STATUS:
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Ordered: April 5, 1940
Laid
down: October 31, 1940
(as Iroquois)
Launched: November 15, 1941 (as Athabaskan by Lady
Tweedsmuir)
Commissioned: February 3, 1943
Fate: lost in action April 29, 1944 (torpedoed in the English
Channel, sunk)
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HMCS
Athabaskan (G 07):
HMCS Athabaskan (G 07) was the second Tribal
Class Destroyer built for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Athabaskan was
commissioned into service on February 3rd, 1943 at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.
Athabaskan served in the RCN for just over a year and two months and her
short career was plagued with damage resulting in many trips to the dockyard
for repairs.
After successfully completing her trials, HMCS Athabaskan began her career
patrolling the Iceland Faeroes Passage in the North Atlantic. HMCS Athabaskan
and HMS Bermuda were patrolling when they encountered a storm on March 30th.
The two ships were faced with high winds and rough seas. As a result, some of
her hull plates began to separate and she spent five weeks in drydock for
repairs.
Following this refit, Athabaskan participated in Operation Gearbox III, which
took place in June 1943. HMCS Athabaskan and HM Ships Bermuda, Cumberland,
and Eclipse provided the Allied troops isolated in Spitsbergen, Norway in the
Arctic Circle, with supplies.
On June 18, Athabaskan was returning to Scapa Flow, the Royal Navy's chief
naval base, when her steam controls jammed. As a result, she hit HMS Brigate
while attempting to dock and, once again, needed to undergo hull repairs. She
underwent temporary repairs at Scapa Flow, but then went for a more extensive
refit in Plymouth, a naval base in South West England.
Athabaskan 's second refit lasted one month, and, once it was completed she
began conducting anti-submarine patrols in the Bay of Biscay, located on the
western coast of France. In total, Athabaskan completed five trips to the Bay
of Biscay in 1943.
While returning from the first voyage, as part of Force 'W', which began in
the early evening of July 19th and ended on July 24th, Athabaskan picked up
five enemy sailors who were floating on a life raft. These five men were the
only survivors from the German submarine U-558 that was sunk four days
earlier by an Allied aircraft. The survivors were brought aboard and given
food, blankets and drinks.
In the early hours of August 27th, Athabaskan and HM Ships Grenville, Egret,
Rother and Jed set out for Falmouth Bay to operate. It was not long before
they encountered eighteen enemy planes carrying one HS 293 glider bomb each.
HS 293 glider bombs were radio-controlled missiles with 650-pound warheads
that could travel at speeds of more than 600 km p/h. During the battle that
ensued, five aircraft approached Athabaskan , launching three glider bombs in
her direction. One missile hit the ship near the wheelhouse on the port side,
went through the Chief Petty Officers' mess and flew out the starboard side
before blowing up. Several crewmembers were injured, three crewmembers died,
and the ship was severely damaged and taking on water.
Once again, after miraculously getting their ship back to England, HMCS
Athabaskan had to spend two months in drydock in Plymouth. During this
period, Athabaskan had a change of command. LCDR John Stubbs was the new
Captain taking over from Cdr. George R. Miles. Athabaskan 's first assignment
after this refit was a second voyage to the Arctic.
In early 1944, Allied ships began clearing the English Channel, in
preparation for D-Day. As part of this operation, Athabaskan joined the 10th
Destroyer Flotilla. On the 26th of April, Athabaskan along with HMC Ships
Haida and Huron, assisted in the sinking of a German destroyer, T29. As T29
was sinking, her crew continued to fire the guns and one member of Athabaskan
's crew was killed and four others were injured.
A few days later, on April 28th, Haida and Athabaskan encountered two German
destroyers off the coast of France and a fierce battle ensued that lasted
until the early hours of the next day. Just after 0400 on the 29th, both German
ships fired torpedoes. One spread went in the wrong direction, but the other
hit the Athabaskan on the starboard side. The explosion caused a lot of
damage and started a fire aboard and all men were ordered to abandon ship.
Haida continued pursuing the German ships, but returned to help the
Athabaskan . Haida was able to rescue 48 survivors, 128 members of Athabaskan
's crew lost their lives that night, and the remaining 85 were taken as
prisoners of war.
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