HMCS Matapedia

There has been only one vessel named HMCS Matapedia in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS Matapedia (K112)

Commissioned at Québec City on May 9, 1941, the Flower Class corvette HMCS Matapedia arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on May 24. She was assigned to Sydney Force as a local escort until late September, when she was transferred to Newfoundland Command for ocean escort work between St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Iceland. On her first trip, she left Sydney, Nova Scotia, on September 29 for Iceland with convoy SC.47. After 3 round trips she left St. John’s, on February 6, 1942, with SC.68 for Londonderry, Northern Ireland, returning in March with convoy ON.70. It was to be her only trip to the United Kingdom, as she joined Western Local Escort Force on her return and with the exception of a stint with Gaspé Force from November to December 1944, remained with Western Local Escort Force out of Halifax until the end of the war. HMCS Matapedia underwent a major refit at Pictou, Nova Scotia, from May 8 to July 21, 1942, and in June 1943 became a member of Escort Group W-5.

On September 8, 1943, she was rammed amidships in a thick fog off the Sambro Lightship, at the entrance to Halifax Harbour, by the merchant ship SS Scorton. Seriously damaged, she underwent temporary repairs at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, from September 10 to October 12. She was towed to Liverpool, Nova Scotia, for full repairs and refit, including forecastle extension. This was completed early in February 1944, and a month later she proceeded to Bermuda for a 2 week workup. On her return, she joined Escort Group W-4, remaining there for the balance of the war. She underwent one further major refit from February 15 to April 28, 1945, at Halifax, again followed by workups in Bermuda, but by then the war was over and she was paid off at Sorel, Quebec, on June 16. HMCS Matapedia was broken up at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1945.

  • Builder: Morton Engineering and Dry Dock Co., Québec City, Quebec
  • Laid down: February 2, 1940
  • Date launched: September 14, 1940
  • Date commissioned: May 9, 1941
  • Date paid off: June 16, 1945
  • Displacement: 950 tons
  • Dimensions: 62.5 m x 10.1 m x 3.5 m
  • Speed: 16 knots
  • Crew: 85
  • Armament: one 4-inch (102-mm) gun, one 2-pound (0.9 kg) gun, two 20-mm guns (2 single mounts), one Hedgehog mortar, and depth charges.

Battle honours

  • Atlantic 1941-1945
  • Gulf of St. Lawrence 1944

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