HMCS Digby was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. Laid down on 20 March 1941 by Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Ltd. in Lauzon, Quebec, she was launched on 5 June 1942 and commissioned on 26 July 1942 at Quebec City. This vessel measured approximately 162 feet (49.4 meters) in length, with a beam of 28 feet (8.5 meters) and a draught of 8 feet 3 inches (2.51 meters). Displacing around 592 long tons (601 tons) standard and 690 long tons (700 tons) fully loaded, Digby was powered by a 9-cylinder diesel engine driving two shafts, producing 2,000 brake horsepower, which enabled her to reach a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h). She carried a complement of 6 officers and 77 ratings. The ship was armed with a single QF 12-pounder 12 cwt gun mounted forward, a QF 2-pounder Mark VIII gun aft, and later fitted with QF 20 mm Oerlikon guns on the bridge wings. For convoy escort missions, she was equipped with two depth charge launchers and chutes capable of deploying 40 depth charges, reflecting her role in anti-submarine warfare. During her wartime service, Digby operated primarily with the Western Local Escort Force, initially assigned to escort group 24.18.1 alongside corvettes Arrowhead and Chicoutimi, then transferred to escort group W-5. She participated in Atlantic convoy duties, performing workups in Bermuda and later serving with Sydney Force and Newfoundland Force until her decommissioning in July 1945. After the war, she was placed in reserve at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, and was considered for transfer to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Marine Section, a plan that was ultimately canceled. The vessel was laid up in Sorel until 1951, when the Royal Canadian Navy reacquired her and refitted her for training purposes. Recommissioned on 29 April 1953 with a new pennant number 179, Digby was modernized with a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar and a 40 mm Bofors gun replacing her original 12-pounder. She participated in testing the Navy’s DATAR system on Lake Ontario and later transferred to the west coast. On 4 December 1955, she joined the Second Canadian Reserve Squadron at Esquimalt for training. HMCS Digby was paid off on 14 November 1956 and subsequently sold for scrap, being broken up in 1956–57. Her service exemplifies the versatility and evolving roles of Canadian minesweepers during and after World War II.

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