Flower-class corvettes like Spikenard serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail-driven corvettes.[2][3][4] The "corvette" designation was created by the French as a class of small warships; the Royal Navy borrowed the term for a period but discontinued its use in 1877.[5] During the hurried preparations for war in the late 1930s, Winston Churchill reactivated the corvette class, needing a name for smaller ships used in an escort capacity, in this case based on a whaling ship design.[6] The generic name "flower" was used to designate the class of these ships, which – in the Royal Navy – were named after flowering plants.[7]
Construction
She originally ordered on 22 January 1940 by the Royal Navy as part of the 1939-1940 Flower-class program as HMS Spikenard (K198). Spikenard was laid down 24 February 1940 and launched later that year on 10 August. She was commissioned on 6 December 1940 in Quebec City, Quebec.[8][9] On 15 May 1941 she was one of ten corvettes loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy. She could be told apart from other Canadian Flowers by her lack of minesweeping gear and the siting of the after gun tub amidships.[10]
War service
Royal Navy
On 21 January 1941 she sailed with convoy HX 104 to get her final equipment at South Shields, Tyne in the United Kingdom. She was worked up at Tobermory and left on 10 June with convoy OB 332 as a full escort.[9]
Royal Canadian Navy
After commissioning in the RCN she was assigned as part of the Newfoundland Escort Force (NEF). From July 1941 to January 1942 Spikenard made three round-trips to the Mid-Ocean Meeting Point off Iceland escorting the vital trans-Atlantic convoys. On opening night (27 January 1942), Spikenard's commander, Lt-Cdr. H.F. Shadforth, hammered a six-inch spike into the floor of the Seagoing Officers Club, "The Crows' Nest" in St. John's, Newfoundland (better known as "Newfyjohn" during the War). After Spikenard was torpedoed and sunk two weeks later with the loss of all except eight of her crew, fellow NEF officers preserved the nail as "'Spikenard' his Spike". It still remains on display and the members of the Club hold a "Corvette Wake" commemorative dinner every year to remember Spikenard and her crew.[11]
Sinking
On the night of 10 February 1942, Spikenard was torpedoed by U-136[9] while escorting convoy SC 67. The torpedo struck Spikenard at virtually the same instant as another torpedo exploded against a nearby Norwegian tanker, M/S Heina. In the confusion of battle, the other escorts in the group believed that only the now blazing and illuminated tanker had been struck, and rescued her entire crew. Spikenard was not on fire and the other escorts did not realize she was hit and sinking.[12] The other escorts in the group had been caught up chasing contacts and did not realize that Spikenard was gone until she failed to answer repeated radio calls. Some escorts fell back and found only eight survivors. Spikenard's Commanding Officer had been the senior officer of the escort group.[11]
Notes
^"Battle Honours". Britain's Navy. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
^Ossian, Robert. "Complete List of Sailing Vessels". The Pirate King. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
^Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. (1978). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons & Warfare. Vol. 11. London: Phoebus. pp. 1137–1142.
^Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II. New Jersey: Random House. 1996. p. 68. ISBN0-517-67963-9.
^Blake, Nicholas; Lawrence, Richard (2005). The Illustrated Companion to Nelson's Navy. Stackpole Books. pp. 39–63. ISBN0-8117-3275-4.
^Chesneau, Roger; Gardiner, Robert (June 1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. Naval Institute Press. p. 62. ISBN0-87021-913-8.
^Milner, Marc (1985). North Atlantic Run. Naval Institute Press. pp. 117–119, 142–145, 158, 175–176, 226, 235, 285–291. ISBN0-87021-450-0.
^"HMCS Spikenard (K 198)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
^ abcMacpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910-1981 : a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. pp. 86, 157. ISBN0-00216-856-1.
^Macpherson, Ken; Milner, Marc (1993). Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy 1939-1945. St. Catharines: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN0-92027-783-7.
^ abGerman, Tony (1990). The Sea is at our Gates : The History of the Canadian Navy. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Inc. pp. 112. ISBN0-7710-3269-2.
^Schull, Joseph (1961). The Far Distant Ships (1961 Canadian Ministry of National Defence ed.). Ottawa, Canada: Queen's Printer, Canada. p. 101.
