HMCS Barrie

HMCS Barrie was a Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War.

Following the war, Barrie was sold to Argentinian commercial interests which converted the corvette to a cargo ship and renamed the vessel Gasestado.

In 1957, Gasestado was acquired by the Argentinian Navy and converted to a survey ship and renamed ARA Capitán Cánepa.

[4] Based on a traditional whaler-type design, the initial Canadian ships of the Flower class had a standard displacement of 950 long tons (970 t).

[3] The Royal Canadian Navy initially ordered 54 corvettes in 1940 and these were fitted with Mark II Oropesa minesweeping gear used for destroying contact mines.

Corvettes were first fitted with basic SW-1 and SW-2 CQ surface warning radar, notable for their fishbone-like antenna and reputation for failure in poor weather or in the dark.

The corvette left Sydney Force in September and joined the transatlantic convoy SC 43 en route to Iceland.

However, the ship left the convoy early due to defects and sailed for Belfast, Northern Ireland, for repairs.

[17] On 9 February 1942, the corvette rescued 38 survivors from the British merchant ship Empire Fusilier which had been torpedoed and sunk south east of St John's, Newfoundland by U-85.

Barrie's second refit began in mid-March 1944 at Thompson Brothers in Liverpool, Nova Scotia where her forecastle was extended.

After trials off Bermuda, the corvette joined HX 357 for the ship's last convoy mission, leaving New York City for Europe on 19 May 1945.

[14] For the vessel's service during the Second World War, Barrie was awarded the battle honours "Atlantic 1939–45" and "English Channel 1942".