On April 16, 1945, just three weeks before the end of the European Theatre of the Second World War, a German U-boat sank His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Esquimalt just off the coast of Halifax. It was the last Canadian ship to be lost in the war.
Wednesday, April 16, members of the Royal Canadian Navy, along with veterans and local community members, gathered at Memorial Park in Esquimalt to commemorate the ship that shares township's namesake.
"Ships have been named in history after everything from victories to heroes and figures of myth. But a unique bond is formed when a vessel becomes synonymous with a town or a city, especially one as awesome as Esquimalt," said Capt. Kevin Whiteside, commander of Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt.
While on anti-submarine patrol in the approaches to Halifax Harbour, HMCS Esquimalt was torpedoed and sunk just five miles off Chebucto Head, with the loss of 44 of the ship’s company.
"It took four minutes for the warship to sink. Four minutes. It took six hours to rescue what remained of the ship's company from their grim vantage on or in the frigid waters of the Atlantic," said Whiteside. "They could see the lights of Halifax in the distance. Just picture that. For 16 of them, their fate, their sacrifice, would be one of the cruelest imaginable for a sailor."
According to the Naval Association of Canada, of the 24 Canadian ships lost, 11 went down in Canadian national waters. Some in the St. Lawrence River just a few hours drive from Quebec City.
Victory in Europe and the longest battle of the Second World War, the Battle of the Atlantic, will be commemorated at the B.C. Legislature grounds on Sunday, May 4, which is also the 115th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy.
