HMS Fortune (H70)

HMS Fortune was an F-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was transferred to Canada in 1943, becoming HMCS Saskatchewan (H70).

Career as HMS Fortune
HMS Fortune was laid down on 25 July 1933 at John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd Clydebank and launched on 29 August 1934. Following her commissioning on 27 April 1935, Fortune joined the Home Fleet; in 1938 she was commanded by Charles Pizey, who would go on to be the Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. In September 1939, while on anti-submarine patrol in the North Western Approaches, Fortune shared the credit for sinking the German submarine U27 with HMS Forester. In the following spring, while escorting units of the Home Fleet north-west of the Shetlands, she was credited with sinking the U44, although later research suggests that the submarine was destroyed in a minefield which had been laid by other British destroyers on 13 March 1940. In April, Fortune escorted the aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal and HMS Glorious while they provided air cover for the evacuation of British forces from Åndalsnes and Namsos during the Norwegian campaign.

In September 1940, Fortune was part of Operation Menace escorting Force M for the intended Free French landings at Dakar, an important Vichy held base in West Africa. On 24 September during the naval bombardment of Dakar she sank the Vichy French submarine Ajax but rescued 76 of the crew.

In May 1941, Fortune was damaged by air attack off Algeria. After temporary repairs in Gibraltar she was repaired at Chatham but did not become fully operational again until February 1942 when she participated in the Malta Convoys. She later joined the Eastern Fleet.

In January 1943 it was agreed to refit Fortune in a commercial yard in the UK. This occurred after the decision to transfer to the RCN had been made. Formal transfer was completed in mid-June, by which time Fortune had already been commissioned as HMCS Saskatchewan.

As HMCS Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan was grouped in the River class of destroyers, a heterogenous group of destroyers which had mostly come from the Royal Navy. Formal completion of the transfer was finished in June 1943 and in July she joined the 3rd Canadian Escort Group as the "Senior Officer's" ship.

Saskatchewan joined Escort Group C3 in August 1943 and continued this duty through the end of the year. From 6 to 30 June, 1944, she was deployed with the 11th Escort Group providing anti-submarine support to Operation Overlord.

She was decommissioned from the RCN on 28 January 1946.

Ship's bell
The ship's bell of Saskatchewan is currently at the Vancouver Island Military Museum in Nanaimo British Columbia. The Christening Bells Project at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum includes information from the ship's bell of Saskatchewan, which was used for baptism of babies onboard ship.