HMCS Saguenay - D79 (H01/I79)

HMCS Saguenay was one of the first ships built specifically for the RCN along with her sister ship HMCS Skeena, both commissioned in 1931. Prior to WWII she was used mainly for training exercises, often in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Assigned to convoy duty immediately after the outbreak of war, she first escorted locally, then to the America and West Indies Station in Jamaica. While in the Yucatan Channel on 23 October 1939 she intercepted the German tanker Emmy Friederich, which scuttled herself. Saguenay returned to Halifax to resume local escort duties until 16 October 1940 when she set sail for the UK. On 1 December 1940 she was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Argo, leaving her brow wrecked and killing 21. Despite this, she made it to Barrow-in-Furness mostly on her own power, where she stayed for repairs until 22 May 1941. 

Repairs finished, the Saguenay began escorting convoys to Iceland and then joined WS convoys carrying iron ore. She was finally assigned to the Newfie -Derry run (St. John’s Newfoundland to Londonderry, Ireland) in April 1942 in response to increased U-boat activity in Newfoundland waters.

She was struck by Panamanian freighter SS Azra on 15 November 1942. Though no men were lost, the ship’s stern was destroyed when her depth charges exploded. The Azra sank on-site, while the Saguenay stayed afloat and took on the Azra’s crew until they could be towed into shore. Following repairs, she was used as a training ship until her decommissioning on 30 July 1945, and broken up one year later in 1946.

Reference Links:
Government of Canada - HMCS Saguenay
For Posterity's Sake - HMCS Saguenay
https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-15B-HMCS_Saguenay.htmNaval History - HMCS Saguenay