HMCS STETTLER K681 / 311

River Class / Prestonian Class Frigate

HMCS STETTLER ship's history - 1st Commission - written by D. G. King, LCdr, RCN, 1st Commanding Officer, HMCS STETTLER K681, 10th January 1946, Halifax, NS.

HMCS STETTLER was launched at the yards of Canadian Vickers Limited, Montreal, on 10th September, 1943, the christening ceremony being performed by Mrs. D. W. Ambridge, wife of the Director General Naval Shipbuilding Branch of the Department of Munitions and Supply.  The ship was commissioned at Montreal on 7th May, 1944, and a few days later left for Quebec City, where minor adjustments were made to engines and equipment, and she was completed with stores and ammunition.  On 26th May, 1944, she sailed from Quebec City for Halifax, in company with two other newly completed frigates, HMCS Ships TORONTO and MAGOG, the latter also a Vickers' ship.  The passage proved uneventful, and STETTLER made her initial entry into Halifax Harbour on 28th May, 1944, passing through the Gates at 0635.

During the ensuing three weeks, in Halifax, dockyard mateys and various naval specialists swarmed over the ship, adjusting this and that, fitting more "hush-hush" gear.  Her newly formed crew, in the meanwhile, were daily receiving hours of Gun Drill, Depth Charge Drill, Signal Exercises, in preparation forthe working-up programme, shortly to be carried out in Bermuda.

At 1300 on 16th June 1944, STETTLER shipped from Jetty Zero, Halifax, and proceeded to New York, where certain trials were to be made.  STETTLER was routed via Cape Cod Canal, and reached New York City by the City Island entrance, early in the morning of 18th June, securing alongside Pier 9, Staten Island at 0125.

STETTLER departed from New York City, at 1315, 23rd June, 1944, arriving at Grassy Bay, Bermuda, at 1400 on 25th June.  For nearly a month, the ship was put through her paces - low-angle and AA shoots, anti-submarine exercises, fleet manoeurvers, and a hundred-and-one evolutions all designed to bring the ship to the highest possible state of fighting efficiency.  Finally, on 20th July, STETTLER successfully passed inspection by the Training Captain of the base, and the following day sailed for Halifax, N.S., in company with HMC Ships SPRINGHILL, CHARLOTTETOWN, MAGOG and LONGUEUIL.

Nothing of interest occurred during this passage and the group entered Halifax on 23rd Jul, 1944, STETTLER securing to Jetty 4 in the Dockyard at 2011.

As very often happens with a new ship, engine trouble developed, and it was not until 17th August, that STETTLER finally proceeded on her first operational duty, as a member of Escort Group 16.

This Group was newly formed, and consisted of six recently commissioned frigates, HMS Ships SPRINGHILL (Senior Officer), ORKNEY, STETTLER, CHARLOTTETOWN, TORONTO and MAGOG.  Hopes ran high in the Group when it was rumoured that it was destined for immediate overseas service, but as the Hun was again make his presence felt on the Atlantic Seaboard, EG 16 was retained on the Canadian side.

A Group such as EG 16, is known as a "support group" and rarely takes over the duty of "close escort" of a convoy.  Instead, it is despatched from one convoy to another, supporting it - as the name implies - through particularly dangerous areas.  It may also be sent on offensive sweeps through an area where the enemy is suspected, or perhaps ordered to proceed with all despatch to track down a U-boat sighted by an aircraft, or otherwise located in a certain position.  Such was STETTLER'S work for a number of months.  Anywhere and everywhere, from Father Point far up the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to Sable Island; from Halifax to 35° West.  Searching, supporting searching.  Long stretches at sea, a dash in to port for fuel, and to replenish with stores and ammunition, and away again.

