Bay-class minesweeper

The Bay-class minesweepers, also known as the ''Gaspé''-class minesweepers, were a class of minesweepers operated by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Forces (CF) during the Cold War. Their design was similar to the British s.

The class derives its name from bays in Canada and was designed by the RCN as a replacement for Second World War-era minesweepers. Fourteen were laid down in 1951–1952, however six were subsequently transferred to the French Navy in 1954. These ships were replaced by six of the same name in 1956–1957 but were assigned new pennant numbers.

They were reclassed in Canadian Forces service as patrol escorts in 1972 and six vessels remained in service until the late 1990s, providing coastal surveillance and shiphandling experience for junior officers with Maritime Forces Pacific.

Design and description

The class was designed with mahogany wood planking overlaying an aluminum frame and decks. Vessels of the Bay class had a standard displacement of and at deep load. They were long overall and between perpendiculars, with a beam of and a draught of max. They had a complement of 40.

The minesweepers were powered by two GM 12-cylinder diesel engines turning two shafts, creating . This gave the Bay class a maximum speed of . They carried 52 tons of oil. The ships were armed with one 40 mm/60 caliber Mk 7 gun.

Ships

Service history

Canadian service

Four vessels of the class were ordered in September 1949, followed by a further 10 in 1951 to replace the Second World War-era minesweepers. The second group of new construction was a result of Canada's entry into the Korean War. Initially ascribed the classification MCA they changed to MCB in 1954. In 1954, six ships, ''Chaleur'', ''Chignecto'', ''Cowichan'', ''Fundy'', ''Miramachi'', and ''Thunder'' were transferred to the French Navy under the Mutual Aid Agreement of NATO due to a shortage of the type in allied navies. ''Chignecto'', ''Cowichan'', ''Fundy'' and ''Thunder'' were transferred on 7 April at Halifax, Nova Scotia with ''Chaleur'' and ''Miramichi'' on 9 October. Their names were reused for later vessels of the class. In 1958, four more, ''Comox'', ''Gaspé'', ''Trinity'' and ''Ungava'', were transferred to the Turkish Navy.

''Chaleur'', ''Fundy'', ''Quinte'' and ''Thunder'' formed the First Minesweeping Squadron in 1960. In October 1960, ''Fundy'', ''Thunder'', ''Chaleur'', ''Chignecto'', ''Resolute'' and ''Quinte'' took part in the NATO naval exercise Sweep Clear V off Shelburne, Nova Scotia. The Second Minesweeping Squadron, comprising ''Fortune'', ''Miramichi'', ''Cowichan'' and ''James Bay'' made a port visit at Stockton, California in June 1960 before transiting into the Pacific. In May–June 1961, the First Canadian Minesweeping Squadron, composed of ''Chaleur'', ''Chignecto'', ''Fundy'', ''Quinte'', ''Resolute'' and ''Thunder'', performed a tour of the Great Lakes, making several port visits.

In an effort to free up funding in the early 1960s for other capital projects, the remaining ten were placed in reserve. Four more of the class, ''Resolute'', ''Quinte'', ''James Bay'' and ''Fortune'' were paid off in 1964 and sold to commercial interests. ''Fortune'' was renamed ''Greenpeace Two'' and was used in an attempt to stop nuclear testing in the Aleutian Islands in 1971. In 1972, the six that remained were re-designated small patrol escorts with the classification PFL. In 1979 they were designated training ships with the classification PB. By 1980, they were part of the West Coast Training Squadron and they served with Training Group Pacific in the 1990s. They were discarded in the late 1990s with the second ''Chignecto'' the last to be paid off on 19 December 1998. In Canadian service they were replaced first by until the new s were ready.

French naval service

In 1954 six ships were transferred to the French Navy and renamed ''Le Dieppoise'' (M 730), ''La Bayonnaise'' (M 728), ''La Malouine'' (M 727), ''La Dunkerquoise'' (M 726), ''La Lorientaise'' (M 731) and ''La Paimpolaise'' (M 729) respectively. The six vessels were transferred under the Mutual Defense Program. In the 1960s the six were modified for use as colonial patrol boats. Their minesweeping gear was removed and air conditioning installed. Their hull identification was changed to P 655, P 654, P 651, P 653, P 652, and P 657 respectively.

''La Bayonnaise'' was stricken in 1976, followed by ''La Malouine'' in 1977. The remaining four were stationed in the Pacific until the 1980s when they were replaced by Super Patra-class patrol craft. In 1986 ''La Lorientaise'' and ''La Dunkerquoise'' were discarded and ''La Dieppoise'' and ''La Paimpolaise'' followed a year later.

Turkish naval service

In 1958, four Bay class were transferred to the Turkish Navy and renamed ''Tirebolu'', '' Trabzon'', ''Terme'' and ''Tekirdag'' respectively. They were transferred under NATO mutual aid.

References

Citations

Sources

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External links

Bay class
– ''hazegray.org''

{{Bay class minesweeper

Mine warfare vessel classes

Ship classes of the French Navy