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St. Laurent-class destroyer

From Wikipedia, in a visual modern way
HMCS Fraser (DDH 233) underway in 1983.JPEG
HMCS Fraser in 1983
Class overview
NameSt. Laurent class
Builders
Operators
Preceded byC class
Succeeded by Restigouche class
In commission29 October 1955 – 5 October 1994
Planned14
Completed7
Retired7
General characteristics
TypeDestroyer escort
Displacement
  • As DDE:
  • 2263 tons (normal), 2800 tons (deep load)
  • As DDH:
  • 2260 tons (normal), 3051 tons (deep load)[2]
Length366 ft (111.6 m)
Beam42 ft (12.8 m)
Draught
  • As DDE: 13 ft (4.0 m)[1]
  • As DDH:14 ft (4.3 m)[2]
Propulsion2-shaft English-Electric geared steam turbines, 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers 22,000 kW (30,000 shp)
Speed28.5 knots (52.8 km/h)[1]
Range4,570 nautical miles (8,463.6 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement
  • As DDE: 249
  • As DDH: 213 plus 20 aircrew
Sensors and
processing systems
  • As DDE:
  • 1 × SPS-12 air search radar
  • 1 × SPS-10B surface search radar
  • 1 × Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar
  • 1 × SQS-10 or −11 hull mounted active search and attack sonar
  • 1 × SQS-501 (Type 162) high frequency bottom profiling sonar
  • 1 × SQS-502 (Type 170) high frequency Limbo mortar control sonar
  • 1 × UQC-1B "Gertrude" underwater telephone
  • 1 × GUNAR (Mk.64 GFCS with 2 on-mount SPG-48 directors)
  • As DDH:
  • 1 × SPS-12 air search radar
  • 1 × SPS-10B surface search radar
  • 1 × Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar
  • 1 × URN 20 TACAN radar
  • 1 × SQS-10 or −11 hull mounted active search and attack sonar
  • 1 × SQS-501 (Type 162) high frequency bottom profiling sonar
  • 1 × SQS-502 (Type 170) high frequency Limbo mortar control sonar
  • 1 × SQS-504 VDS, medium frequency active search (except 233 after 1986)
  • 1 × UQC-1B "Gertrude" underwater telephone
  • 1 × GUNAR (Mk.64 GFCS with 1 on-mount SPG-48 director)
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • As DDE:
  • 1 × DAU HF/DF (high frequency direction finder)
  • As DDH:
  • 1 × WLR 1C radar warning
  • 1 × UPD 501 radar detection
  • 1 × SRD 501 HF/DF
Armament
  • As DDE:
  • 2 × 3 in (76 mm) Mk.33 FMC twin mounts guns
  • 2 × 40mm "Boffin" single mount guns
  • 2 × Mk NC 10 Limbo ASW mortars
  • 2 × single Mk.2 "K-gun" launchers with homing torpedoes
  • As DDH:
  • 1 × 3"/50 Mk.33 FMC twin mount gun
  • 1 × Mk NC 10 Limbo ASW mortar
  • 2 × triple Mk.32 12.75 inch launchers firing Mk.44 or Mk.46 Mod 5 torpedoes
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilities
  • As DDH:
  • 1 × midships helicopter deck with Beartrap and hangar

The St. Laurent-class destroyer was a class of destroyer escorts that served the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s.

This was the first major class of warship designed and built in Canada. They were analogous to the British Type 12 Whitby-class frigate, intended for the same ASW mission and using the same machinery but used a dramatically different hull form and predominantly American equipment rather than British. There were seven ships of the class commissioned between 1955 and 1957.

They were originally intended as destroyer escorts (DDE) but were later refitted and reclassed as destroyer helicopter escorts (DDH).

Discover more about St. Laurent-class destroyer related topics

Ship class

Ship class

A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, USS Carl Vinson is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class.

Destroyer escort

Destroyer escort

Destroyer escort (DE) was the United States Navy mid-20th-century classification for a 20-knot warship designed with the endurance necessary to escort mid-ocean convoys of merchant marine ships.

Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

The Royal Canadian Navy is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submarines, 12 coastal defence vessels, eight patrol class training vessels, two offshore patrol vessels, and several auxiliary vessels. The RCN consists of 8,570 Regular Force and 4,111 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by 3,800 civilians. Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee is the current commander of the Royal Canadian Navy and chief of the Naval Staff.

Whitby-class frigate

Whitby-class frigate

The Type 12 or Whitby-class frigates were a six-ship class of anti-submarine frigates of the Royal Navy, which entered service late in the 1950s. They were designed in the early 1950s as first-rate ocean-going convoy escorts, in the light of experience gained during World War II. At this time, the Royal Navy were designing single-role escorts and the Whitbys were designed as fast convoy escorts capable of tackling high-speed submarines. However, this made the Whitbys more expensive and sophisticated to produce in large numbers in the event of a major war, and so the Type 14 "utility" or "second-rate" anti-submarine frigate was developed to complement the Type 12. Although themselves rapidly outdated, the Type 12 proved to be an excellent basis for a series of frigate designs used by the British and Commonwealth navies for the next 20 years.

Ship commissioning

Ship commissioning

Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to placing a warship in active duty with its country's military forces. The ceremonies involved are often rooted in centuries-old naval tradition.

Helicopter

Helicopter

A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes allow helicopters to be used in congested or isolated areas where fixed-wing aircraft and many forms of short take-off and landing (STOL) or short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft cannot perform without a runway.

Design and description

The need for the St. Laurent class came about in 1949 when Canada joined NATO and the Cold War was in its infancy. The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was assigned responsibility for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and controlling sea space in the western North Atlantic.

Design work for a new class of destroyer escorts began in June 1949[3] with the original completion date slated for 1955. They were designed by Montreal naval architects German and Milne, under the direction of a senior constructor, Sir Rowland Baker, seconded from the British Director of Naval Construction. Baker produced a design basically similar to the Whitby-class (Type 12) frigate, while incorporating several ideas of his own. Different in appearance to the Type 12 design, the ship that resulted was similar in many respects.[4]

The St Laurent class were built to an operational requirement much like that which produced the British Type 12, and were powered by the same machinery plant. The rounded deck-edge forward was adopted to prevent ice forming.[5] The vessels were designed to operate in harsh Canadian conditions. They were built to counter nuclear, biological and chemical attack conditions, which led to a design with a rounded hull, a continuous main deck, and the addition of a pre-wetting system to wash away contaminants. The living spaces on the ship were part of a "citadel" which could be sealed off from contamination for the crew safety. The ships were sometimes referred to as "Cadillacs" for their relatively luxurious crew compartments; these were also the first Canadian warships to have a bunk for every crew member since previous warship designs had used hammocks.[6]

Two St. Laurent-class destroyers in their original configuration
Two St. Laurent-class destroyers in their original configuration

Other innovative features not found on other ships of its time included an operations room separate from the bridge, from which the captain could command the ship while in combat, 12 separate internal telephone systems, air conditioning, and the latest advances in radar and sonar technology.[6]

The St. Laurent class originally called for 14 vessels to be commissioned no later than 1955; however, changing design specifications due to the rapidly changing Cold War naval environment, as well as Canada's wartime priorities during the Korean War, saw only the first 7 completed by 1957. The remaining 7 vessels were built as the follow-on Restigouche class to incorporate advancements in naval warship design in the preceding years.[7] There were also two essentially similar follow-on classes, the Mackenzie class (4 ships completed 1962–63) and the Annapolis class (2 ships, completed 1964), the latter completed as helicopter carrying destroyer escorts from the onset, and not converted later as were the seven St. Laurent-class ships.[8]

As built, the ships were 366 feet (112 m) long overall with a beam of 42 feet (13 m) and a draught of 13 feet 2 inches (4.01 m).[9] The destroyer escorts displaced 2,263 tonnes (2,227 long tons) standard and 2,800 tonnes (2,800 long tons) at deep load.[9][note 1] The destroyer escorts had a crew of 12 officers and 237 enlisted.[9]

