RCN Victory’s/Losses Battle Of Atlantic in WWII 1939 to 1945 By: Roger Litwiller © 1939 26 August 1939 -Admiralty signals FUNNEL to Commonwealth & British navies. Commonwealth merchant ships placed under naval control. 31 August 1939 -HMCShips FRASER & ST. LAURENT ordered “With Dispatch” from Esquimalt to Halifax. Arrive in time to escort first convoy WWII from […]
Canada and the Battle Of Atlantic
During the Second World War a fierce and decisive battle was fought on the world’s oceans and seas. Collectively it has become known as the Battle Of Atlantic. Winning this battle would determine the outcome of the war. The momentous responsibility of winning or losing WWII fell on Canada. The Second World War would have […]
PHOENIX 194 Under Control
The tow line was successfully reconnected to Phoenix 194 and the tug started towing the concrete caisson towards Normandy with HMCS TRENTONIAN escorting. The Caisson had proved to be a difficult tow and the line had broken several times. eventually towing through a gale force storm the line broke a final time and the caisson […]
Ships For Victory -Can Canada Build Ships Today
This past week marked an incredible milestone in Canadian shipbuilding history. On 20 September 1943, twelve Canadian built ships were launched simultaneously from shipyards across the nation! During WWII, Canadian industry, mobilized to building for Victory. One of the largest and most important projects was a National Shipbuilding Program. Early in the war the enemy […]
HMCSships CHARLOTTETOWN and SACKVILLE
In a fitting tribute, HMCS MONTREAL sails past HMCS SACKVILLE, Canada’s last corvette from WWII and the Battle Of The Atlantic as the modern frigate proceeds through Halifax harbour for the at sea Battle of Atlantic Service on 1 May 2016. HMCS CHARLOTTETOWN is secured to the near jetty. Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Roger Litwiller. […]
Mariner’s Park Museum, PEC -Talk
Join Roger at the Mariners Park Museum in Prince Edward County for a talk on the Royal Canadian Navy ships named for the Bay of Quinte Region on 16 July 2017 at 11 am. Roger will focus on HMCS HALLOWELL, a frigate named for Prince Edward County, served extensively during WWII and later in the […]
2016 -TOP 10 RCN PHOTOS
Personal Blog by Roger Litwiller This has been a very productive and fortunate year for me. I have had the good fortune to be able to attend Battle of Atlantic services in Halifax and Ottawa. I was honoured to attend the service and committal ceremony in HMCS MONTREAL off Halifax’s Point Pleasant Park on the […]
HMCS TRENTONIAN -Portsmouth
HMCS TRENTONIAN landed wounded from the cablelayer HMTS MONARCH in Portsmouth on 13 June 1944. The two ships had been fired on by USS PLUNKETT during the night, with deadly consequences, Â The crew of TRENTONIANÂ gather around the gangway after the wounded have been moved ashore. There will be no shore leave and this will be […]
HMCS WINDFLOWER
On 7 December 1941, HMCS WINDFLOWER was lost in collision with the freighter SS Zypenburg off St. John’s, NF. Â Twenty-three of the RCN corvette’s ship’s company were killed in the incident. At the time, WINDFLOWER was part of the mid-ocean escort for SC 58, a convoy of forty-nine merchant ships that had left Sidney, NS. […]
HMCS WEYBURN
HMCS WEYBURN, Flower class corvette, struck a mine laid by U-118 on 22 February 1943 off the Strait of Gibraltar. Of her crew of seventy-seven, nine were killed, including one Royal Navy rating. WEYBURN had been assigned with seventeen RCN corvettes to assist in the invasion of North Africa, Operation TORCH. Â She had just left […]