Canadian destroyer Ottawa (HMCS Ottawa) anchored on September 5, 1942. This is most likely the last photograph of this warship, which was sunk 9 days later on September 14, 1942.
The Canadian Ottawa destroyer had the board number H60 and belonged to the C-class destroyers. She was built at the shipyards in Portsmund (Great Britain) for the Royal Navy of Great Britain as the HMS Crusader.
Ottawa destroyer construction began on September 12, 1930, launched on September 30, 1931, accepted into the Royal Navy on May 2, 1932.
In the summer of 1938, the Ottawa destroyer was sold to Canada for $ 817,500; accepted into the Royal Canadian Navy on June 15, 1938.
Ottawa destroyer, main characteristics: displacement – 1375 tons (standard), 1890 tons (full). Length – 100 m, width – 10 m, draft – 3.8 m. Power plant – 3 boilers, 2 Parsons turbines, 2 propellers; power – 36 thousand hp The maximum speed is 36 knots. Cruising range – 5870 miles at a speed of 15 knots. Crew – 145 people.
Ottawa destroyer, armament: four 120-mm cannons (4.7 inch QF Mark IX) in four turrets (two at the bow, two at the stern), one 76-mm anti-aircraft cannon (QF 3 inch 20 cwt), two quad mounts 12.7 -mm Vickers machine guns (Vickers .50), eight torpedo tubes, depth charges (up to 20 pieces). With the beginning of the war, the destroyer’s anti-aircraft and anti-submarine armament was strengthened – two 20-mm automatic anti-aircraft guns “Oerlikon” were added to replace one four-tube torpedo launcher, stock bombs.
From September to December 1939, the Ottawa destroyer escorted coastal convoys in Canadian waters. In November 1939 he crossed to Great Britain with a convoy carrying parts of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. In April 1940 she was damaged in a collision with the British tug Bansurf. It returned to Canada in June 1941.
The Ottawa destroyer participated in escorting Allied sea convoys: HX133, SC46, ON25, SC57, ON46, SC64, SC85, ON105, HX197, ON116, SC96 and ON127.
The Ottawa destroyer was sunk in the North Atlantic (47.55N, 43.27W) while escorting convoy ON127 at 2:05 am on September 14, 1942 by two torpedoes from the German submarine U-91 (VIIC) under the command of oberleutenant zur see Heinz Walkerling, (1915-2001 ). 114 Canadian sailors were killed, 67 were rescued.
Source: Alberta Maritime Museum.
Sources of information about the Ottawa destroyer photo:
1.www.navy.forces.gc.ca
2.uboat.net