All About K444

So by now you might be wondering what ‘K444’ (K-4-4-4 or K-Triple-4) is all about.

Here is the official story.

HMCS Matane was a River-class frigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named for Matane, Quebec.

Matane was originally ordered as Stormont in October 1941 as part of the 1942–1943 River-class building program. She was laid down on 23 December 1942 by Canadian Vickers Ltd. at Montreal, Quebec and launched 29 May 1943. Her name was changed to Matane in 1942. She was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy on 22 October 1943 at Montreal.

The name “frigate” was suggested by Vice-Admiral Percy Nelles of the Royal Canadian Navy and was adopted later that year.

Improvements over the corvette design included improved accommodation which was markedly better. The twin engines gave only three more knots of speed but extended the range of the ship to nearly double that of a corvette at 7,200 nautical miles (13,300 km) at 12 knots. Among other lessons applied to the design was an armament package better designed to combat U-boats including a twin 4-inch mount forward and 12-pounder aft. 15 Canadian frigates were initially fitted with a single 4-inch gun forward but with the exception of HMCS Valleyfield, they were all eventually upgraded to the double mount. For underwater targets, the River-class frigate was equipped with a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar and depth charge rails aft and four side-mounted throwers.

After working up in St. Margaret’s Bay and Pictou, Matane joined escort group EG 9 based out of Derry, being made Senior Officer’s Ship on arrival. She served mainly in the waters surrounding the United Kingdom thereafter. On 22 April 1944, she and HMCS Swansea sank U-311 by depth charge south west of Iceland. On 6 June 1944, Matane was one of eleven Canadian frigates assigned to the Invasion of Normandy.

While operating off Brest, Matane was hit by a German glider bomb launched by a Dornier Do 217 on 20 July 1944. Three of her crew were killed and the ship was badly damaged, losing propulsion. Matane was towed by HMCS Meon back to Plymouth. She was eventually brought to Dunstaffnage, Scotland to begin eight and half months repair, reappearing in April 1945. After working up at Tobermory, she escorted convoy JW 67 to North Russia. While en route, she was detached from the convoy to escort fourteen surrendered U-boats from Trondheim to Loch Eriboll.

After completing one round trip to Gibraltar escorting a convoy, Matane began her journey to Esquimalt via Derry and Halifax, arriving in July. She remained there until being paid off 11 February 1946. She was sold to Capital Iron & Metals Ltd. of Victoria, British Columbia in 1947 for stripping and her hulk was used as part of a breakwater at Oyster Bay, British Columbia.

Just south of our house at Oyster Bay was a long stretch of sand, protected from the southeasters by Bennett’s Point. This stretch of sand, known locally as ‘Iron River’, was a prime dumping ground for logs from the interior of The Island. For many years there was a large logging camp on the strand to the west of the Island Highway. In fact my parents lived there for some time early in their marriage, while my Father drove a gravel truck building logging roads deep into the interior of the Island. Today it is a housing development, like many ‘wilderness’ places of my youth.

As the official story tells after World War 2 Canada had a surplus of destroyers and frigates – no need for that kind of firepower in a time of peace. Many of these ships were sold off for scrap, including a couple that were scuttled to create a breakwater for Iron River dumping ground. One of these was HMCS Matane.

It was a sad end for her valiant service to Canada, especially after only 4 years to have her bottom blown out and sunk to form the end of a breakwater. To us children she was a rusting hulk in the bay with the large black identity badge on her bow – K444 and the backdrop to many of our adventures.