HMCS Mulgrave (pennant J313) was a Bangor-class minesweeper of the Royal Canadian Navy that served during the Second World War. Built to a British design, the vessel was larger than the Canadian Fundy class but smaller than the earlier Halcyon class. Laid down on December 15, 1941, by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. in Ontario, Mulgrave was launched on May 2, 1942, and commissioned on November 4, 1942. The ship measured 180 feet (54.9 meters) in length, with a beam of 28 feet 6 inches (8.7 meters) and a draught of 9 feet 9 inches (3.0 meters). It displaced approximately 672 long tons (683 metric tons) and had a complement of 6 officers and 77 enlisted personnel. Powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving a single shaft, and fueled by two Admiralty three-drum boilers, Mulgrave produced 2,400 indicated horsepower, reaching a top speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h). Its fuel capacity allowed for a maximum of 150 long tons (152 metric tons) of fuel oil. The armament included a single QF 12-pounder gun mounted forward, a QF 2-pounder Mark VIII aft (later replaced by twin 20 mm Oerlikon guns), and additional Oerlikon guns on the bridge wings. For mine-sweeping duties, it was equipped with two depth charge launchers and four chutes for deploying up to 40 depth charges. Mulgrave initially served with Halifax Force before joining the Western Local Escort Force in June 1943, primarily escorting convoys across the Atlantic. In 1944, the minesweeper was deployed to Europe for the Normandy invasion, where it played a vital role in sweeping and marking channels through German minefields, acting as a danlayer during the assault. During operations off Le Havre in October 1944, Mulgrave struck a mine, sustaining damage that led to her being towed to Le Havre, then to Portsmouth, where she was declared a constructive total loss. She was placed in reserve in January 1945, paid off in June, and ultimately broken up in Wales in 1947. Her service highlights the critical role of minesweepers in ensuring safe passage for Allied forces during key naval operations in WWII.

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