However, it was on the Group's maiden voyage that the first near brush with the enemy occurred.  On 20th August, 1944, a signal was received from C. in C.C.N.A. , ordering the Group to rendezvous in a position not far from Sable Island, with the United States Group 22.3, which the day before had detected a submarine and was then searching the area.  Unluckily for EG 16, shortly before their arrival, an aircraft for the carrier attached to the U.S. Group, detected the U-boat and STETTLER arrived on scene just after the coup de grace had been administered by 22.3.  It was a most heartening sight, and it was accepted as a good omen for the future.

It was not until 14th September, 1944, that the presence of the enemy was again definitely established.  The Group was sweeping up the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a few miles below Pointe des Monts, when at 1102 that day, STETTLER obtained an underwater contact, which was classified as a "possible submarine".  The ship immediately commenced an attack, but a moment later, there was a terrific explosion, and a huge column of water mushroomed into the air, about thirty yards astern of STETTLER.  Apparently an acoustic torpedo had been fired by the U-boat, and luckily was defective, exploding astern, instead of under STETTLER.  Fortunately no serious damage was done to STETTLER, although contact was temporarily lost.  However, this was regained in a few minutes, and several attacks were carried out by STETTLER, and other ships of the Group.  Unfortunately, detecting conditions were very poor, and contact was finally completely lost, with no definite results being obtained.

It was exactly a month later, and curiously enough, again n the vicinity of Pointe des Monts, that the enemy made his presence known.  EG 16 had just joined a small convoy.  The weather was fine and clear, and the water flat as the proverbial mill-pond.  The ships of the Group were taking up their positions on the screen, when HMCS MAGOG, who was about a mile and a half distant on the starboard quarter of STETTLER, was struck in the stern by a torpedo.  STETTLER swept back toward MAGOG, and shortly picked up a contact.  This was attached a number of times, but without visible results.  Submarine detecting in the St. Lawrence is extremely difficult, owing to local conditions, and numerous doubtful contacts were attacked that day, by all ships of the Group but with no evidence forthcoming that any were successful.  Happily, MAGOG remained afloat, although minus her stern, and was eventually towed to Quebec City.  She was fortunate in having only half a dozen casualties.

So passed the autumn and winter.  The presence of the enemy was suspected on many occasions, and numerous contacts obtained and attached, and although no "kills" were made by the Group, there is no doubt that many an impending attack on a convoy was frustrated by prompt depth-charging of contacts.  Toward the latter part of February, 1945, the "powers that be" decided that EG had earned a change of scenery, and on 7th March, to the Group's unbounded joy, they were sailed for Londonderry, Northern Ireland.  EG 16 now consisted of HMC Ships SPRINGHILL (with Commander N. C. Halliday, RCNR as Senior Officer), KIRKLAND LAKE (Lieutenant-Commander N. V. Clark, RCNR), STETTLER (Lieutenant-Commander (n) D. G. King, RCNVR), CHARLOTTETOWN (Lieutenant-Commander John Harding, RCNR), and ANTIGONISH (Lieutenant-Commander Raiffe D. Barrett, RCNR).  The passage to Londonderry proved fairly uneventful, and the Group entered Lough Foyle late in the afternoon of the 19th March, 1945.

In the winter of 1944-45, the Hun had changed his tactics on both sides of the Atlantic, as far as U-boat warfare was concerned.  He had failed to break the Atlantic lifeline, and had suffered many losses in the attempt.  He now tried out an all-out inshore offensive, both around the British Isles, and along the Atlantic seaboard of North America.  The campaign was greatly assisted by the new secret weapon - the Schnorkel - which was a simple but very effective submarine breathing apparatus, which enabled a U-boat to remain submerged for long periods.  He had also discovered that detection of a submarine in close waters was difficult, especially in shallows, where wrecks abounded.  Here a U-boat simply bottomed, in the hope that he would be undetected, or mistaken for a wreck.  However, the coasts of the British Isles were swarming with Support Groups similar to EG 16, both of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Navy, and although Admiral Doenitz and his undersea fleet realized some successes, their losses were heavy.

