HMCS Ungava (MCB 148)

HMCS Ungava (hull number MCB 148) was a Bay-class minesweeper that was constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Cold War. Entering service in 1954, the minesweeper was paid off in 1958 and transferred to the Turkish Navy. Renamed Tekirdağ, the ship remained in service until 1991 and was broken up in 2002.

Design and description
The Bay class were designed and ordered as replacements for the Second World War-era minesweepers that the Royal Canadian Navy operated at the time. Similar to the Ton-class minesweeper, they were constructed of wood planking and aluminum framing.

Displacing 390 LT standard at 412 LT at deep load, the minesweepers were 152 ft long with a beam of 28 ft and a draught of 8 ft. They had a complement of 38 officers and ratings.

The Bay-class minesweepers were powered by two GM 12-cylinder diesel engines driving two shafts creating 2400 bhp. This gave the ships a maximum speed of 16 kn and a range of 3290 nmi at 12 kn. The ships were armed with one 40 mm Bofors gun and were equipped with minesweeping gear.

Operational history
The ship's keel was laid down on 17 December 1951 by Davie Shipbuilding at their yard in Lauzon, Quebec. Named for a bay located in Quebec, Ungava was launched on 20 May 1953. The ship was commissioned on 4 June 1954. The ship joined the First Canadian Minesweeping Squadron upon commissioning. The squadron sailed to the Caribbean Sea in April 1955 for a training cruise, making several port visits. In May 1956, Ungava was detached from the squadron for duties for naval commanders in Newfoundland.

The ship remained in service with the Royal Canadian Navy until being paid off on 23 August 1957. The ship was transferred to the Turkish Navy as part of the NATO Mutual Aid Agreement on 31 March 1958. Renamed Tekirdağ by the Turkish Navy, the vessel sailed for Turkey on 19 May 1958. The ship remained in service until 1991. Tekirdağ was broken up for scrap at Aliağa, Turkey in 2002.