HMCS DAUPHIN K157

Flower Class Corvette

HMCS DAUPHIN K157 was built by Canadian Vickers, Montreal, and commissioned into the RCN June 20th 1941 and arrived at Halifax on 24 May 1941.  DAUPHIN joined Sydney Force. In September of that year she transferred to Newfoundland Command. She left Sydney on 05 Sep 1941 to join her maiden convoy, SC.43, continuing on to the U.K. for further workups at Tobermory and returning to mid-ocean service in mid-Oct 1941 where she was part of the escort for 16 Newfoundland to Iceland convoys. She was then from transferred to Mid Ocean Escort Groups C2, C1 and C3 where she helped escort 9 convoys to and from Northern Ireland, Iceland and Newfoundland.

After December 1942 she was assigned to the Americans lead Mid Ocean Escort Group A-3, which was re-designated C-5 in June 1943. DAUPHIN was involved in three major convoy battles during that time; SC 100 (5 merchants sun), in September 1942, ON 166 in February 1943 (14 merchants sunk) and SC 121 in March 1943 (14 merchants sunk with 1 damaged).

On the night of March 9th/10th U-229 torpedoed the tramp steamers Nailsea Court, which sank, and Colmore, which was damaged and abandoned. DAUPHIN tried to reach a lifeboat containing 37 men from the two ships. DAUPHIN got within 250 yards of the lifeboat when her steering gear failed, forcing her to stop. It took DAUPHIN four hours to repair her steering gear and return to the lifeboat. By then it had capsized and she rescued only three survivors who were clinging to the keel. It is worth noting that the escorts making up A3 were all well over due for rest and refitting. Hence DAUPHIN was taken out of service from April until September 1943.

In the course of a major refit at Pictou from Apr to Sep 1943, her fo'c's'le was lengthened. DAUPHIN left Londonderry for the last time on 11 Aug 1944, underwent refit at Liverpool, N.S., then proceeded to Bermuda to work up. Returning in Jan 1945, she was assigned to EG W-7, Western Escort Force, for the balance of the war where she helped escort 14 convoys from Newfoundland to Halifax and back.

She was paid off at Sorel on 20 Jun 1945, and sold for conversion to a merchant ship. DAUPHIN was converted to a merchant ship at the yards of Steel and Engine Products, Liverpool, NS. Named Dundas Kent, just as she neared completion she caught fire and burned at the pier. Repaired, she entered service in 1949 as the Honduran Cortes. She became the Ecuadorian flagged vessel San Antonio in 1955 and was registered under an Ecuadorean flag until 1988, her name was deleted from the ships register in 1992.

Photos and Documents          The Ship's Bell

Commanding Officers

LCdr Robert Aubern Stuart McNeil, OBE, RCNR - 17 May 1941 - 17 Jan 1943

A/LCdr Matthew Howard Wallace, RCNR - 18 Jan 1943 - 10 Oct 1944

Lt Edward Ross O'Kelly, RCNVR - 11 Oct 1944 - 20 Jun 1945

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

Former Crew Members

Photos and Documents

(DAU001) Lieutenant Commander RAS MacNeil and an unknown Sub Lieutenant standing next to their ship, HMCS DAUPHIN. Both men left the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to join the Navy. November, 1942  //  © IWM # A-12845

(DAU002) Ronald Grant on the twin .5's of HMCS DAUPHIN in 1943  //  Source: Flickr photo collection of Ron Bell

(DAU003) "Jiggs" - HMCS DAUPHIN's mascot

(DAU004) HMCS DAUPHIN 157 (2nd from the jetty), during her refit at Thompson Brothers' yard in Liverpool NS - Aug 1944 - Jan 1945  //  Courtesy of Tim MacDonald

(DAU005) M.V. Dundas Kent, formerly the corvette DAUPHIN, converted to a freighter by Steel and Engine Products of Liverpool, NS, burns at the wharf in Liverpool a few days before ready for sea.  //  Click here to read the back of the photo  //  From the collection of Hector Dunlop  //  Courtesy of Jane Dunlop Stevenson, Liverpool, NS

(DAU006) HMCS  DAUPHIN K157 - RCN photo