HMCS Minas was a Bangor-class minesweeper serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. Constructed with a length of 180 feet (54.9 meters), a beam of 28 feet 6 inches (8.7 meters), and a draught of 9 feet 9 inches (3.0 meters), she displaced approximately 672 long tons (683 tonnes). The vessel was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving a shaft and fueled by two Admiralty three-drum boilers, developing a total of 2,400 indicated horsepower (1,800 kW). This propulsion allowed her to reach a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h). Minas carried a complement of 6 officers and 77 enlisted personnel and could hold up to 150 long tons (152 tonnes) of fuel oil. Armament on Minas evolved over time; initially, she was equipped with a single QF 4-inch (102 mm)/40 caliber Mk IV gun, later replaced by a 12-pounder (3-inch/76 mm) gun. For anti-aircraft defense, she mounted a QF 2-pounder Mark VIII gun, later upgraded to a twin 20 mm Oerlikon mount, supplemented by two single-mounted 20 mm Oerlikon guns and a complement of 40 depth charges for convoy escort duties. Laid down on 18 October 1940 by Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd. in Vancouver, Minas was launched on 22 January 1941 and commissioned on 2 August 1941. She initially sailed to the East Coast, serving as a local escort in Halifax and Newfoundland before joining the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) as a convoy escort. Notably, she participated in rescue operations, including the rescue of 60 survivors from the torpedoed merchant ship Empire Sailor in 1942. In 1944, Minas was deployed to Great Britain to participate in the Normandy invasion, where she was assigned to the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla. During D-Day, she helped sweep and mark channels through German minefields, notably on 6 June 1944, unmolested by enemy action. She later participated in operations in the Gironde estuary in April 1945, capturing a German trawler during her patrols. After the war, Minas was paid off in October 1945 and placed in reserve. She was briefly recommissioned in 1955 as a training vessel before being decommissioned again and sold for scrap in 1958. Her wheel remains displayed at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 53 in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, serving as a maritime relic of her distinguished service.

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