First World War (1914-1918)
HMCS Grilse, Torpedo Boat

HMCS Grilse was the Royal Canadian Navy's fastest ship during the First World War. Originally built as the yacht Winchester, Grilse was converted to a torpedo boat and served off Canada's Atlantic coast.

HMCS Grilse Firing a Torpedo, 1915

This rare colourized photograph captures the launch of a torpedo from HMCS Grilse, a civilian yacht converted to a quick torpedo boat for patrol and escort duties.

The torpedo tube seen here (centre) and two 12-pounder guns were the ship's main armament. Like the guns, the torpedo tube could be rotated to aim the weapon at enemy ships. A spare torpedo for reloading the tube can be seen in the foreground. By the time of this photograph, newer, larger and more powerful torpedoes were in widespread service, but Grilse's 14-inch models could still inflict significant damage.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19940001-948_1