navy and renamed HMCS
NIAGARA at Halifax. The name like those of
the
other destroyers provided under this
Agreement was common to places in Britain or
Canada and in the USA.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
None are
recorded in the
Admiralty records but RCN Honours will be
available in RCN records
H e r a
l d i c D a t a
Similarly
this will be held in
RCN records
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 4 0
September
24th
- Transferred at Halifax, manned by Canadian
crew for RCN service
as HMCS NIAGARA. (Note: Some
sources suggest ship was commissioned as HMCS
THATCHER and that name was late changed to
HMCS NIAGARA
after formal announcement made of selected
names.)
October
Deployed
for Local convoy escort duties at Halifax.
Nominated for refit in UK.
November
Passage
to Plymouth. (Note: Ship may have been
deployed as part of escort for Atlantic
convoy)
30th
- Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard
Devonport.
December
Under
refit
1
9 4 1
January
to February
Under
refit.
Nominated for
service with 4th Escort Group for convoy
defence in Western Approaches Command pending
formation of
Newfoundland Escort Force (NEF).
March
to April
Deployed
with EG4 in Western Approaches. (Note:
Work-up at Tobermory
before operational service to be confirmed.)
May
Passage
to St Johns,
Newfoundland for service with NEF on
formation. (Note: Ship may have been part of
escort for westbound convoy.)
June
to July
Deployed
for convoy defence with NEF.
August
28th
- Deployed with HMS BURWELL and four trawlers
in support of passage
of U570 to Iceland after
its surrender following air attacks. (See
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and HITLER'S
U-BOAT WAR
by C Blair for details.)
September
15th
- Taken in hand for refit at Halifax.
October
Under
refit
November
15th
- On completion of post refit trials resumed
service with Western
Escort Force.
December
North
Atlantic convoy escort in continuation.
1
9 4 2
January
Deployed
as escort in Atlantic.
12th
- Sustained structural damage in heavy
weather. (Note: One source records escort
for vessel identified as TRITON, but the full
description was not given. Both ships were
damaged.)
14th
- Taken in hand for repair at Clyde commercial
shipyard.
February
10th
- On completion of repair took passage to St
Johns to rejoin NEF.
March
Transferred
to Western Local Escort Force for escort
duties.
9th
- Rescued survivors from American mercantile
INDEPENDENCE HALL. (Note: This ship was
wrecked
during passage as part of Convoy SC73 on 7th)
April
WLEF
deployment in continuation. Rescued survivors
from mercantile RIO BLANCO adrift in
two boats.
May
to July
Under
repair to boilers at Halifax.
August
to December
Resumed
WLEF convoy escort deployment.
1
9 4 3
January
to April
WLEF
deployment in continuation. (Note: High
incidence of defects needed dockyard
repair restricted ship availability.)
May
Transferred
to Canadian Escort Group Unit W2
June
to December
Convoy
escort with Unit W2 in continuation. (Note:
Low operational availability restricting
deployments.)
1
9 4 4
January
to February
Ship
under repair and future operational deployment
under consideration. (Note: This Class all
experienced similar defects including boilers
problems due to inexperienced users and oil
contamination due
to structural weakness of
shell plating. Crews were also required for
manning ships being completed in Canada.)
March
Withdrawn
from operational use and nominated for use as
Torpedo Branch
training ship at
Halifax.
April
to December
Torpedo
Branch training use in continuation.
1
9 4 5
January
to August
Torpedo
Branch training duties in continuation.
P o s t W
a r
N o t e s
HMCS NIAGARA was
Paid-off and placed on
the Disposal List on 15th September 1945.
