HMCS Nipigon (J154)

A British design, the Bangor-class minesweepers were smaller than the preceding {{sclass|Halcyon|minesweeper|1}}s in British service, but larger than the {{sclass|Fundy|minesweeper|4}} in Canadian service.Chesneau, p. 64Macpherson and Barrie, p. 167 They came in two versions powered by different engines; those with a diesel engines and those with vertical triple-expansion steam engines. Nipigon was of the latter design and was larger than her diesel-engined cousins. Nipigon was {{convert|180|ft|m|1}} long overall, had a beam of {{convert|28|ft|6|in|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|9|ft|9|in|m|1}}. The minesweeper had a displacement of {{convert|672|LT|t}}. She had a complement of 6 officers and 77 enlisted.

Nipigon had two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of {{convert|2400|ihp|lk=in}} and gave a maximum speed of {{convert|16.5|kn|lk=in}}. The minesweeper could carry a maximum of {{convert|150|LT|t|0}} of fuel oil.

Nipigon was armed with a single quick-firing (QF) QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII mounted forward.{{efn|name=gun nomenclature}} For anti-aircraft purposes, the minesweeper was equipped with one QF 2-pounder Mark VIII and two single-mounted QF 20 mm Oerlikon guns. As a convoy escort, Chedabucto was deployed with 40 depth charges.

Nipigon was ordered as part of the 1939–1940 building programme. The minesweeper's keel was laid down on 4 July 1940 by Dufferin Shipbuilding Co. at Toronto and the ship was launched on 1 October later that year. She was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy on 11 August 1941 at Toronto with the pennant number J154.Macpherson and Barrie, p. 173

After commissioning, Nipigon was assigned to Sydney Force beginning in October 1941. She remained with this unit until 17 January 1942. She then spent periods of service with the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF), Halifax Force and Newfoundland Force. In June 1943, when WLEF divided its escorts into groups, the ship was assigned to EG W-1 as a convoy escort.

In early 1944, Nipigon underwent a refit, beginning at Lunenburg and completed at Liverpool. After completing workups, she was assigned to Halifax Force again until it was disbanded in 1945. She then performed various duties along the Atlantic coast until paid off at Sydney on 13 October 1945. She was laid up at Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

Following the war, Nipigon was placed in strategic reserve at Sorel, Quebec in 1946. She was reacquired by the Royal Canadian Navy in 1952 and refitted in preparation for active duty. The minesweeper was given the new pennant number 188, however she was never recommissioned. In 1953, Nipigon was re-rated as a coastal escort.Gardiner and Chumbley, p. 475 She was sold to the Turkish Naval Forces on 29 November 1957 and renamed Bafra. The vessel sailed to Turkey on 19 May 1958. She served until 1972 when her registry was deleted.Colledge, p. 444 The ship was broken up in Turkey in 1972.{{csr|register=MSI|id=6112164|shipname=Nipigon|accessdate=5 August 2016}}

• List of ships of the Canadian Navy

{{notes

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{{efn

| name = gun nomenclature

| The 40 caliber denotes the length of the gun. This means that the length of the gun barrel is 40 times the bore diameter.

}}

}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |editor-last=Chesneau |editor-first=Roger |date=1980 |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=Greenwich, UK |isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
• {{Cite Colledge2006}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Gardiner |editor-first=Robert |editor-last2=Chumbley |editor-first2=Stephen |editor-last3=Budzbon |editor-first3=Przemysław |date=1995 |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-132-7}}
• {{cite book |last=Macpherson |first=Ken |last2=Barrie |first2=Ron |date=2002 |title=The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 |edition=Third |publisher=Vanwell Publishing |location=St. Catharines, Ontario |isbn=1-55125-072-1}}

• [http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/canada/ww2/bangor/ Haze Gray and Underway]
• [http://www.readyayeready.com/cgi-bin/query/display.pl?index=1286 ReadyAyeReady.com]

{{Bangor class minesweeper}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nipigon (J154)}}

Category:Bangor-class minesweepers of the Royal Canadian Navy

Category:Ships built in Toronto

Category:1940 ships

Category:World War II minesweepers of Canada