HMCS Chedabucto was a Bangor-class minesweeper serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. Built to a British design, the vessel measured 180 feet (54.9 meters) in length overall, with a beam of 28 feet 6 inches (8.7 meters) and a draught of 9 feet 9 inches (3.0 meters). Displacing 672 long tons (683 tons), she had a complement of 6 officers and 77 enlisted personnel. Propelled by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines powered by Admiralty three-drum boilers, Chedabucto could reach a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h). Her engines produced 2,400 indicated horsepower (1,800 kW). The minesweeper carried up to 150 long tons (152 tons) of fuel oil. Armament included a single 4-inch (102 mm)/40 caliber Mk IV gun mounted forward, complemented by one QF 2-pounder Mark VIII and two QF 20 mm Oerlikon guns for anti-aircraft defense. Additionally, she was equipped with 40 depth charges, launched from two throwers and four chutes, to facilitate her role in escort and minesweeping operations. Ordered on 23 February 1940, her keel was laid on 24 January 1941 by Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd. in Vancouver. She was launched on 14 April 1941 and commissioned later that year on 27 September. After working up, Chedabucto departed Esquimalt on 11 November 1941, arriving in Halifax on 17 December. Throughout her service, she participated in convoy escort duties in the Atlantic and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, engaging U-boats and rescuing crew from stranded merchant ships. Notably, in October 1943, while escorting the cable ship SS Lord Kelvin in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Chedabucto collided with Lord Kelvin near Rimouski, Quebec. The collision caused severe damage, including a large hole in her side and a 10-degree port list. Despite attempts to tow her, she grounded approximately 1.5 miles from shore, rolled onto her side, and sank on 21 October 1943. The sinking resulted in one casualty, and her loss marked a significant event in her service history, underscoring the hazards faced by wartime minesweepers in challenging operational environments.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.