HMCS Oshawa

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

HMCS Oshawa (J330 / 174)

The HMCS Oshawa was an Algerine Class minesweeper. The Algerine class ships were designed as small vessels that could serve in several roles, not just as minesweepers. Their predecessors, the Bangor Class minesweepers were bluff-bowed ships, very wet in a head sea, and arguably less comfortable even than corvettes in rough weather. These faults were eliminated in the Algerine class, all twelve Royal Canadian Navy units of which were built at Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Royal Canadian Navy intended them as convoy escorts; hence they were not fitted with minesweeping gear. The Algerines found particular favour as Senior Officers’ ships in Western Local groups. Most found employment for many years after the war on hydrographic survey duties or as training ships for reservists.

Commissioned at Port Arthur on 6 July 1944, she arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 18 August. She worked up in Bermuda in September, and on her return was allocated to Escort Group W-6 of Western Escort Force as Senior Officer’s ship. The group was disbanded in June 1945 and HMCS Oshawa was paid off into maintenance reserve at Sydney, Nova Scotia, on 28 July.

She was re-commissioned on 24 October, and in November sailed for Esquimalt, British Columbia. She arrived there 21 December and on 26 February 1946 was paid off into reserve. During one more commission from 11 April 1956 to 7 November 1958, HMCS Oshawa was extensively converted for oceanographic research, in which role she continued, civilian-manned, until sold and broken up at Victoria, British Columbia, in 1966.

• Builder: Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Port Arthur, Ontario
• Date laid down: 6 October 1942
• Date launched: 10 June 1943
• Date commissioned: 6 July 1944
• Date paid off (final): 7 November 1958
• Displacement: 1006 tonnes
• Dimensions: 68.6 m x 10.8 m x 2.6 m
• Speed: 16 knots
• Crew: 107
• Armament: one 4-inch (102 mm) gun, eight 20-mm guns (4 x II), one Hedgehog mortar and depth charges.

Motto: In Omnia Paratus (Ready For All Things)

Battle honours

Atlantic 1944-1945