HMCS Clayoquot was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for 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 approximately 672 long tons (683 metric tons), Clayoquot was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving a single shaft, utilizing steam from two Admiralty three-drum boilers. These engines produced 2,400 indicated horsepower, allowing the ship to reach a top speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h). Armament on Clayoquot included a single 4-inch (102 mm)/40 caliber Mk IV gun mounted forward, supplemented by anti-aircraft weapons consisting of one QF 2-pounder Mark VIII gun and two QF 20 mm Oerlikon guns. The vessel was also equipped for anti-submarine warfare with 40 depth charges, deployable via two depth charge throwers and four chutes. Laid down on June 20, 1940, at Prince Rupert Dry Dock and Shipyards Co., she was launched on October 3, 1940, and commissioned on August 22, 1941. Initially serving with the Halifax Local Defence Force, Clayoquot was transferred in March 1942 to the Western Local Escort Force and later to the Gulf Escort Force. Throughout her service, she participated in convoy escort duties, notably in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where she engaged in sinking the torpedoed merchant vessel Dinaric and rescued survivors from HMCS Charlottetown after a U-boat attack. After a major refit completed in May 1943, she resumed service with Sydney Force and later served as an officer training vessel at HMCS Cornwallis. Her operational history ended tragically on December 24, 1944, when she was torpedoed and sank near Sambro Island by U-806. Eight crew members lost their lives, and the sinking caused injuries among survivors due to the detonation of unexploded depth charges. Despite efforts, U-806 was not located, marking the vessel's final contribution to wartime naval operations.

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