Torpedoed and sunk on 11 September 1942 by U-517 while escorting convoy SQ-30 in the St. Lawrence River north of Cap Chat at 49-10N, 66-50W. 9 crew killed.
Flower-class corvettes like Charlottetown serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail-driven corvettes.[2][3][4] The "corvette" designation was created by the French as a class of small warships; the Royal Navy borrowed the term for a period but discontinued its use in 1877.[5] During the hurried preparations for war in the late 1930s, Winston Churchill reactivated the corvette class, needing a name for smaller ships used in an escort capacity, in this case based on a whaling ship design.[6] The generic name "flower" was used to designate the class of these ships, which – in the Royal Navy – were named after flowering plants.[7]
Corvettes commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were named after communities for the most part, to better represent the people who took part in building them. This idea was put forth by Admiral Percy W. Nelles. Sponsors were commonly associated with the community for which the ship was named. Royal Navy corvettes were designed as open sea escorts, while Canadian corvettes were developed for coastal auxiliary roles which was exemplified by their minesweeping gear. Eventually the Canadian corvettes would be modified for better performance on open seas.[8]
Charlottetown served with the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) until mid-July 1942 when she was transferred to the Gulf Escort Force (GEF), serving in what is now referred to as the Battle of the St. Lawrence. She escorted Quebec City - Sydney convoys until her sinking.[10]
Sinking
Charlottetown was torpedoed and sunk on 11 September 1942 by the German submarine U-517 6 nautical miles (11 km) off Cap Chat in the St. Lawrence River along the northern shore of the Gaspé Peninsula. She had been returning to base with the minesweeperHMCS Clayoquot after escorting convoy SQ-35 and was not zigzagging. She was struck aft by two torpedoes. She went down fast and though most of her crew got off the ship, some died in the water when her depth charges went off as she sank.[11] Her captain, Lieutenant Commander John W. Bonner, RCNR and 8 other crew were killed out of her crew of 64. The survivors were picked up by Clayoquot.[10]
^ abcMacpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910-1981: a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. pp. 92, 113, 231. ISBN0-00216-856-1.
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