Armament

The St. Laurent class was fitted with twin 3-inch (76 mm)/L50 calibre guns in two mounts for engaging both surface and air targets. The guns were capable of 85° elevation and could fire 50 rounds per minute up to 7.9 miles (12.7 km). The ships were also fitted with two single-mounted Bofors 40 mm gun|40 mm (1.6 in) guns.[9] The class's anti-submarine armament consisted of a pair of triple-barreled Mk. NC 10 Limbo ASW mortars in a stern well. The stern well had a roller top to close it off from following seas. As with the British Type 12 design, the provision for long-range homing torpedoes (in this case BIDDER [Mk 20E] or the US Mark 35 were included. However, they were never fitted.[5]

As built, the twin 3-inch anti-aircraft mounts were installed without shields. These were added in 1963. The gun housings are fibreglass.[note 2]

Machinery

The vessels of the St. Laurent class had two Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers installed[9] providing 600 psi (4,100 kPa), 42 (kgf/cm²) at 850 °F (454.4 °C).[10]

The steam produced by these boilers was directed at two geared steam turbines which powered two shafts, providing 22,000 kilowatts (30,000 shp) to drive the ship at a maximum speed of 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h).[7] By the early 1990s, the quoted maximum speed was only 27 knots (50 km/h).[10] The ships had an endurance of 4,570 nautical miles (8,460 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h).[9]

The propelling machinery was of British design. Yarrow & Co Ltd, Scotstoun, Glasgow, received an order from Canadian Vickers for the supply of a complete set of machinery for St. Laurent, the other ships being supplied with machinery manufactured in Canada. The main turbines and machinery were of English Electric design.[7]

DDH conversion

The advent of nuclear-powered attack submarines in the late 1950s prompted RCN leaders to assess the new threat they posed.[8] Although these craft were noisier than older submarines and could therefore be detected at longer ranges, they were also capable of 30 knots (56 km/h) while submerged, which was faster than the top speed of the St. Laurents at 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h). Some RCN leaders harbored serious doubts that the destroyers could effectively pursue and destroy such fast vessels, even when operating in pairs. During a 25 February 1959 meeting of the Naval Board, it was decided that the Navy would counter the new threat by outfitting destroyers for helicopter operation.[11]

The RCN had examined the feasibility of operating ASW helicopters from small escorts when it modified the Prestonian class HMCS Buckingham in mid-1956[12] with a temporary helicopter landing platform fitted the quarterdeck.[13] Trials held in October 1956[12] using a Sikorsky HO4S-3 were successful,[14] and a larger temporary helicopter landing platform was installed in the new destroyer escort HMCS Ottawa in August 1957.[15] Operational trials were conducted using an RCAF Sikorsky S-58, a substantially larger and heavier aircraft than the HO4S, and the success of these tests led to approval of the concept.[14][16]

To achieve the goal, the RCN needed a helicopter capable of all-weather day-and-night operations with a heavy weapons load—capabilities the HO4S lacked—and a means to handle and secure the aircraft on the landing platform in rough seas. Trials showed landing was not the major concern: deck handling was. Manpower alone was insufficiently quick or certain in all conditions.[14] During the 1957 trials aboard Ottawa, it had taken 30 tense minutes to secure the S-58 to the deck during nighttime operations in rough seas.[16] The deck handling issue was addressed by the invention of the beartrap. The Navy came up with the solution, and contracted Fairey Aviation of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to produce it. Fairey's prototype was installed in Assiniboine during her 1962–63 conversion.[14] By keeping the aircraft secure, the beartrap eliminated the need for deck handling from landing to the hangar, or from hangar to takeoff.[14]

