HMCS Skeena (D59) explained

HMCS Skeena was a River-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) from 1931 to 1944. She was similar to the Royal Navy's A class and wore initially the pennant D59, changed in 1940 to I59.

She was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company at Woolston, Hampshire and commissioned into the RCN on 10 June 1931 at Portsmouth, England. Skeena and her sister were the first ships specifically built for the Royal Canadian Navy. She arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 3 July 1931.

Second World War

Skeena rescued 65 survivors of the British merchant ship Manipur, sunk by off Cape Wrath on 17 July 1940. On 2 September 1940 she rescued 19 survivors of the British merchant ship Thornlea, sunk by in the North Atlantic. On 14 October 1940 Skeena and the corvette rescued 220 members of the crew of, which had damaged by torpedo.^[1] On 23 November 1940 Skeena rescued 6 survivors of the Norwegian merchant ship Bruce, damaged by and 9 survivors of the Norwegian merchant ship Salonica, sunk by U-100 nearby.

Skeena was assigned to North Atlantic convoy Escort Group C-3 escorting convoys ON 93, HX 191, ONS 104, SC 90, ON 115, HX 202, ON 121, SC 98, ON 131, HX 210, ON 141, SC 109, ONS 152 prior to refit in January 1943.^[2] On 31 July 1942, Skeena recorded her first victory with when they depth charged and sank while escorting ON 115 at 49.9833°N -72°W.

Trans-Atlantic convoys escorted

Convoy	Escort Group	Dates	Notes
HX 141		30 July-6 Aug 1941^[3]	Newfoundland to Iceland
SC 42		2-17 Sept 1941^[4]	Newfoundland to Iceland
SC 54		12-22 Nov 1941	Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 40		30 Nov-4 Dec 1941^[5]	Iceland to Newfoundland
SC 63		5-10 Jan 1942	Newfoundland to Iceland
SC 79	MOEF group C3	19–27 April 1942	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 93	MOEF group C3	9–15 May 1942	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 191	MOEF group C3	28 May-5 June 1942	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 104	MOEF group C3	18–27 June 1942	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
SC 90	MOEF group C3	6–16 July 1942	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 115	MOEF group C3	25–31 July 1942	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 202	MOEF group C3	12-17 Aug 1942	Newfoundland to Iceland
ON 121	MOEF group C3	17-20 Aug 1942	Iceland to Newfoundland
SC 98	MOEF group C3	2-12 Sept 1942	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 131	MOEF group C3	19-28 Sept 1942	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 210	MOEF group C3	7-15 Oct 1942	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 141	MOEF group C3	26 Oct-2 Nov 1942	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
SC 109	MOEF group C3	16-25 Nov 1942	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 152	MOEF group C3	10-19 Dec 1942	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 233	MOEF group A3	12–20 April 1943	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 180	MOEF group C3	25 April-7 May 1943	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 238	MOEF group C3	13–20 May 1943	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 187		3–10 June 1943	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 244		20–29 June 1943	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 192		10–18 July 1943	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
HX 249		29 July-5 Aug 1943	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
HX 255		8-15 Sept 1943	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
HX 261		17-25 Oct 1943	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 210		7-17 Nov 1943	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
SC 147		23 Nov-3 Dec 1943	Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
ON 216		17-29 Dec 1943	Northern Ireland to Newfoundland

Grounding

Skeena was lost in a storm on the night of 24 October 1944. She was anchored off Reykjavík, Iceland and dragged her anchor and grounded in 50feet waves off Viðey Island with the loss of 15 crewmembers.

Her hulk was paid off and sold to Iceland interests in June 1945; she was then raised and broken up. Her propeller was salvaged and used in a memorial near the Viðey Island ferry terminal.^{[6] [7] [8]}

References

• Book: English, John. Amazon to Ivanhoe: British Standard Destroyers of the 1930s. 1993. World Ship Society. Kendal. 0-905617-64-9.
• Book: Friedman, Norman. British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, MD. 2009. 978-1-59114-081-8.
• Book: Lenton, H. T.. British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, MD. 1998. 1-55750-048-7.
• Book: March, Edgar J.. British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. 1966. Seeley Service. London . 164893555.
• Book: Rohwer, Jürgen. Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, MD. 2005. Third Revised. 1-59114-119-2.
• Book: Whitley, M. J.. Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Naval Institute Press. 1988. 0-87021-326-1. Annapolis, MD.
• Book: Winser, John de D.. B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk. World Ship Society. Gravesend. 1999. 0-905617-91-6.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Helgason . Guðmundur . HMS Cheshire (F 18) . Ships hit by U-boats . 9 January 2024.
2. North Atlantic Run, Marc Milner, 1985, Naval Institute Press
3. Web site: HX convoys. Andrew Hague Convoy Database. 2011-06-19.
4. Web site: SC convoys. Andrew Hague Convoy Database. 2011-06-19.
5. Web site: ON convoys. Andrew Hague Convoy Database. 2011-06-19.
6. http://www.cornwallismuseum.ca/Rememberthe24.html Remember the 24
7. http://www.lookoutnewspaper.com/archive/20060123/4.shtml Funds needed for HMCS Skeena memorial in Iceland Lookout, 23 Jan 2006
8. Web site: HMCS Skeena (D 59). uboat.net . 25 July 2014.