Original Escort Group

River-class Destroyer - Original; 'C' Class
1,375 tons - 100.3 x 10.0 x 3.0 meters (329 x 33 x 10 feet) 
Crew: 171  - Propulsion: 31 knots 
Armament: 4 4.7" single, 2 2 Pdr guns, 8 21" TT

HMCS St. Laurent, T-83 *

(photo courtesy of Ron Tovey)
1931/09/29 - Built as HMS Cygnet, by Vickers Armstrong at Barrow.
Purchased by RCN. Scrapped in 1947.

Voyage: Commanded by A/Cdr. G.S. Windeyer, RCN
SOE (Senior Officer Escort).
Undergoing repairs. Joined the convoy off Ireland on December 20 (nineteen hours late).
St. Laurent and corvettes Battleford, Chilliwack, Napanee sank U-356 on December 27 with depth charges .
By Dec. 29, the SOE in St. Laurent, Lieutenant-Commander Guy Windeyer was exhausted and broke down.
The destroyer left the convoy on January 1, 1943 (short of fuel) to proceed to St. John's, Nfld.

See also uboat.net

CORVETTES

They were never intended to spend two, three weeks on end in the open North Atlantic. They were wretched to live in. Fresh food, bread and milk were gone in a few days and the mess-decks, where the sailors lived, ate and slept (when they could), were terribly overcrowded, more so when crew size grew to man new equipment. Sea water always found its way in; condensation dripped from the deck-head; bedding and clothing were always wet and no one changed clothes for fear of being caught at a disadvantage if a torpedo struck. The stench of unwashed bodies, vomit and oil that seeped from fuel tanks was everywhere. It was bitter cold and wet up top and no steam heat below. The men were constantly hanging on to things because the ships regularly slammed into rough seas, shuddered and heaved. There was endless noise and the men were exhausted, hungry and sick.

The "funnel watch"--those men who never overcame seasickness or had too deep a dread of a torpedo or a collision to sleep below--wedged themselves behind the funnel or smokestack on the open deck. Indeed, the definition of hell was a corvette in North Atlantic winter.

Each group was supposed to have 12 harbor days in each cycle for cleaning ship, maintenance, storing, training and rest. Most got a scant four days alongside for 26 at sea.

Legion Magazine, May/June 1998

Flower-class Corvettes
950 tons - 62.5 x 10.0 x 3.5 meters (205 x 33 x 11.5 feet) 
Crew: 85  - Propulsion: 16 knots
Armament: 1 4" BL Mk.IX single, 2 .50 cal mg twin, 2 Lewis .303 cal mg twin,
2 Mk.II depth charge throwers, 2 depth charge rails, 40 depth charges.

HMCS Battleford (K165)

(courtesy of Ron Tovey)

1941/04: Built - 1946: Sold. Libertad (Venezuelan Govt.) 1945-1949

Voyage: Commanded by Lt. F.A. Beck, RCNVR
Part of original convoy escort - see battle details and also uboat.net
U-356 was sunk by depth charges from the Battleford, Chilliwack, Napanee, and St. Laurent.
Left convoy shortly after midnight (Dec 29/30) for Azores to refuel.
Towed the Shediac for the last 40 miles.
Rejoined convoy; searched for survivors.

HMCS Chilliwack (K-131) *

Photograph from the collection of Wilson Reginald McMurdo, a member of the crew
(supplied by his son, Scott McMurdo)

1943: Built - 1945/10: Sold.

Voyage: Commanded by A/Lt.Cdr. L.L. Foxall
Part of original convoy escort - see battle details and also uboat.net
U-356 was sunk by depth charges from the Battleford, Chilliwack, Napanee, and St. Laurent.

For more photos

HMCS Kenogami K-125

(courtesy of Ron Tovey)

1940/09/05: Built Port Arthur (Canada).- 1950: Scrapped.

Voyage: Part of original convoy escort - see battle details and also uboat.net
Remained with the convoy until January 1

HMCS Napanee, K118

Photograph from the collection of Gordon Lindsey, crew member in December 1942
(supplied by his nephew, Glenn Lindsey)

Voyage: Commanded by Lt. S. Henderson
Part of original convoy escort - see battle details and also uboat.net
U-356 was sunk by depth charges from the Battleford, Chilliwack, Napanee, and St. Laurent.

HMCS Shediac K110

1941/04: Built  - sold mercantile; Joost W. Vinke 1954-1965

Voyage: Left convoy shortly after midnight (Dec 29/30) for Azores to refuel, and had to be towed
the last 40 miles by Battleford. Rejoined convoy; searched for survivors.
See also uboat.net

Rescue Ship
Ships for convoy rescue work were requisitioned mainly from companies engaged
in coastal work around Britain. They carried special equipment, including rescue boats
and rafts; boom with nets; and medical facilities.

RS Toward

(courtesy of Ron Tovey)

Clyde Shipping Company.
1941/01: Became operational as a Rescue Ship
1943/01/15: Arrived in Halifax with 164 survivors from ONS154 on board
1943/02: Torpedoed in convoy SC-118 by U-402

During her service as a rescue ship, the Toward escorted 45 convoys and rescued 341 survivors.
See also uboat.net