Margaree with helicopter platform added
Margaree with helicopter platform added

In the conversion to a helicopter-carrying vessel, Assiniboine was gutted except for machinery and some forward spaces. The hull was strengthened, fuelling facilities for the helicopter and activated fin stabilizers installed. The fin stabilizers were to reduce roll in rough weather during helicopter operations.[8] All seven St Laurents were fitted with helicopter platforms and SQS 504 Variable Depth Sonar (VDS). St Laurent was equipped with VDS late in 1961, the helicopter platform to be added later. When ships were fitted with the helicopter platform, the single funnel was altered to twin stepped funnels to permit the forward extension of the helicopter hangar.[7] To make room for the helicopter deck, the aft 3-inch mount and one of the Limbos were removed.[8][4] The two 40 mm guns were also removed.[4] Following the conversion, the displacement remained the same at standard load but at full load, it increased to 3,051 tonnes (3,003 long tons).[9]

Initial studies identified two helicopters that met the upcoming requirements- the Sikorsky S-61 (HSS-2) Sea King and the Kaman K-20 (HU2K).[11] The Sea King was ultimately chosen in December 1961.[17]

Assiniboine was the first in the class to receive the full upgrade, re-commissioning as a DDH on 28 June 1963.[7] On 27 November 1963, her new platform was used for the first operational landing of a production CHSS-2 Sea King, and her beartrap landing system was used operationally for the first time a week later.[18]

DELEX program

In the late 1970s, under the Destroyer Life Extension (DELEX) program was commissioned to upgrade ten of the St. Laurent-class ships with new electronics, machinery, and hull upgrades and repairs. However, only enough was done to keep the ships in service into the late 1980s. For the St. Laurents, this meant hull and machinery repairs only.[19]

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Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term cold war is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two superpowers, but they each supported opposing sides in major regional conflicts known as proxy wars. The conflict was based on the ideological and geopolitical struggle for global influence by these two superpowers, following their temporary alliance and victory against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in 1945. Aside from the nuclear arsenal development and conventional military deployment, the struggle for dominance was expressed via indirect means such as psychological warfare, propaganda campaigns, espionage, far-reaching embargoes, rivalry at sports events, and technological competitions such as the Space Race.

Anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are typically carried out to protect friendly shipping and coastal facilities from submarine attacks and to overcome blockades.

Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about 106,460,000 km2 (41,100,000 sq mi). It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe, and Asia from the "New World" of the Americas in the European perception of the World.

Director of Naval Construction

Director of Naval Construction

The Director of Naval Construction (DNC) also known as the Department of the Director of Naval Construction and Directorate of Naval Construction and originally known as the Chief Constructor of the Navy was a senior principal civil officer responsible to the Board of Admiralty for the design and construction of the warships of the Royal Navy. From 1883 onwards he was also head of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors, the naval architects who staffed his department from 1860 to 1966. The (D.N.C.'s) modern equivalent is Director Ships in the Defence Equipment and Support organisation of the Ministry of Defence.

Frigate

Frigate

A frigate is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.

Biological warfare

Biological warfare

Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, insects, and fungi with the intent to kill, harm or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war. Biological weapons are living organisms or replicating entities. Entomological (insect) warfare is a subtype of biological warfare.

Chemical warfare

Chemical warfare

Chemical warfare (CW) involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from nuclear warfare, biological warfare and radiological warfare, which together make up CBRN, the military acronym for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear, all of which are considered "weapons of mass destruction" (WMDs), a term that contrasts with conventional weapons.

Cadillac

Cadillac

The Cadillac Motor Car Division is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed in 34 additional markets worldwide. Cadillac automobiles are at the top of the luxury field within the United States. In 2019, Cadillac sold 390,458 vehicles worldwide, a record for the brand.

Hammock

Hammock

A hammock is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two or more points, used for swinging, sleeping, or resting. It normally consists of one or more cloth panels, or a woven network of twine or thin rope stretched with ropes between two firm anchor points such as trees or posts. Hammocks were developed by native inhabitants of the Americas for sleeping, as well as the English. Later, they were used aboard ships by sailors to enable comfort and maximize available space, by explorers or soldiers travelling in wooded regions and eventually by parents in the early 1920s for containing babies just learning to crawl. Today they are popular around the world for relaxation; they are also used as a lightweight bed on camping trips. The hammock is often seen as a symbol of summer, leisure, relaxation and simple, easy living.

