HMCS Rockcliffe

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

HMCS Rockcliffe (J355 / 173)

The HMCS Rockcliffe was an Algerine Class minesweeper. The Algerine Class ships were designed as small vessels that could serve in several roles and 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 of which were built at Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay, Ontario. Intended as convoy escorts, they were not fitted with minesweeping gear. Although larger than corvettes, the latter outperformed them as ocean escorts. The Algerines found particular favour as Senior Officers’ ships in Western Local groups. After the war, most found employment for many years on hydrographic survey duties or as training ships for reservists.

Commissioned at Port Arthur on 30 September 1944, HMCS Rockcliffe arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 30 October and proceeded to Bermuda to work-up.

Upon returning to Halifax in mid-December, she was assigned to Escort Group W-6 until June 1945, during which time she escorted the surrendered German submarine U-889 part of the way to Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

Paid off to reserve at Sydney, Nova Scotia, on 28 July 1945, she was re-commissioned for passage to Esquimalt, British Columbia, where she arrived on 21 December 1945. On 14 January 1946, she was again paid off into reserve, but was re-commissioned on 3 March 1947 to serve as a training ship. She was finally paid off on 15 August 1950 and scrapped ten years later.

• Builder: Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Port Arthur, Ontario
• Date laid down: 23 December 1942
• Date launched: 19 August 1943
• Date commissioned: 30 September 1944
• Date paid off: 28 July 1945
• 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 and depth charges

Battle honours

Atlantic 1945