External links
HMCS Spikenard at the Arnold Hague Convoy Database
Hazegray. "Flower Class". Canadian Navy of Yesterday and Today. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Ready, Aye, Ready. "HMCS Spikenard". Retrieved 25 July 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
hmcs, spikenard, flower, class, corvette, that, served, with, royal, canadian, navy, during, second, world, served, primarily, battle, atlantic, convoy, escort, named, spikenard, flower, historyunited, kingdomnamespikenardnamesakespikenard, flowerordered22, ja. HMCS Spikenard was a Flower class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War She served primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort She was named for the Spikenard flower HMCS SpikenardHistoryUnited KingdomNameSpikenardNamesakeSpikenard flowerOrdered22 January 1940BuilderGeorge T Davie amp Sons Ltd LauzonLaid down24 February 1940Launched10 August 1940Commissioned6 December 1940Out of service15 May 1941 loaned to CanadaIdentificationPennant number K198FateLoaned to Canada 1941 sunk 1942CanadaNameSpikenardAcquiredLoaned from United KingdomCommissioned15 May 1941IdentificationPennant number K198Honours andawardsAtlantic 1941 42 1 FateSunk 10 February 1942General characteristicsClass and typeFlower class corvetteDisplacement950 long tons 970 t 1 060 short tons Length205 ft 62 48 m Beam33 ft 10 06 m Draught11 5 ft 3 51 m PropulsionSingle shaft 2 water tube boilers 1 4 cyl triple expansion steam engine 2 750 hp 2 050 kW Speed16 knots 29 6 km h Range3 450 nmi 6 390 km 3 970 mi at 12 kn 22 km h 14 mph Complement6 officers 79 enlistedSensors and processing systemsRadar SW1C or 2C later Sonar Type 123A later Type 127DVArmament1 BL 4 in 102 mm Mk IX single gun 2 50 cal machine gun twin 2 Lewis 303 cal mg twin 2 Mk II depth charge throwers 2 Depth charge rails with 40 depth charges Originally fitted with minesweeping gear later removed Contents 1 Background 2 Construction 3 War service 3 1 Royal Navy 3 2 Royal Canadian Navy 3 3 Sinking 4 Notes 5 External linksBackground EditMain article Flower class corvette Flower class corvettes like Spikenard serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail driven corvettes 2 3 4 The corvette designation was created by the French as a class of small warships the Royal Navy borrowed the term for a period but discontinued its use in 1877 5 During the hurried preparations for war in the late 1930s Winston Churchill reactivated the corvette class needing a name for smaller ships used in an escort capacity in this case based on a whaling ship design 6 The generic name flower was used to designate the class of these ships which in the Royal Navy were named after flowering plants 7 Construction EditShe originally ordered on 22 January 1940 by the Royal Navy as part of the 1939 1940 Flower class program as HMS Spikenard K198 Spikenard was laid down 24 February 1940 and launched later that year on 10 August She was commissioned on 6 December 1940 in Quebec City Quebec 8 9 On 15 May 1941 she was one of ten corvettes loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy She could be told apart from other Canadian Flowers by her lack of minesweeping gear and the siting of the after gun tub amidships 10 War service EditRoyal Navy Edit On 21 January 1941 she sailed with convoy HX 104 to get her final equipment at South Shields Tyne in the United Kingdom She was worked up at Tobermory and left on 10 June with convoy OB 332 as a full escort 9 Royal Canadian Navy Edit After commissioning in the RCN she was assigned as part of the Newfoundland Escort Force NEF From July 1941 to January 1942 Spikenard made three round trips to the Mid Ocean Meeting Point off Iceland escorting the vital trans Atlantic convoys On opening night 27 January 1942 Spikenard s commander Lt Cdr H F Shadforth hammered a six inch spike into the floor of the Seagoing Officers Club The Crows Nest in St John s Newfoundland better known as Newfyjohn during the War After Spikenard was torpedoed and sunk two weeks later with the loss of all except eight of her crew fellow NEF officers preserved the nail as Spikenard his Spike It still remains on display and the members of the Club hold a Corvette Wake commemorative dinner every year to remember Spikenard and her crew 11 Sinking Edit On the night of 10 February 1942 Spikenard was torpedoed by U 136 9 while escorting convoy SC 67 The torpedo struck Spikenard at virtually the same instant as another torpedo exploded against a nearby Norwegian tanker M S Heina In the confusion of battle the other escorts in the group believed that only the now blazing and illuminated tanker had been struck and rescued her entire crew Spikenard was not on fire and the other escorts did not realize she was hit and sinking 12 The other escorts in the group had been caught up chasing contacts and did not realize that Spikenard was gone until she failed to answer repeated radio calls Some escorts fell back and found only eight survivors Spikenard s Commanding Officer had been the senior officer of the escort group 11 Notes Edit Battle Honours Britain s Navy Retrieved 18 September 2013 Ossian Robert Complete List of Sailing Vessels The Pirate King Retrieved 13 April 2011 Fitzsimons Bernard ed 1978 The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons amp Warfare Vol 11 London Phoebus pp 1137 1142 Jane s Fighting Ships of World War II New Jersey Random House 1996 p 68 ISBN 0 517 67963 9 Blake Nicholas Lawrence Richard 2005 The Illustrated Companion to Nelson s Navy Stackpole Books pp 39 63 ISBN 0 8117 3275 4 Chesneau Roger Gardiner Robert June 1980 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1922 1946 Naval Institute Press p 62 ISBN 0 87021 913 8 Milner Marc 1985 North Atlantic Run Naval Institute Press pp 117 119 142 145 158 175 176 226 235 285 291 ISBN 0 87021 450 0 HMCS Spikenard K 198 Uboat net Retrieved 28 July 2013 a b c Macpherson Ken Burgess John 1981 The ships of Canada s naval forces 1910 1981 a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships Toronto Collins pp 86 157 ISBN 0 00216 856 1 Macpherson Ken Milner Marc 1993 Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy 1939 1945 St Catharines Vanwell Publishing ISBN 0 92027 783 7 a b German Tony 1990 The Sea is at our Gates The History of the Canadian Navy Toronto McClelland and Stewart Inc pp 112 ISBN 0 7710 3269 2 Schull Joseph 1961 The Far Distant Ships 1961 Canadian Ministry of National Defence ed Ottawa Canada Queen s Printer Canada p 101 External links EditHMCS Spikenard at the Arnold Hague Convoy Database Hazegray Flower Class Canadian Navy of Yesterday and Today Retrieved 25 July 2013 Ready Aye Ready HMCS Spikenard Retrieved 25 July 2013 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Coordinates 50 10 N 21 07 W 50 167 N 21 117 W 50 167 21 117 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMCS Spikenard amp oldid 1135641369, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