She was sold to International Iron and Steel
for
demolition on 27th May 1946 and taken in tow
to Hamilton where she arrived at the
Breaker’s Yard on 12th December
1947.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMCS NIAGARA
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
12/10/40
|
12/10/40
|
HX
080
|
13/10/40
|
27/10/40
|
03/04/41
|
05/04/41
|
OB
306
|
08/04/41
|
09/04/41
|
27/03/41
|
09/04/41
|
HX
117
|
unknown
|
15/04/41
|
30/04/41
|
02/05/41
|
OB
317
|
06/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
24/04/41
|
09/05/41
|
HG
060
|
12/05/41
|
12/05/41
|
29/05/41
|
30/05/41
|
OB
328
|
02/06/41
|
02/06/41
|
10/06/41
|
14/06/41
|
HX
132
|
23/06/41
|
28/06/41
|
10/06/41
|
16/06/41
|
SC
034
|
22/06/41
|
29/06/41
|
21/06/41
|
26/06/41
|
OB
338
|
02/07/41
|
03/07/41
|
05/08/41
|
05/08/41
|
HX
143
|
05/08/41
|
20/08/41
|
10/08/41
|
13/08/41
|
SC
040
|
22/08/41
|
29/08/41
|
21/08/41
|
02/09/41
|
HX
146
|
02/09/41
|
06/09/41
|
27/08/41
|
02/09/41
|
ON
010
|
09/09/41
|
11/09/41
|
21/12/41
|
29/12/41
|
SC
061
|
30/12/41
|
07/01/42
|
13/02/42
|
14/02/42
|
ON
066
|
19/02/42
|
26/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
HX
177
|
01/03/42
|
09/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
SC
074
|
18/03/42
|
28/03/42
|
09/03/42
|
20/03/42
|
ON
074
|
25/03/42
|
25/03/42
|
23/04/42
|
23/04/42
|
SC
081
|
27/04/42
|
09/05/42
|
23/04/42
|
02/05/42
|
ON
089
|
05/05/42
|
05/05/42
|
23/08/42
|
23/08/42
|
HX
204
|
26/08/42
|
04/09/42
|
16/08/42
|
28/08/42
|
ON
122
|
01/09/42
|
03/09/42
|
04/09/42
|
04/09/42
|
BX
036B
|
06/09/42
|
06/09/42
|
12/09/42
|
12/09/42
|
SC
100
|
16/09/42
|
28/09/42
|
11/09/42
|
20/09/42
|
ON
129
|
24/09/42
|
25/09/42
|
01/11/42
|
04/11/42
|
SC
108
|
08/11/42
|
19/11/42
|
01/11/42
|
11/11/42
|
ON
143
|
14/11/42
|
16/11/42
|
31/10/42
|
17/11/42
|
ON
142
|
21/11/42
|
21/11/42
|
27/11/42
|
27/11/42
|
HX
217
|
30/11/42
|
14/12/42
|
04/12/42
|
06/12/42
|
SC
112
|
11/12/42
|
25/12/42
|
01/12/42
|
16/12/42
|
ON
150
|
22/12/42
|
25/12/42
|
14/01/43
|
16/01/43
|
HX
223
|
19/01/43
|
02/02/43
|
11/01/43
|
27/01/43
|
ON
160
|
unknown
|
04/02/43
|
30/01/43
|
02/02/43
|
HX
225
|
05/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
01/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
ON
164
|
16/02/43
|
19/02/43
|
18/02/43
|
20/02/43
|
HX
227
|
24/02/43
|
06/03/43
|
21/02/43
|
07/03/43
|
ON
168
|
09/03/43
|
12/03/43
|
03/03/43
|
15/03/43
|
ON
170
|
20/03/43
|
20/03/43
|
18/03/43
|
20/03/43
|
HX
230
|
24/03/43
|
02/04/43
|
20/03/43
|
02/04/43
|
ON
174
|
05/04/43
|
08/04/43
|
28/04/43
|
28/04/43
|
XB
048
|
30/04/43
|
30/04/43
|
02/05/43
|
02/05/43
|
BX
048
|
04/05/43
|
04/05/43
|
11/05/43
|
11/05/43
|
SC
130
|
15/05/43
|
26/05/43
|
07/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
ONS
007
|
25/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
28/05/43
|
HX
241
|
31/05/43
|
10/06/43
|
15/12/43
|
15/12/43
|
SC
149
|
19/12/43
|
30/12/43
|
29/01/44
|
30/01/44
|
SC
152
|
02/02/44
|
15/02/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|