HMCS Vimy

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

HMCS Vimy / Battle-class trawler

The Battle-class trawlers were built during the closing days of First World War. Based on the British Castle-class trawlers, these ships were of slightly larger tonnage than the British ships, and it was the first class with a distinct Canadian designation. All 12 vessels of the class received names for land battles of the First World War in which components of the Canadian Army took part. Many of these vessels also served in the Second World War but five of them exchanged their name for numbers in 1942.

Built at Toronto, Ontario, HMCS Vimy was commissioned on 13 November 1917. She was named for the Battle of Vimy, which was part of the opening phase of the Battle of Arras, a diversionary attack for the French Nivelle Offensive.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military offensive by the Canadian Corps against elements of the German Sixth Army. The battle took place along the Western Front in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, from 9 to 12 April 1917. Supported by a creeping barrage, the Canadian Corps captured most of the ridge during the first day of the attack. The success of the Canadian Corps in capturing the ridge is attributed to a mixture of technical and tactical innovation, meticulous planning, powerful artillery support, and extensive training. This was the first occasion where all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force participated in an action as a composite formation. The battle thus became a Canadian nationalistic symbol of achievement and sacrifice. A 250-acre (150 ha) portion of the former battleground now serves as a preserved memorial park and site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Until the end of the war, HMCS Vimy was employed as an escort to convoys and local patrols. She was paid off on 30 November 1918 and turned over to the Department of Marine and Fisheries for conversion, she was ultimately designated Lightship No. 5 and is thought to have been broken up about 1958.

• Builder: Polson Ironworks, Toronto, Ontario
• Date commissioned: 13 November 1917
• Date paid off: 30 November 1918
• Displacement: 325 tonnes
• Dimensions: 45.1 m x 7.6 m x 3.4 m
• Déplacement : 1 468,8 tonnes
• Dimensions : 91,9 m x 11,08 m x 2,74 m
• Speed: 10 knots
• Crew: 18
• Armament:one 12-pounder (5.45 kg) gun