Air conditioning

Air conditioning

Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US), AC (US), or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment and in some cases also strictly controlling the humidity of internal air. Air conditioning can be achieved using a mechanical 'air conditioner' or alternatively a variety of other methods, including passive cooling or ventilative cooling. Air conditioning is a member of a family of systems and techniques that provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). Heat pumps are similar in many ways to air conditioners, but use a reversing valve to allow them to heat and also cool an enclosed space.

Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was fought between North Korea and South Korea from 1950 to 1953. The war began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea following clashes along the border and rebellions in South Korea. North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union while South Korea was supported by the United States and allied countries. The fighting ended with an armistice on 27 July 1953.

Annapolis-class destroyer

Annapolis-class destroyer

The Annapolis-class destroyer escort was a two-ship class of destroyer escorts that saw service with the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces from the 1960s to the 1990s. The final version of the St. Laurent-class design, the class was used extensively for anti-submarine warfare purposes. Both ships were sunk as artificial reefs after being retired, one on each coast of Canada.

Ships

Note that the pennant numbers were originally prefixed with the classification symbol DDE but were changed to DDH in the early 1960s.[1][4]

St. Laurent class construction data
Ship Pennant number Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Refits completed Paid off Fate
DDH DELEX
St. Laurent DDE 205 Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, Quebec 24 November 1950 30 November 1951 29 October 1955 4 October 1963 Never 14 June 1974 Discarded 1979. Foundered and sank off Cape Hatteras on 12 January 1980
Saguenay DDE 206 Halifax Shipyards Ltd., Halifax, Nova Scotia 4 April 1951 30 July 1953 15 December 1956 14 May 1965 23 May 1980 26 June 1990 Scuttled as an artificial reef off Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Skeena DDE 207 Burrard Dry Dock Ltd., North Vancouver, British Columbia 1 June 1951 19 August 1952 30 March 1957 14 August 1965 20 November 1981 1 November 1993 Sold for scrap 1996
Ottawa DDE 229 Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, Quebec 8 June 1951 29 April 1953 10 November 1956 28 October 1964 26 November 1982 31 July 1992 Scrapped 1994
Margaree DDE 230 Halifax Shipyards Ltd., Halifax, Nova Scotia 12 September 1951 29 March 1956 5 October 1957 15 October 1965 28 November 1980 2 May 1992 Scrapped 1994
Fraser DDE 233 Burrard Dry Dock Ltd., North Vancouver, British Columbia 11 December 1951 19 February 1953 28 June 1957 22 October 1966 28 May 1982 5 October 1994 Scrapped 2011
Assiniboine DDE 234 Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel, Quebec 19 May 1952 12 February 1954 16 August 1956 28 June 1963 16 November 1979 14 December 1988 Scrapped 1995

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Hull classification symbol (Canada)

Hull classification symbol (Canada)

The Royal Canadian Navy uses hull classification symbols to identify the types of its ships, which are similar to the United States Navy's hull classification symbol system. The Royal Navy and some European and Commonwealth navies use a somewhat analogous system of pennant numbers.

HMCS St. Laurent (DDH 205)

HMCS St. Laurent (DDH 205)

HMCS St. Laurent was a St. Laurent-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1955–1974. She was the lead ship of her class, the first modern warship designed and built in Canada.

Canadian Vickers

Canadian Vickers

Canadian Vickers Limited was an aircraft and shipbuilding company that operated in Canada during the early part of the 20th century until 1944. A subsidiary of Vickers Limited, it built its own aircraft designs as well as others under licence. Canadair absorbed the Canadian Vickers aircraft operations in November 1944.

Cape Hatteras

Cape Hatteras

Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina.

