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HMCS Mayflower, circa 1942
History
United Kingdom
Name	Mayflower
Namesake	Maianthemum canadense
Ordered	20 January 1940
Builder	Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal
Laid down	20 February 1940
Launched	3 July 1940
Commissioned	28 November 1940
Out of service	15 May 1941 - loaned to Canada
Identification	Pennant number: K191
Fate	Loaned to Canada 1941; returned 1945; scrapped 1949
Canada
Name	Mayflower
Acquired	Loaned from Royal Navy
Commissioned	15 May 1941
Out of service	31 May 1945
Identification	Pennant number: K191
Honours and awards	Atlantic 1941-43; Normandy 1944; English Channel 1945
Fate	Returned to the Royal Navy 31 May 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	Flower-class corvette (original)
Displacement	925 long tons (940 t; 1,036 short tons)
Length	205 ft (62.48 m)o/a
Beam	33 ft (10.06 m)
Draught	11.5 ft (3.51 m)
Propulsion	single shaft 2 × fire tube Scotch boilers 1 × 4-cycle triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Speed	16 knots (29.6 km/h)
Range	3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement	85
Sensors and processing systems	1 × SW1C or 2C radar 1 × Type 123A or Type 127DV sonar
Armament	1 × BL 4 in (102 mm) Mk.IX single gun 2 × .50 cal machine gun (twin) 2 × Lewis .303 cal machine gun (twin) 2 × Mk.II depth charge throwers 2 × Depth charge rails with 40 depth charges originally fitted with minesweeping gear, later removed

HMCS Mayflower was a Flower-class corvette that served mainly in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War but began her service with the Royal Navy. She saw action primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as an ocean escort. She was named after the flowering plant Maianthemum canadense.

Background

Flower-class corvettes like Mayflower serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail-driven corvettes. The "corvette" designation was created by the French as a class of small warships; the Royal Navy borrowed the term for a period but discontinued its use in 1877. During the hurried preparations for war in the late 1930s, Winston Churchill reactivated the corvette class, needing a name for smaller ships used in an escort capacity, in this case based on a whaling ship design. The generic name "flower" was used to designate the class of these ships, which – in the Royal Navy – were named after flowering plants.

Construction

Mayflower was ordered 20 January 1940 for the Royal Navy as part of the 1939-1940 Flower-class building program. She was laid down on 20 February 1940 by Canadian Vickers Ltd. at Montreal and was launched on 3 July 1940. She was commissioned on 28 November 1940 and sailed to the United Kingdom in February 1941 for completion on the Tyne River in May. On 15 May 1941 Mayflower was one of ten corvettes loaned to Canada. She could be told apart from other Canadian Flowers by her lack of minesweeping gear and the siting of the after gun tub amidships.

During her career, Mayflower had three significant refits. The first took place at Charleston, South Carolina from 9 December 1941 until February 1942. Her second major refit took place from 29 October 1942 until 11 January 1943 at Pictou, Nova Scotia. Mayflower's final refit was done at Norfolk, Virginia from 29 November 1943 to 14 February 1944. During this refit, she had her fo'c'sle extended.

War service

Royal Navy

After workups, Mayflower had a brief period under Royal Navy command. She was assigned to escort group EG 4 before being transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy.

Royal Canadian Navy

After her transferral, Mayflower was assigned to Newfoundland Command in June 1941. With this force, she escorted convoys from St. John's to Iceland for the rest of the year with escort groups 19N and N16. In her first month with the group, she was escorting convoy SC 44 when one of the other escorts, HMCS Levis was torpedoed. Mayflower evacuated all non-essential personnel from the derelict ship except for the damage-control party. On 2 October 1941, Mayflower picked up 35 survivors from the British tanker San Florentino that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-94.

After returning from refit in early 1942, she was deployed as an ocean escort under Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) command on convoys between St. John's and Derry. She continued performing this duty until April 1944. Mayflower was initially assigned to escort group A-3 in April 1942, but was transferred to C-3 in February 1943.

In April 1944 she was assigned to Western Approaches Command to take part in Operation Neptune, the naval aspect of the invasion of Normandy. On 31 May 1944, she set out to escort the blockships from Oban, which would become part of the beachhead after D-day. After the invasion, Mayflower spent the rest of the war in the waters around the United Kingdom. She was returned to the Royal Navy 31 May 1945.

Trans-Atlantic convoys escorted

Post-war service

After her return to the Royal Navy, Mayflower was laid up at Grangemouth. She was sold for scrapping on 20 September 1949 and broken up at Inverkeithing.

References

1. "Battle Honours". Britain's Navy. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
2. Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) . Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
3. Ossian, Robert. "Complete List of Sailing Vessels". The Pirate King. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
4. Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. (1978). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons & Warfare. Vol. 11. London: Phoebus. pp. 1137–1142.
5. Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II. New Jersey: Random House. 1996. p. 68. ISBN 0-517-67963-9.
6. Blake, Nicholas; Lawrence, Richard (2005). The Illustrated Companion to Nelson's Navy. Stackpole Books. pp. 39–63. ISBN 0-8117-3275-4.
7. Chesneau, Roger; Gardiner, Robert (June 1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. Naval Institute Press. p. 62. ISBN 0-87021-913-8.
8. Milner, Marc (1985). North Atlantic Run. Naval Institute Press. pp. 117–119, 142–145, 158, 175–176, 226, 235, 285–291. ISBN 0-87021-450-0.
9. ^ "HMCS Mayflower (K 191)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
10. ^ Macpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910-1981 : a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. pp. 80, 231–232. ISBN 0-00216-856-1.
11. Macpherson, Ken; Milner, Marc (1993). Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy 1939-1945. St. Catharines: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN 0-92027-783-7.
12. German, Tony (1990). The Sea is at our Gates : The History of the Canadian Navy. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Inc. pp. 108. ISBN 0-7710-3269-2.
13. ^ "HX convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
14. ^ "ON convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
15. ^ "SC convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
16. "Mayflower (6111299)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

