HMCS Ottawa (H31)

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HMCS Ottawa (II)
Career
Former Name:	HMS Griffin
Type:	Destroyer
Class:	British G Canadian River
Pennant:	H31
Built By:	Vickers Armstrong
Build Location:	Barrow-in-Furness, UK
Ordered:
Laid down:	20 September 1934
Launched:	15 August 1935
Commissioned :	RN:6 June 1936 RCN: 7 April 1943
Decommissioned:	May 1945
Commanding Officer:

HMCS Ottawa (H31) was purchased by the Royal Canadian Navy on 20 March 1943 and commissioned into the RCN on 7 April 1943.

She had previously served with the Royal Navy as HMS Griffin (H31).

[edit] Royal Navy service

She began life in 1935 as HMS Griffin (H31) and served for 8 years before her transfer and commissioning into the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) as a replacement for HMCS Ottawa (H60).

[edit] Royal Canadian Navy service

HMCS Ottawa (H31) joined the Mid-Ocean escort force in April 1943 as an escort between St. John's, Newfoundland, and Derry, Northern Ireland. On April 25, 1944, Ottawa was transferred to a "Hunter Killer" group of Canadian destroyers. As senior ship in EG-11 she led HMC ships Kootenay, Chaudiere, Gatineau, and St. Laurent. On D-Day, the EG-11 participated in "Operation Neptune" as anti-submarine pickets, 25 miles east of Plymouth, England.

On 6 July 1944, Ottawa and Kootenay were detached from a convoy to assist the Statice with a submarine contact off Beachy Head, Sussex. As Ottawa swept the area, she gained sonar contact and attacked with depth charges. Shortly afterwards, large amounts of debris appeared on the surface, including caps marked U-678. Post war investigations credited Ottawa with two additional submarine kills, U-621 and U-984. In total Ottawa and her group were credited with the sinking of five U-Boats.

In September 1944, Ottawa returned to Canada for refit. In May 1945, she was declared surplus and turned over to the War Assets Corporation for disposal.

[edit] References and notes