Sinking of HMCS Otter in WW II Halifax remembered as ‘dramatic tale of tension and heroics’

Mar 22, 2026

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HMCS Otter was a yacht that was transformed into a coastal patrol vessel for the Second World War. Its role during the Second World War in Halifax was to look for Nazi submarines and sea mines just outside of the harbour.

Nineteen people died on March 26, 1941, just outside of Halifax harbour after a vessel patrolling for Nazi subs and sea mines sank after it caught fire. The deaths and heroic rescue of the remaining 22 crew members served as a reminder of the horrors of war. Wartime censorship played a role in what could be reported.