HMCS Beacon Hill

The River-class frigate design was an upgraded version of the Flower-class corvette,^[1] remedying many of the Flower class' issues as an ocean escort. The initial vessels were constructed for the Royal Navy and were named for rivers, however, in Canada, they were named for cities.^[2] Canada was informed of the design development in December 1940, but the plans were not delivered until late April 1941. The design was too large to fit through the canals on the St. Lawrence River, restricting the construction of the River-class ships to three shipyards, all with direct access to the sea.^[3] The first fifteen Canadian ships followed the standard British design.^[4]

The frigates measured 301 feet 4 inches (91.85 m) long overall and 283 ft 0 in (86.26 m) between perpendiculars with a beam of 36 ft 7 in (11.15 m) and a draught of 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m).^[2][5] They had a standard displacement of 1,445 long tons (1,468 t) and had increased flare and sheer forward to improve the vessel's dryness at sea.^[2][5] They were square amidships with deep bilge keels to alleviate rolling in heavy seas.^[5] They had a complement of 10 officers and 135 ratings.^[6]

The River class were powered by a steam created by two Admiralty three-drum boilers pumped to a vertical triple expansion engine turning two propeller shafts. The system creating 5,500 indicated horsepower (4,100 kW) giving the ships a maximum speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).^[7] The frigates carried 440 long tons (450 t) of oil fuel^[8] and they had a range of 7,200 nautical miles (13,300 km; 8,300 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).^[6]

The first 15 Canadian ships that followed the British design mounted a single 4-inch (102 mm) gun forward and one aft.^[9] The remaining Canadian ships mounted twin 4-inch guns forward and a single 12-pounder naval gun aft.^[10] The Canadian ships had eight 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon in four twin powered mounts for anti-aircraft defence. They also mounted four heavy machine guns. Two of the 20 mm mounts faced forward and two astern, with two located on the bridge wings and two at the break of the forecastle.^[9] For anti-submarine warfare (ASW) the ships carried a Hedgehog ASW mortar forward and the frigates initially carried 100 depth charges, later rising to 145, to be fired from four throwers and two stern tracks and rails. Two of the throwers were located on the port side of the ship, and the other two on the starboard side.^[9][10] 30 charges were kept for the rails and racks and 32 for the throwers.^[5] During the war, all of the early ships that mounted single 4-inch guns forward were refitted to carry the twin mount instead. Furthermore, the 12-pounder guns were replaced by twin 40 mm (1.6 in) cannon.^[4]

The River-class frigates were equipped with the Type 147B Sword sonar and ASDIC which were used in conjunction to find submarines below the surface. The combination of the two allowed for the frigates to maintain tracking targets even while firing. For tracking surfaced submarines, HFDF was installed. HFDF searched for the communication signals of opposing submarines, which had to surface to communicate.^[11]

The frigate was ordered in October 1941 as part of the 1942–43 River-class building programme. She was laid down on 16 July 1943 by Yarrows Ltd. at Esquimalt, British Columbia and launched on 6 November.^[12] She was named Beacon Hull for Victoria, British Columbia, but because the larger HMS Victorious was in service with the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, in an effort to avoid confusion, chose to honour the city by choosing another name associated with it.^[13] Beacon Hill was commissioned 16 May 1944 at Esquimalt.^[12]

In response to the growing U-boat threat in British coastal waters, Canada agreed to provide escort groups to help patrol the area. Three groups of frigates were established and assigned to the Western Approaches.^[14] After working up at Bermuda, Beacon Hill was assigned to the Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) escort group (EG) 26, one of the three groups deployed to the Western Approaches. Based at Londonderry, the groups operated in overlapping patrols in the Shetland-Faroes narrows, off the Hebrides, in the Irish Sea west of Ireland and in St. George's Channel.^[15] Operations began in October 1944.^[14] For parts of her service with EG 26, Beacon Hill was detached to Plymouth.^[12] In the first week of December 1944, EG 26 trained with HMS Seraph, a British submarine, at Holyhead to improve their sub-hunting capabilities.^[16] In March 1945, EG 26 deployed from Portsmouth. From at least 14 March to 20 April, Beacon Hill was the Senior Officer's ship of the group.^[17] It was during this period that the escort group came in contact with a submarine when on 20 March HMCS New Glasgow rammed a schnorkeling U-boat while sailing for Londonderry.^[18] Beacon Hill remained in European waters until May 1945, when she departed for Canada. Intended to be used in the ongoing Pacific campaign, Beacon Hill began her tropicalization refit at Liverpool, Nova Scotia in June. However, the war ended before the refit did in November 1945, and she sailed for Esquimalt. Beacon Hill was paid off at Esquimalt on 6 February 1946 and placed in reserve.^[12] For service during the war, Beacon Hill was awarded the battle honours "Atlantic 1944–45" and "English Channel 1944–45".^[19][a]

After the Second World War, each unit of the Royal Canadian Navy was awarded a heraldic badge which could be inherited by future units of the same name.^[26] Beacon Hill was given a blazon of sable, upon a mount vert a cresset or, fired proper, with the colours gold and black and the Latin motto Semper Libe (Always free).^[19] The Christening Bells Project at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum includes information from the ship's bell of HMCS Beacon Hill 1944–1967, which was used for baptism of babies on board ship 1950–1964. The bell is currently held by the CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum, Esquimalt, British Columbia.^[27]