HMCS MOOSE JAW K164 - For Posterity's Sake

HMCS MOOSE JAW K164

Flower Class Corvette

HMCS MOOSE JAW K164

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Laid down: 12 Aug 1940

Launched: 09 Apr 1941

Commissioned: 19 Jun 1941

Paid off: 08 Jul 1945

Fate: Broken up in 1949

Built at Collingwood, she was commissioned at Montreal on 19 Jun 1941, and arrived at Halifax on 27 Jun 1941 for final fitting-out. After working up, she arrived at St. John's on 25 Aug 1941 to Join Newfoundland Command, and on 05 Sep 1941, sailed with CHAMBLY for exercises. The two were ordered to reinforce the beleaguered convoy SC.42, which lost 18 ships, and just before joining on 10 Sep 1941, they surprised and sank U 501 astern of the convoy. MOOSE JAW, which had rammed the U-boat, required ten days' repairs at Greenock, following which she arrived at Tobermory on 01 Oct 1941 to work up. For the next for months she operated between St. John's and Iceland, but in Jan 1942, she arrived at Londonderry from SC.64, the inaugural "Newfie-Derry" convoy. On 19 Feb 1942, she ran aground on the south entrance of St. John's harbour en route to join convoy HX 176, and although re-floated soon afterward proved to be holed and leaking in several places. Temporary repairs were carried out at St. John's from 20 Feb to 05 Mar 1942 and permanent repairs at Saint John, N.B., from 15 Mar to 25 Jun 1942. Briefly assigned to WLEF, she was detached in Sep 1942 for duties in connection with Operation "Torch", and made here passage to the U.K. with convoy SC.107, which lost 15 ships to U-boats. During the next five months MOOSE JAW was employed escorting U.K.-Mediterranean convoys, returning to Halifax on 19 Apr 1943 with convoy ONS.2. Refitted there, she joined Quebec Force at the end of May 1943 for escort duties in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, later transferring to Gaspé Force. She underwent a major refit, including fo'c's'le extension, at Liverpool, N.S., from 19 Dec 1943 to 23 Mar 1944. After working up in St. Margaret's Bay she left Halifax on 01 May 1944 for the U.K., to join Western Approaches Command, Greenock, for invasion duties. She served in the Channel until Sep 1944, when she joined EG 41, Plymouth, and escorted coastal convoys from her base at Milford Haven until the end of the war. She left for home in May 1945, was paid off at Sorel on 08 Jul 1944 and broken up at Hamilton in 1949.

U-Boats Sunk: U-501 sunk on 10 Sep 1941 by HMCS CHAMBLY K116 and HMCS MOOSE JAW K164 in position 62-50 N, 37-50 W

Photos and Documents Ship's company photos

HMCS MOOSE JAW and the sinking of U-501

Commanding Officers

Lt Frederic Ernest Grubb, RCN - 19 Jun 1941 - 08 Dec 1941

Lt Henry Drummond Campsie, RCNR - 09 Dec 1941 - 13 Feb 1942

Lt Lewis Dennis Quick, RCNR - 14 Feb 1942 - 29 Aug 1943

Lt J.E. Taylor, RCNVR - 30 Aug 1943 - 06 Oct 1943

Lt Lewis Dennis Quick, RCNR - 07 Oct 1943 - 03 Feb 1944

Lt Harold Brynjolfson, RCNVR - 13 Mar 1944 - 12 Oct 1944

Lt Alexander Harvey, RCNR - 13 Oct 1944 - 08 Jul 1945

In memory of those who have crossed the bar

They shall not be forgotten

Corkum, Maxwell F. L.

Grubb, Frederic E.

Inglis, John P.

Lancaster, Cullis S. J.

LeGresley, Kenneth B.

