HMCS Barrie

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HMCS Barrie at sea.jpg
HMCS Barrie
History
Canada
NameBarrie
NamesakeBarrie, Ontario
Ordered1 February 1940
BuilderCollingwood Shipyards Ltd. Collingwood, Ontario
Laid down4 April 1940
Launched23 November 1940
Commissioned12 May 1941
Decommissioned26 June 1945
IdentificationPennant number: K138
Honours and
awards		Atlantic 1941–45, English Channel 1942[1]
Fatesold for mercantile use 1947; purchased by Argentine Navy 1957
Argentina
NameARA Capitán Cánepa
Acquiredtaken over from mercantile interests
Commissioned1957
Out of service1972
Fatebroken up 1972
General characteristics
Class and typeFlower-class corvette (original)[2]
Displacement925 long tons (940 t; 1,036 short tons)
Length205 ft (62.48 m)o/a
Beam33 ft (10.06 m)
Draught11.5 ft (3.51 m)
Propulsion
  • single shaft
  • 2 × fire tube Scotch boilers
  • 1 × 4-cycle triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
  • 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Speed16 knots (29.6 km/h)
Range3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement85
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × SW1C or 2C radar
  • 1 × Type 123A or Type 127DV sonar
Armament

HMCS Barrie was a Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for the city of Barrie, Ontario.

Background[]

Main article: Flower-class corvette

Flower-class corvettes like Barrie serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail-driven corvettes.[3][4][5] The "corvette" designation was created by the French as a class of small warships; the Royal Navy borrowed the term for a period but discontinued its use in 1877.[6] During the hurried preparations for war in the late 1930s, Winston Churchill reactivated the corvette class, needing a name for smaller ships used in an escort capacity, in this case based on a whaling ship design.[7] The generic name "flower" was used to designate the class of these ships, which – in the Royal Navy – were named after flowering plants.[8]

Corvettes commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were named after communities for the most part, to better represent the people who took part in building them. This idea was put forth by Admiral Percy W. Nelles. Sponsors were commonly associated with the community for which the ship was named. Royal Navy corvettes were designed as open sea escorts, while Canadian corvettes were developed for coastal auxiliary roles which was exemplified by their minesweeping gear. Eventually the Canadian corvettes would be modified to allow them to perform better on the open seas.[9]

Construction[]

Ordered 1 February 1940 as part of the 1939–1940 Flower-class building program, Barrie was laid down by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. at Collingwood, Ontario on 4 April of that year. She was launched on 23 November 1940 and commissioned on the 12 May 1941.[9][10]

During her career Barrie had two significant refits. The first one began in September 1941 and which took two months to repair defects. The second one began in mid-March 1944 at Thompson Brothers in Liverpool, Nova Scotia where her fo'c'sle was extended.[11]

War service[]

After commissioning Barrie was assigned to Sydney Force. On 3 September 1941 she departed to escort convoy SC 43 however she left the convoy early to head on to Belfast due to major defects. After completing repairs Barrie served as an ocean escort until May 1942.[11] On 9 February 1942, she rescued 38 survivors from the British merchant ship Empire Fusilier, which had been torpedoed and sunk south east of Saint John's, Newfoundland by U-85.[12]

In May 1942 she was assigned to the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF). She remained with the WLEF for the remainder of the war. In June 1943 she was assigned to escort group W-1. Barrie stayed with W-1 for much of the war except for a short period in 1944 where she was temporarily assigned to escort group W-8.[11]

Post war service[]

Barrie was paid off on 26 June 1945 at Sorel, Quebec. She was sold to Argentine mercantile interests in 1947. She was renamed the Gasestado. In 1957 Gasestado was taken over by the Argentine Navy and renamed Capitán Cánepa. She was used as a survey vessel until being broken up in 1972.[11][13]

References[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ "HMCS Barrie". Ships’ histories. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. ^ Lenton, H.T.; Colledge, J.J (1968). British and Dominion Warships of World War II. Doubleday & Company. pp. 201, 212.
  3. ^ Ossian, Robert. "Complete List of Sailing Vessels". The Pirate King. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  4. ^ Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. (1978). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons & Warfare. Vol. 11. London: Phoebus. pp. 1137–1142.
  5. ^ Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II. New Jersey: Random House. 1996. p. 68. ISBN 0-517-67963-9.
  6. ^ Blake, Nicholas; Lawrence, Richard (2005). The Illustrated Companion to Nelson's Navy. Stackpole Books. pp. 39–63. ISBN 0-8117-3275-4.
  7. ^ Chesneau, Roger; Gardiner, Robert (June 1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships (1922–1946). Naval Institute Press. p. 62. ISBN 0-87021-913-8.
  8. ^ Milner, Marc (1985). North Atlantic Run. Naval Institute Press. pp. 117–119, 142–145, 158, 175–176, 226, 235, 285–291. ISBN 0-87021-450-0.
  9. ^ a b Macpherson, Ken; Milner, Marc (1993). Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy 1939–1945. St. Catharines: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN 1-55125-052-7.
  10. ^ "HMCS Barrie (K 138)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  11. ^ a b c d Macpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910–1981 : a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. p. 70. ISBN 0-00216-856-1.
  12. ^ "Empire Fusilier". Uboat. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  13. ^ "Barrie (6111648)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

Bibliography[]

External links[]

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