HMCS Miramichi (J169)

For other ships of the same name, see HMCS Miramichi.
History
Canada
Name: Miramichi
Namesake: Miramichi, New Brunswick
Operator: Royal Canadian Navy
Ordered: 23 February 1940
Builder: Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd., Vancouver
Laid down: 3 November 1940
Launched: 2 September 1941
Commissioned: 26 November 1941
Decommissioned: 24 October 1945
Identification: pennant number: J169
Fate: Sold for scrap.
General characteristics
Class & type: Bangor-class minesweeper
Displacement: 672 tons
Length: 180 ft (54.9 m)
Beam: 28.5 ft (8.7 m)
Draught: 8 ft (2.4 m)
Propulsion: Single shaft, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 triple expansion steam engines, 2,400 ihp.
Speed: 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement: 83 (6 Officers, 77 Ratings)
Armament:

HMCS Miramichi was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She remained on the west coast of Canada for the entirety of the war. She was named for Miramichi, New Brunswick. After the war she was purchased with the intent of conversion for mercantile use, however that never took place and instead, she was scrapped in 1949.

Miramichi was ordered on 23 February 1940[1] as part of the 1939–1940 construction programme.[2] She was laid down by Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd. at Vancouver, British Columbia and launched 2 September 1941.[1] She was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy on 26 November 1941 at Vancouver.[3]

Service history

After commissioning, Miramichi spent the entire war alternating between service with Esquimalt Force and Prince Rupert Force as a minesweeping and patrol vessel. In the summer and fall of 1943, she was occasionally used as a training vessel. She was paid off 24 October 1945 at Esquimalt.[3]

Following the war Miramichi was sold to the Union Steamship Co. of British Columbia in 1946, as were HMCS Chignecto and HMCS Courtenay.[2] She was to be converted to a merchant vessel, however that was never attempted and instead she was sold for scrap and broken up at Vancouver in 1949-1950.[3][4]

Christening Bell

The city of Miramichi is now in possession of the vessel's bell, which is on display at city hall. The community received the naval bell, following naval tradition in the case of decommissioned Canadian ships named for towns and cities. The Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum naval bell archive includes baptism information from HMCS Miramichi.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "HMCS Miramichi (J169)". uboat.net. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  2. 1 2 McClearn, Sandy (2007). "Bangor Class". hazegray.org. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Macpherson, Ken; Barrie, Ron (2002). The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces, 1910-2002 (3 ed.). St. Catharines: Vanwell Publishing Limited. p. 173. ISBN 1551250721.
  4. ↑ Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
  5. ↑ "Christening Bells". CFB Esquimalt and Naval Military Museum. Retrieved 1 June 2014.

External links

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