HMCS Haida (G63) - World War II Operations

World War II Operations

Haida worked with the Royal Navy in Arctic Russia that fall, providing convoy escort for relief of the Spitsbergen garrison into Kola and Murmansk.

On 10 January 1944, she was reassigned to the 10th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth and took part in the Operation Tunnel sweeps in the Bay of Biscay. Haida was damaged by the German Elbing-class torpedo boat T-29 on the night of 25–26 April but pressed the attack and sank the T-29 in what was Haida's first victory. It should be noted that despite the German designation as 'torpedo boat', the Elbings were essentially on a par with mid sized allied destroyers having just slightly smaller armament.

Haida took part in Operation Hostile sweeps on 28–29 April in company of HMCS Athabaskan (G07). Athabaskan was torpedoed by another Elbing, the T-24, with the loss of 128 crew while 83 became prisoners of war and Haida recovered 44 survivors. Haida is credited with attacking yet another Elbing that night when she forced the T-27 aground and set it afire with shelling; it was later sunk by rockets fired from Bristol Beaufighters the following day.

Haida continued the Operation Hostile sorties in company of sister ship HMCS Huron (G24) during the weeks leading up to Operation Overlord. On the 8–9 June, Haida was part of Task Force 26 which is credited with sinking the destroyers ZH1 and Z32 in the Battle of Ushant. On 24 June, Haida is credited with helping HMS Eskimo and aircraft in sinking U-971. On 15 July, Haida and two other vessels with the 10th Destroyer Flotilla intercepted a group of German ships at Lorient. The battle saw two trawlers UJ1420 and UJ1421 destroyed, one merchant ship sunk and two others left afire.

On 5–6 August, Haida's now-famous luck continued while engaged in an Operation Kinetic sweep. A shell exploded in one of the turrets and started a fire, killing two and injuring eight but not seriously damaging the ship.

Haida departed Western Europe on 22 September for Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving to a tumultuous welcome on 29 September. She returned to Scapa Flow in mid-January 1945 after refitting to receive new radar sensors. She was declared operational again on 19 March and escorted aircraft carriers in minelaying operations off Granesund, Norway and assisted in attacks on shipping in Trondheim from 24–28 March. On 7 April, Haida escorted seven anti-submarine warfare vessels from Greenock, Scotland destined for Soviet use at Vaenga.

Haida experienced one of the last RCN engagements of World War II when she escorted convoy JW66 in its return to the United Kingdom from Vaenga. The convoy was attacked and Haida and Huron received near-misses from torpedoes fired by U-boats. In the skirmish, two U-boats were sunk, along with the frigate HMS Goodall, and the convoy escaped in a snowstorm. Haida and Huron returned to Scapa Flow on 6 May and was assigned to relief operations at Trondheimfiord, Norway on 17 May.

Haida, along with Huron and Iroquois, left for Halifax on 4 June to refit as part of Canada's contribution to Operation Downfall. They arrived on 10 June and Haida started a tropicalization refit but it was suspended after Japan's surrender later that summer.

Haida was paid off on 20 March 1946 with the massive demobilization of the RCN World War II fleet.