HMCS Saguenay (DDH 206)

HMCS Saguenay (DDH 206)

HMCS Saguenay was a St. Laurent-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1956–1990. She was the second vessel in her class and the second Canadian naval unit to carry the name HMCS Saguenay. After being discarded by the Canadian Forces, the ship was sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. Halifax is one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, and as of 2022, it is estimated that the CMA population of Halifax was 480,582, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County.

HMCS Skeena (DDH 207)

HMCS Skeena (DDH 207)

HMCS Skeena was a St. Laurent-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1957–1993. Skeena was constructed as a destroyer escort and was converted in the 1960s to a helicopter-carrying destroyer. In 1972, the ship was designated a French Language Unit, the second in Canadian service. Discarded in 1994, the ship was broken up in India.

Burrard Dry Dock

Burrard Dry Dock

Burrard Dry Dock Ltd. was a Canadian shipbuilding company headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Together with the neighbouring North Van Ship Repair yard and the Yarrows Ltd. yard in Esquimalt, which were eventually absorbed, Burrard built over 450 ships, including many warships built and refitted for the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy in the First and Second World Wars.

HMCS Ottawa (DDH 229)

HMCS Ottawa (DDH 229)

HMCS Ottawa was a St. Laurent-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1956 to 1992. Ottawa was the first bilingual ship to serve in the Canadian navy.

HMCS Margaree (DDH 230)

HMCS Margaree (DDH 230)

HMCS Margaree was a St. Laurent-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1957–1992. She underwent conversion to a destroyer helicopter escort (DDH) in the mid-1960s and was officially reclassed with pennant DDH 230 on 15 October 1965. The vessel served until 1992 when it was discarded, sold for scrap and broken up in 1994.

HMCS Fraser (DDH 233)

HMCS Fraser (DDH 233)

HMCS Fraser was a St. Laurent-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and later the Canadian Forces from 1957–1994. Fraser was the last survivor of the St. Laurent-class destroyer, which were the first Canadian designed and built warships.

HMCS Assiniboine (DDH 234)

HMCS Assiniboine (DDH 234)

HMCS Assiniboine was a St. Laurent-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1956 to 1988. She was the second ship to bear the name. Entering service in 1956, the ship underwent conversion to a destroyer helicopter escort (DDH) in 1962, the conversion performed primarily by Victoria Machinery Depot. She was officially reclassed with pennant DDH 234 on 28 June 1963. After being paid off in 1988, the vessel was used as a harbour training ship until being discarded in 1995. The vessel sank under tow to the breakers that year.

Service history

Pre-conversion

All seven ships were laid down between November 1950 and May 1952. All seven ships were completed by October 1957.[9] Assiniboine joined the RCN at Halifax, Nova Scotia following her commissioning and spent the next two years on the east coast. In 1959, the ship transferred to the west coast and served there until being taken out of service in 1962 for conversion to a helicopter-carrying destroyer, the first of the class to go through the process.[20] Fraser after commissioning in 1957 spent the first six years of her career on the west coast. During this period she aided the yacht Redwitch in 1960 and Yaqui Queen in 1964. In 1965, Fraser was subjected to shock tests off Hawaii to test the survival capabilities of the class. The destroyer escort then sailed to the Vickers shipyard in Montreal to undergo conversion to a DDH.[21] Following her commissioning, Margaree was assigned to the west coast. She made port visits and participated in several naval exercises before undergoing her conversion to a DDH at Victoria Machinery Depot, Victoria, British Columbia.[22]

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Keel laying

Keel laying

Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. Halifax is one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, and as of 2022, it is estimated that the CMA population of Halifax was 480,582, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County.

Yacht

Yacht

A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a yacht, as opposed to a boat, such a pleasure vessel is likely to be at least 33 feet (10 m) in length and may have been judged to have good aesthetic qualities.

Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is a state in the Western United States, about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from the U.S. mainland in the Pacific Ocean. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state in the tropics.

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The city of Victoria is the 7th most densely populated city in Canada with 4,405.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (11,411/sq mi).

