HMCS Clayoquot
Minesweeper · Canada · Lost 1944 · Nova Scotia & Sable Island
A Canadian minesweeper escorting a coastal convoy was torpedoed and sunk within minutes just outside Halifax harbour on Christmas Eve 1944.
The Vessel and Her Loss
HMCS Clayoquot was a Bangor-class minesweeper built at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and later based at Halifax. On 24 December 1944, while escorting convoy XB-139 near the Halifax approaches, she was struck by an acoustic torpedo from the German submarine U-806 and sank within about ten minutes. Eight of her 81-man crew were killed, including two officers trapped below decks. The loss came during a brief late-war U-boat offensive close to the Canadian coast.
Vessel
- 1940
- Pennant J174
- Prince Rupert Dry Dock and Shipyards Co.
- Prince Rupert, British Columbia
- Steel
- 180 ft
- 28 ft
- 672
- Vertical triple-expansion steam engine, twin screw
- Royal Canadian Navy
Loss
- December 24, 1944
- Enemy action
- Halifax approaches, about 3 miles from the Sambro lightvessel, Nova Scotia
- Atlantic Ocean, Halifax approaches
- Not established
- Not established
- 81
- 8
- Acting Lieutenant Commander A. C. Campbell, RCNVR
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- War grave
Position
- 44.42° N 63.33° W
- Approximate position
- Sambro, Halifax approaches
Position derived from the commonly cited loss coordinates of 44°25'N, 63°20'W, rounded.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (88/100)
uboat.net, Allied Warships: HMCS Clayoquot
Build details, loss position, and attack narrative.
McLean, Douglas M., 'A Loss of the HMCS Clayoquot,' Canadian Military History
Detailed narrative of the sinking and crew experience.