v t e Flower-class corvettes
Original ships  Free French Naval Forces Aconit Alysse Commandant d'Estienne d'Orves Commandant Detroyat Commandant Drogou La Bastiaise Lobelia Mimosa Renoncule Roselys  Royal Canadian Navy Agassiz Alberni Algoma Amherst Arrowhead Arvida Baddeck Barrie Battleford Bittersweet Brandon Brantford Buctouche Calgary Camrose Chambly Chicoutimi Chilliwack Cobalt Collingwood Dauphin Dawson Drumheller Dundas Dunvegan Edmundston Eyebright Fennel Fredericton Galt Halifax Hepatica Kamloops Kamsack Kenogami Kitchener La Malbaie Lethbridge Levis Louisburg Lunenburg Matapedia Mayflower Midland Moncton Moose Jaw Morden Nanaimo Napanee New Westminster Oakville Orillia Pictou Port Arthur Prescott Quesnel Regina Rimouski Rosthern Sackville Saskatoon Shawinigan Shediac Sherbrooke Snowberry Sorel Spikenard Sudbury Summerside The Pas Timmins Trail Trillium Vancouver Ville de Quebec Wetaskiwin Weyburn Windflower Woodstock  Hellenic Navy Apostolis Kriezis Sachtouris Tombazis  Royal Navy Abelia Acanthus Aconite Alisma Alyssum Amaranthus Anchusa Anemone Arabis Arbutus Armeria Arrowhead Asphodel Aster Aubrietia Auricula Azalea Balsam Begonia Bellwort Bergamot Bittersweet Bluebell Borage Bryony Burdock Buttercup Calendula Camellia Campanula Campion Candytuft Carnation Celandine Chrysanthemum Clarkia Clematis Clover Coltsfoot Columbine Convolvulus Coreopsis Coriander Cowslip Crocus Cyclamen Dahlia Delphinium Dianella Dianthus Eglantine Erica Eyebright Fennel Fleur de Lys Freesia Fritillary Gardenia Genista Gentian Geranium Gladiolus Gloriosa Gloxinia Godetia Godetia Harebell Heartsease Heather Heliotrope Hemlock Hepatica Hibiscus Hollyhock Honeysuckle Hyacinth Hyderabad Hydrangea Ivy Jasmine Jonquil Kingcup La Malouine Larkspur Lavender Ling Lobelia Loosestrife Lotus Lotus Mallow Marguerite Marigold Marjoram Mayflower Meadowsweet Mignonette Mimosa Monkshood Montbretia Myosotis Narcissus Nasturtium Nigella Orchis Oxlip Pennywort Pentstemon Peony Periwinkle Petunia Picotee Pimpernel Pink Polyanthus Poppy Potentilla Primrose Primula Ranonculus Rhododendron Rockrose Rose Salvia Samphire Saxifrage Snapdragon Snowberry Snowdrop Snowflake Spikenard Spiraea Starwort Stonecrop Sundew Sunflower Sweetbriar Tamarisk Thyme Trillium Tulip Verbena Veronica Vervain Vetch Violet Wallflower Windflower Woodruff Zinnia  Royal Netherlands Navy Friso  Royal Norwegian Navy Andenes Nordkyn Eglantine Montbretia Polarfront II Potentilla Rose  South African Navy Protea  United States Navy Temptress class Courage Fury Impulse Ready Restless Saucy Spry Surprise Temptress Tenacity Royal Navy Belgian Section Godetia Buttercup  Kriegsmarine PA 1 PA 2 PA 3 PA 4
Modified ships  Royal Canadian Navy Asbestos Atholl Beauharnois Belleville Brampton Charlottetown Cobourg Fergus Forest Hill Frontenac Giffard Guelph Hawkesbury Ingersoll Lachute Lindsay Listowel Long Branch Louisburg Meaford Merrittonia Mimico Norsyd North Bay Owen Sound Parry Sound Peterborough Renfrew Riviere du Loup Smiths Falls St. Lambert Stellarton Strathroy Thorlock Trentonian West York Whitby  Royal Indian Navy Assam Gondwana Sind  Royal Navy Arabis Arbutus Balm Betony Buddleia Bugloss Bullrush Burnet Candytuft Ceanothos Charlock Comfrey Cornel Dittany Flax Honesty Linaria Mandrake Milfoil Musk Nepeta Privet Rosebay Smilax Statice Willowherb  Royal New Zealand Navy Arabis Arbutus  United States Navy Action class Action Alacrity Beacon Brisk Caprice Clash Haste Intensity Might Pert Prudent Splendor Tact Vim Vitality  Argentine Navy Capitán Cánepa República

• Flower-class corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy
• Flower-class corvettes of the Royal Navy
• 1940 ships
• Ships built in Montreal