HMCS Fraser (H48)

HMCS "Fraser" (H48) was a "River"-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1937-1940.

She was laid down on 18 December 1930 at Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness and launched on 29 September 1931. She was commissioned as a sclass|C and D|destroyer into the Royal Navy as HMS|Crescent|H48 in 1932. She was decommissioned from the RN on 17 February 1937 and was commissioned into the RCN that same day as HMCS "Fraser" (H48).

World War II service

"Fraser" was assigned to convoy duty in the North Atlantic. On the night of 25 June 1940, "Fraser" was tasked to join the destroyer warship|HMCS|Restigouche|H00 and cruiser warship|HMS|Calcutta|D82 on a mission to the coast of Bordeaux, France where 4,000 refugees trapped by the German Army were awaiting rescue.

The warships encountered rough seas and poor visibility, forcing the commanding officer of the "Fraser" to close quarters with the other two vessels. "Fraser" executed a turn to port to bring the ship behind "Calcutta" but in doing so, the two ships collided with the bow of the heavier "Calcutta" slicing "Fraser" with such force that the destroyer was cut into three pieces.

The "Fraser" lost 45 crew along with 19 crew from "Calcutta". Many of the survivors from "Fraser" transferred that summer to crew aboard HMCS|Margaree|H49 and were lost when that vessel sank on 22 October 1940 as a result of a collision with the freighter "Port Fairy".

ee also

* List of shipwrecks in 1940

References and notes