Former Crew Members

Bolduc, Joseph Lazariate, Cd (E), RCNR - 19 Jun 1941

Coryell, John Warren, SLt, RCNVR - 28 Jun 1943

Kohl, George Gordon Powis, Lt, RCNVR - 21 Feb 1944

Lawrence, Harold (Hal) Ernest Thomas, SLt, RCNVR - 19 Jun 1941

McKenzie, Kenneth Bennett, SLt, RCNVR - 16 Mar 1945

Morrow, Ian Bernard Buchanan, SLt, RCNR - 16 Jun 1942

Perry, Christopher Charles, Wt (E), RCNVR - 19 Mar 1944

Ritchie, Arthur Dudley, Lt, RCNVR - 31 Jan 1944

Ruddle-Browne, Herbert William, Mate, RCNR - 19 Jun 1941

Telfer, John William, Lt, RCNVR - 18 Jul 1944

Todd, John Maxwell, Lt, RCNVR - 08 Jun 1941 (Stand by) / 19 Jun 1941

Whalley, Leo William

Wood, Gerald Robert, Lt, RCNVR - 01 Apr 1944

Photos and Documents

The launching of HMCS MOOSE JAW K164 at the Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood, Ont. on 09 Apr 1941

Source: Flickr photo collection of Ron Bell

Letter by F.E. Grubb, CO of HMCS MOOSE JAW, on the sinking of U-501

Details on the action in which HMCS MOOSE JAW and HMCS Chambly (Flower Class Corvette - K116) sank U-501 off of Greenland on 10 September1941 can be found in Chapter seven of "The Canadian Naval Chronicle 1939-1945".

From HMCS MOOSE JAW at St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Captain (D) Newfoundland Force, November 6, 1941. (For the full text of this letter, see National Archives of Canada)

At about 2100 on 10th September, flares and star shell were sighted ahead on either bow. Hands went to action stations at 2130. At about 2200, CHAMBLY signalled that he was about to blow a depth charge, and altered course to port. At the time the two ships were in line abreast, MOOSE JAW to starboard. I altered course to port in a wide sweep to keep clear of CHAMBLY and to place myself to carry out a depth charge attack.

A few minutes later, I saw a submarine surface between CHAMBLY and ourselves, [and it] appeared to be stopped . The submarine made a series of “I’s” on a small lamp just abaft the conning tower. It got under weigh at this point, and I gave chase, opening fire with the 4-inch gun as soon as it was clear of CHAMBLY. The submarine appeared to be moving at about 13 knots. It attempted to place me dead astern, altering course to do so each time I tried to alter out of its wake. I ordered the 10-inch signal projector trained on it, disclosing the crew on the upper deck. They appeared to be so demoralized that ...I thought there might be some chance of capturing the submarine.

The next few minutes were spent in chase, the submarine attempting to get directly ahead of me, and I trying to keep on his quarter in case he fired torpedoes . I managed to go alongside the submarine, starboard side to, and called on her to surrender. To my surprise, I saw a man make a magnificent leap from the submarine’s deck into our waist, and the remainder of her crew move to do likewise. Not being prepared to repel boarders at that moment I sheered off. The submarine altered course across my bows and I rammed her, increasing to 185 revolutions to do so, and altering course to hit her forward diving rudders and thus prevent her submerging.

After the impact, she moved across my bows at reduced speed and I opened fire again. The crew jumped into the sea as soon as the first round went, and I ordered fire to be stopped. I subsequently learned that the shell had passed low enough over the conning tower to knock down the men who were standing thereon. The submarine was then on my port beam The man who I had seen jump aboard turned out to be the submarine’s commanding officer. He was badly shaken and when he was brought to me on the bridge appeared to be worried at the amount of light we were showing in order to pick up survivors. The total number of prisoners taken from U-501was three commissioned officers, two midshipmen, and 24 ratings. The commanding officer, Commander Hugo Forster, a man of 35, was born in Berlin. He was quiet and well mannered, and I saw no signs of Nazi influence. The executive officer, Lieutenant Werner Albring (age 26) was born in Wessel. I believe that if it had not been for the example of his commanding officer, he would have given trouble, as he appeared to be a Nazi type. The Second-Lieutenant, Lieutenant Hans Sittenfeld, age 24, born in Kiel, was in manners and attitude like his commanding officer.

As I neared the starboard wing of the convoy, star shell fired by a destroyer, whom I believe to have been SKEENA, passed close overhead. I switched on dim navigation lights until fire was ceased. The time was then approximately 2345.

The keenness and attention to duty of the three submarine detector operators was outstanding. The energy, initiative and professional knowledge shown by the senior S.D.O., E. Thomas, Ordinary Seaman, N-V13460, was particularly worthy of note.

I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient Servant.

F.E. Grubb, Lieutenant, R.C.N., Commanding Officer