The Group worked everywhere, from Lock Alsh on the north west coast of Scotland, through the Irish Sea, and the English Channel, to the Straits of Dover, and down to Gibraltar; searching, supporting, searching.  Literally hundreds of contacts were obtained and attacked, but non produced conclusive evidence of a kill.  Many of these would eventually prove to be wrecks, after investigation, but the policy when a contact is gained whilst screening a convoy is to attack first, and investigate afterwards.  many an attack on a convoy has thus been frustrated, and although the U-boat may not have been damaged, the primary purpose of the escorting ships has been achieved - "The safe and timely arrival of the Convoy."

On VE-Day, EG 16 was screening a fast troop convoy from Liverpool to Gibraltar, arriving in Gib on the 11th May.  The first two surrendered U-boats also arrived in Gibraltar that day, escorted by an aircraft and a sloop of the Royal Navy.  The Group escorted three more troop convoys between the British Isles and Gibraltar, for although the war with Germany was officially over, it was necessary to protect these convoy until all U-boats had been accounted for.  EG 16 had the distinction of escorting the very last convoy of the war in Europe, MKF45 as it was designated, which left Gibraltar for Great Britain on 4th June 1945.  After seeing this convoy safely to its destination, EG 16 proceeded to Londonderry, arriving early in the morning of the 9th June.  Here the Group remained until 16th June, sailing on that day for Greenock to pick up passengers for Canada, in the form of Naval Personnel.  The Group departed from Greenock the following day - the last Canadian Escort Group to leave the "other side".  Apart from some rather disagreeable weather encountered the first three days, the voyage back to Canada was uneventful, and the Group arrived in Halifax on 24th June, STETTLER securing to Jetty Zero at 1239.

STETTLER lay in Halifax until 10th July, 1945, when she was sent on a cruise to Bermuda to shake down her new crew; the Pacific Volunteers having been sent on leave, and a number of the old hands being demobilized.  The 12th and 13th July were spent in Bermuda, and STETTLER sailed from St. Georges Harbour at 0604 on the 14th, arriving in Halifax on the 16th at 0800.

On 20th July, STETTLER sailed from Halifax for Shelburne, NS, where she was to be refitted for the Pacific War, arriving at 0800 the following day.  Shortly after VJ-Day the refit was stopped and STETTLER was declared surplus.  She left Shelburne on the 13th September, arriving the following day in Halifax, where she lay for some weeks.  She eventually went to Sydney, NS where she was de-stored.  She left Sydney on 2nd November, arriving in Shelburne the following day.  Here she was "winterized" and was paid-off on 8 November 1945, eighteen months and one day after she was commissioned.

In her year and a half in commission, HMCS STETTLER travelled 60, 128 nautical miles, of which 31,073 miles were steamed between 1st January, 1945, and 30th June, 1945.

It is interesting to note that STETTLER had the highest percentage of volunteers for the Pacific Campaign in any frigate which served overseas, 101 officers and men out of 153, volunteering, to give a percentage of 66.

2nd Commission:

Photos and Documents

HMCS STETTLER K681

(STL001) Postcard of HMCS STETTLER K681  //  From the collection of William (Bill) Carey  //  Courtesy of William (Bill) Carey / Jeff Tripp

(STL002) HMCS STETTLER K681 Second World War jacket patch  //  It is not known if this was based on an unofficial ship's badge or if it was a unique design for a jacket patch  //  Courtesy of Brent Walker

(STL003) HMCS STETTLER K681 silk scarf  //  From the collection of Warren Holmberg  //  Courtesy of Ron Holmberg

(STR001) HMCS STETTLER 311 alongside HMCS Ontario circa 1957-1958  //  From the collection of Steve Hlasny  //  Courtesy of Steve Hlasny

(STR002) HMCS STETTLER 311 - undated

(STR003)HMCS STETTLER 311 - 1965  //  Courtesy of Hugh Muir