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H . M . C
. S .
N I A G A R A ( I 5 7 )
Ex USS THATCHER (Type C NEWPORT Class) built by
Bethlehem Steel at Fore River. The ship was laid down
on 8th June 1918 and launched on 31st August
that year. Commissioned on 14th January 1919 for US Naval Service
this ship was deployed in the Pacific until 1922 when
she was laid up in Philadelphia. In 1940 she re-commissioned for US Navy use after refit but later transferred to
the Royal Navy under the UK/US Lend/Lease Agreement on 3rd September 1940. Commissioned on 24th September that
year this destroyer was selected for use
by the Royal Canadian Navy and renamed HMCS NIAGARA at Halifax. The name like those of the
other destroyers provided under this
Agreement was common to places in Britain or Canada and in the USA.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
None are recorded in the
Admiralty records but RCN Honours will be available in RCN records
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Similarly this will be held in
RCN records
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 0
September
24th Transferred at Halifax, manned by Canadian crew for
RCN service as HMCS NIAGARA.
(Note : Some sources suggest ship was
commissioned as HMCS THATCHER and that name was
late changed to HMCS NIAGARA after formal
announcement made of selected names.)
October Deployed for Local convoy escort duties at Halifax.
Nominated for refit in UK.
November Passage to Plymouth.
(Note : Ship may have been deployed as part of
escort for Atlantic convoy)
30th Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard Devonport.
December Under refit
1 9 4 1
January Under refit
to Nominated for service with 4th Escort Group for
convoy defence in Western Approaches
February Command pending formation of Newfoundland Escort Force
(NEF).
March Deployed with EG4 in Western Approaches.
to
April (Note : Work-up at Tobermory before operational
service to be confirmed.)
May Passage to St Johns, Newfoundland for service with
NEF on formation.
(Note : Ship may have been part of escort for
westbound convoy.)
June Deployed for convoy defence with NEF.
to
July
August
28th Deployed with HMS BURWELL and four trawlers in
support of passage of U570 to
Iceland after its surrender following air
attacks. See U-BOATS DESTROYED by
P Kemp and HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair. for
details.
September
15th Taken in hand for refit at Halifax.
October Under refit
November
15th On completion of post refit trials resumed service
with Western Escort Force.
December North Atlantic convoy escort in continuation.
1 9 4 2
January Deployed as escort in Atlantic.
12th Sustained structural damage in heavy weather.
(Note : One source records escort for vessel
identified as TRITON, but the full
description was not given. Both ships were
damaged.)
14th Taken in hand for repair at Clyde commercial
shipyard.
February
10th On completion of repair took passage to St Johns to
rejoin NEF
March Transferred to Western Local Escort Force for escort
duties
9th Rescued survivors from American mercantile
INDEPENDENCE HALL.
(Note; This ship was wrecked during passage as
part of Convoy SC73 on 7th)
April WLEF deployment in continuation.
Rescued survivors from mercantile RIO BLANCO
adrift in two boats.
May Under repair to Boilers at Halifax
to
July
August Resumed WLEF convoy escort deployment
to
December
1 9 4 3
January WLEF deployment in continuation.
to (Note : High incidence of defects needed dockyard
repair restricted ship
April availability.
May Transferred to Canadian Escort Group Unit W2
June Convoy escort with Unit W2 in continuation.
to (Note : Low operational availability restricting
deployments.)
December
1 9 4 4
January Ship under repair and future operational deployment
under consideration.
to (Note : This Class all experienced similar defects
including boilers problems
February due to inexperienced users and oil contamination due to
structural
weakness of shell plating. Crews were also
required for manning ships
being completed in Canada.)
March Withdrawn from operational use and nominated for use as
Torpedo Branch training
ship at Halifax.
April Torpedo Branch training use in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Torpedo Branch training duties in continuation.
to
August
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMCS NIAGARA was Paid-off and placed on
the Disposal List on 15th September 1945. She was sold to International Iron and Steel for
demolition on 27th May 1946 and taken in tow to Hamilton where she arrived at the Breaker’s Yard on 12th December
1947.
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