HMCS Oakville

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

HMCS Oakville (K178)

Commissioned at Montréal, QC, on 18 November 1941, the Flower Class corvette HMCS Oakville arrived at Halifax, NS, ten days later and joined Halifax Force on her arrival. On its formation in March 1942, she transferred to Western Local Escort Force. In July, she returned to Halifax Force to escort Halifax-Aruba, in the Caribbean Sea, convoys and, on her second arrival at Aruba late in August, was diverted to reinforce convoy TAW.15 (Aruba-Key West section). The convoy was attacked 28 August in the Windward Passage, losing four ships, but HMCS Oakville sank the seasoned submarine U-94, in part by ramming her.

After temporary repairs at Guantanamo, Cuba, she arrived at Halifax on 16 September and there completed repairs on 1 December. She then joined the United States Eastern Sea Frontier Command to escort New York-Guantanamo convoys until 22 March 1943 when she arrived at Halifax to join Western Local Escort Force. She served with three of its escort groups: W-7 from June 1943; W-8 from December 1943, and W-6 from April 1944. In mid-December, she began a major refit at Galveston, TX, which included forecastle extension that was completed on 29 March 1944. After minor repairs at Halifax, she proceeded to Bermuda for workups in May, thereafter returning to her duties with Escort Group W-6. A refit begun at Lunenburg, NS, early in April 1945 was discontinued in June and the ship was paid off at Sorel, QC, on 20 July. She was sold to the Venezuelan Navy in 1945 and renamed Patria, serving until 1962.

• Builder: Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Port Arthur, Ontario
• Date laid down: 21 December 1940
• Date launched: 21 June 1941
• Date commissioned: 18 November 1941
• Date paid off: 20 July 1945
• Displacement: 965.2 tonnes
• Dimensions: 62.5 m x 10.1 m x 3.5 m
• Speed: 16 knots
• Crew: 85
• Armament: one 4-inch (102-mm) gun, one 2-pound (0.9 kg) gun, two 20-mm guns (2 x I), one Hedgehog mortar and depth charges.

Battle honours

Atlantic 1942-1945