Second World War
Battle of the Atlantic  - Atlantic Battleground

Allied forces, including the Royal Canadian Navy, fought against Axis forces in the battle of the Atlantic over a vast and often dangerous oceanic battlefield. Harbours and bases like Halifax were essential for ships, and commanders on shore planned and coordinated the movements of convoys and anti-submarine forces.

Warships at St. John's, Newfoundland

In this snowy scene from the winter of 1944-1945, an anti-submarine trawler (centre left) and three minesweepers crowd against a dock in the harbour at St. John's, Newfoundland.

The trawler is likely HMS Cailiff, which Britain's Royal Navy transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1942. The minesweeper to its left may be HMCS Drummondville, Gananoque, or Medicine Hat. Although Newfoundland was not yet part of Canada, St. John's, with its spectacular natural harbour and strategic location on the east coast, was an important base for Canadian and other Allied warships and merchant ships.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20000224-008_2