Photographic History of the United States Navy
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DESTROYER ARCHIVE |
To Britain September 24 1940, renamed HMCS Niagara (I57).| Click On Image For Full Size Image |
Size | Image Description | Contributed By |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76k | Photo #: NH 43977. Rear Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher, USN portrait engraved by J.A.J. Wilcox, Boston, published during the later 19th Century. The print features a facsimile of Thatcher's signature. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Tony Cowart | |
| 116k | USS Thatcher (DD-162) Leading other destroyers into a harbor, circa 1919-1921. The next ship astern is USS Crosby (DD-164). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss | |
| 104k | Destroyers at Mare Island Navy Yard, 1919. These ships are from left to right: USS Tarbell (DD-142); USS Thatcher (DD-162); USS Rizal (DD-174); USS Hart (DD-110); USS Hogan (DD-178); USS Gamble (DD-123); USS Ramsay (DD-124) and USS Williams (DD-108). Donation of Rear Admiral Ammen Farenholt, USN (Medical Corps). Photo No NH 42538. | Robert Hurst | |
| 54k | Postcard of the Thatcher in San Juan Harbor probably circa 1920's from the Charles Munson Collection. | Edward Lee Richmond, USS Pittsburgh (CA-4) | |
| 61k | Photo #: NH 99264 At the Boston Navy Yard, Massachusetts, 14 January 1919. Panogramic photograph by J. Crosby, Naval Photographer, # 11 Portland Street, Boston. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Tony Cowart | |
| 152k | Photo #: NH 41953 Underway, circa 1919-1921. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Tony Cowart | |
| 78k | Photo #: NH 85033 USS Cuyama (Oiler # 3) at Acapulco, Mexico, circa 1919 with several destroyers alongside, from left to center: USS Walker (Destroyer # 163); USS Crosby (Destroyer # 164); and USS Thatcher (Destroyer # 162). USS Gamble (Destroyer # 123) is moored along Cuyama's port side. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1976. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Tony Cowart | |
| On Canadian Service |
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| The Royal Canadian Navy commissioned HMCS Niagara at Halifax on 26 September 1940 and after some initial escort work locally from the port, she was sent to Devonport for refit, arriving 30 November. The work, trials, and defects plus a Tobermory work up occupied her until April 1941, then joining 4th escort Group based at Greenock, sailing with her first convoy (OB306) on 5 April 1941. On formation of the Newfoundland Escort Force HMCS Niagara returned to Canadian waters and operated from St. John's, NF. On 28 August 1941 she was involved with the capture of U570, which had surrendered to a RAF Hudson the previous day. A two-month refit at Halifax from 15 September preceded her return to North Atlantic escort duties; but the ship received weather damage on 12 January 1942 whiule escort Triton (also weather damaged) and in consequence she had to repair on the Clyde from 14 January 1942 to 10 February 1942, prior to returning to Halifax to join WLEF. Here she was involved in two rescues; survivors from the wrecked American Independence Hall on 9 March off Sable Island, and recovering two boats from Rio Blanco in April 1942.As in so many Towns, boiler defects intervened and kept the ship in Halifax during May and July 1942, after which she resumed WLEF duties. In May 1943 she became part of W2, but increasing defects restricted her activities more and more as time passed. Finally in January 1944, the RCN decided to limit her services to that of torpedo training ship based at Halifax, and she saw out the rest of her service there, being listed for disposal on 15 September 1945, placed on the sale list 27 May 1946 and finally broken up at the end of 1947 | ||||
| 58k | The 'Town' class destroyer HMCS Niagara (ex-USS Thatcher, DD-162) in the standard 'Town' class camouflage scheme applied during her devonport refit in December 1940 (Admiralty Official). | Robert Hurst | |
| 71k | HMCS Niagara after further refit. Probably photographed in southern waters away from operations, certainly prior to January 1943. | Robert Hurst | |
| 69k | The 'Town' class destroyer HMCS Niagara (ex-USS Thatcher, DD-162) underway circa 1941. Astern of her is the Type VIIc U-boat U 570 that had not yet officially surrendered to the RN because the seas were to rough to launch boats. She finally surrendered to Lieutenant H B Campbell of the trawler HMS Kingston Agate. She was subsequently commissioned into the RN as HMS/m Graph. | Robert Hurst | |
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