Significance

In 1997, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada recognized the St. Laurent class as being historically significant to Canadians and in 2000[23] installed a bronze plaque aboard Fraser which read:

St. Laurent Class of Canadian Warship

The pride of the Canadian Navy during the Cold War, these anti-submarine escorts were the first naval vessels conceived and built in Canada. Designed in 1948–1949, they influenced naval construction internationally with their smooth above-water surfaces and distinctive convex deck. They could also be sealed to protect crews against biological and radioactive threats. All seven St. Laurent-class ships were modified during the 1960s to carry helicopters and enhance their anti-submarine capability. Launched in 1953, HMCS Fraser is the last surviving example of this innovative class of warship.

— National Historic Site plaque

Source: "St. Laurent-class destroyer", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, December 13th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Laurent-class_destroyer.

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Further Reading

Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King

HMCS Yukon (DDE 263)

HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266)

Beartrap (hauldown device)

HMCS Assiniboine (DDH 234)

HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265)

HMCS Fraser (DDH 233)

HMCS Mackenzie

HMCS Saguenay (DDH 206)

Restigouche-class destroyer

HMCS Skeena (DDH 207)

Mackenzie-class destroyer

HMCS Saskatchewan (DDE 262)

Annapolis-class destroyer

Canadian River-class destroyer

HMCS St. Laurent (DDH 205)

HMCS Margaree (DDH 230)
References

Notes

  1. ^ Conway's says 2000 tons standard displacement, 2600 deep load.
  2. ^ Jane's Fighting Ships 1963–64 shows photographs taken in 1962 and 1963 respectively of Skeena and Assiniboine with these.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Blackman, 1964
  2. ^ a b Sharpe, p. 84
  3. ^ "First Contract Awarded in Escort Programme". The Crowsnest. Vol. 1, no. 9. King's Printer. July 1949. p. 2.
  4. ^ a b c d Chumbley & Gardiner, p. 44
  5. ^ a b Friedman, p. 161
  6. ^ a b Barrie and Macpherson (1996), pp. 9–11
  7. ^ a b c d e Blackman, p. 35
  8. ^ a b c d Barrie and Macpherson (1996), pp. 12–13
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Barrie and Macpherson (1996), p. 17
  10. ^ a b Sharpe, 1992
  11. ^ a b Soward (1995), pp. 169–171
  12. ^ a b Soward 1995, pp. 63–65
  13. ^ Blackman, p. 37
  14. ^ a b c d e Crowsnest Magazine – Vol 17, Nos 3 and 4 March–April 1965 Archived 2014-07-27 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ Blackman, pp. 35 & 37
  16. ^ a b Soward (1995), pp. 92–93
  17. ^ Soward (1995), pp. 261–262.
  18. ^ Soward (1995), p. 326
  19. ^ Barrie and Macpherson (1996), p. 16
  20. ^ Barrie and Macpherson (1996), pp. 18–19
  21. ^ Barrie and Macpherson (1996), pp. 21–23
  22. ^ Barrie and Macpherson (1996), pp. 25–26
  23. ^ Parks Canada Directory of National Historic Sites

Sources

  • Barrie, Ron; Macpherson, Ken (1996). Cadillac of Destroyers: HMCS St. Laurent and Her Successors. St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-55125-036-5.
  • Blackman, Raymond V.B., ed. (1963). Jane's Fighting Ships 1963–64. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0070321612.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
  • Friedman, Norman (1986). The Postwar Naval Revolution. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-952-9.
  • Sharpe, Richard, ed. (May 1992). Jane's Fighting Ships 1992–93 (85th ed.). Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0710609833.
  • Soward, Stuart E. Hands to Flying Stations, a Recollective History of Canadian Naval Aviation, Volume II. Victoria, British Columbia: Neptune Developments, 1995. ISBN 0-9697229-1-5.
  • Crowsnest Magazine – Vol 17, Nos 3 and 4 March–April 1965
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