For other ships with the same name, see HMCS Skeena.
HMCS Skeena was a St. Laurent-classdestroyer 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.[5] Discarded in 1994, the ship was broken up in India.
Two St. Laurent-class destroyers in their original configuration
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. 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.[6] 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.[7]
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).[8] The destroyer escorts displaced 2,263 tonnes (2,227 long tons) standard and 2,800 tonnes (2,800 long tons) at deep load.[8][note 1] The destroyer escorts had a crew of 12 officers and 237 enlisted.[8]
Armament
The St. Laurent class was fitted with twin 3-inch (76 mm)/L50caliber guns in two mounts for engaging both surface and air targets. The ships were also fitted with two single-mounted 40 mm (1.6 in) guns.[8] 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.[6]
Machinery
The vessels of the St. Laurent class had two Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers installed.[8] 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).[9] The ships had an endurance of 4,570 nautical miles (8,460 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h).[8]
DDH conversion
Following successful trials aboard the frigateBuckingham and sister shipOttawa, plans to convert the St. Laurent class took shape.[10][11][12] Th development of the beartrap, installed in Assiniboine during her 1962–63 conversion, finalized the concept. By keeping the aircraft secure, the beartrap eliminated the need for deck handling from landing to the hangar, or from hangar to takeoff.[11]
In the conversion to a helicopter-carrying vessel, Skeena was gutted except for machinery and some forward spaces. The hull was strengthened, fueling facilities for the helicopter and activated fin stabilizers installed. The fin stabilizers were to reduce roll in rough weather during helicopter operations.[13] All seven St Laurents were fitted with helicopter platforms and SQS 504 Variable Depth Sonar (VDS). The single funnel was altered to twin stepped funnels to permit the forward extension of the helicopter hangar.[9] To make room for the helicopter deck, the aft 3-inch mount and one of the Limbos were removed.[13][14] The two 40 mm guns were also removed.[14] 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).[8]
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.[15]
After commissioning, Skeena was assigned to the Second Canadian Escort Squadron based out of Esquimalt, British Columbia.[17][18] The Second Canadian Escort Squadron departed on a training cruise around the Pacific in January 1958, returning on 2 April.[18] On 29 January 1962, Skeena accidentally shelled an American village in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. As one of four ships practicing their gunnery, some of the shrapnel from the ship's guns fell on Clallam Bay, Washington. The commander of the warship, Richard H. Leir, faced a court-martial for the event.[19] He was later convicted.[20]
Skeena underwent conversion to a destroyer helicopter escort (DDH) beginning in 1964 by Davie Shipbuilding at Lauzon, Quebec. The vessel exited the yard and was recommissioned as a DDH with the hull number DDH 207 on 14 August 1965.[16] Following re-entry into service, the ship joined the Third Canadian Escort Squadron at Halifax, Nova Scotia.[18]
In 1972, Skeena was designated a French Language Unit (FLU), replacing Ottawa.[5] A French Language Unit was a Canadian Forces designation where French was to be the primarily spoken language to encourage career opportunities for Canadian Francophones.[21] During the 1976 Summer Olympics which were held in Montreal, Quebec, the vessel was among those assigned to provide security.[16]
Skeena was selected by the Canadian Forces for the Destroyer Life Extension (DELEX) program and completed this refit on 20 November 1981 at Montreal. However, the ship only began sea trials with the modifications on 4 January 1982. In May 1985, Skeena deployed as part of STANAVFORLANT, NATO's standing naval fleet. On 24–26 May, Skeena and USS Richard E. Byrd tracked a Soviet task force off the coast of Portugal.[18] During the summer of 1991, the ship participated in the NATO naval exercise Ocean Safari 91. She also deployed with STANAVFORLANT from 09 Jan 1992 to 16 July 1992, sailing to the Caribbean then going to Europe until the end of her deployment. She was paid off from active service in the Canadian Forces on 1 November 1993. Skeena was sold in 1994 and broken up in India in 1996.[16]
References
Notes
^Conway's says 2000 tons standard displacement, 2600 deep load.
Arbuckle, J. Graeme (1987). Badges of the Canadian Navy. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Nimbus Publishing. ISBN0-920852-49-1.
Barrie, Ron; Macpherson, Ken (1996). Cadillac of Destroyers: HMCS St. Laurent and Her Successors. St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing Limited. ISBN1-55125-036-5.
Friedman, Norman (1986). The Postwar Naval Revolution. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-952-9.
Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-132-7.
Hadley, Michael L.; Huebert, Rob; Crickard, Fred W., eds. (1992). A Nation's Navy: In Quest of Canadian Naval Identity. Montreal, Quebec and Kingston, Ontario: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN0-7735-1506-2.
Macpherson, Ken; Barrie, Ron (2002). The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 (Third ed.). St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN1-55125-072-1.
Soward, Stuart E. Hands to Flying Stations, a Recollective History of Canadian Naval Aviation, Volume II. Victoria, British Columbia: Neptune Developments, 1995. ISBN0-9697229-1-5.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMCS Skeena (DDH 207) (ship, 1952).
Canadian Navy of Yesterday & Today: St. Laurent-class destroyer escort
January 30, 2023
hmcs, skeena, other, ships, with, same, name, hmcs, skeena, hmcs, skeena, laurent, class, destroyer, that, served, royal, canadian, navy, later, canadian, forces, from, 1957, 1993, skeena, constructed, destroyer, escort, converted, 1960s, helicopter, carrying,. For other ships with the same name see HMCS Skeena 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 5 Discarded in 1994 the ship was broken up in India HMCS Skeena DDH 207 in 1957HistoryCanadaNameSkeenaNamesakeSkeena RiverBuilderBurrard Yarrows VancouverLaid down1 June 1951Launched19 August 1952Commissioned30 March 1957Decommissioned1 November 1993Reclassified14 August 1965 as DDH HomeportHalifax Nova Scotia as DDH Identificationpennant number 207 International Call Sign CGWPMotto En Avant 1 Honours andawardsAtlantic 1939 44 Normandy 1944 Biscay 1944 1 2 FateScrapped in 1996 BadgeAzure out of a base invected argent a salmon sinisterwise proper 1 General characteristicsTypeSt Laurent class destroyer escortDisplacementAs DDE 2263 tons normal 2800 tons deep load As DDH 2260 tons normal 3051 tons deep load 4 Length366 ft 111 6 m Beam42 ft 12 8 m DraughtAs DDE 13 ft 4 0 m 3 As DDH 14 ft 4 3 m 4 Propulsion2 shaft English Electric geared steam turbines 3 Babcock amp Wilcox boilers 22 000 kW 30 000 shp Speed28 5 knots 52 8 km h 3 Range4 570 nautical miles 8 463 6 km at 12 knots 22 2 km h ComplementAs DDE 249 As DDH 213 plus 20 aircrewSensors and processing systemsAs 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 amp decoysAs 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 DFArmamentAs DDE 2 3 in 76 mm Mk 33 FMC twin mounts guns 2 40 mm 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 torpedoesAircraft carriedAs DDH 1 CH 124 Sea KingAviation facilitiesAs DDH 1 midships helicopter deck with Beartrap and hangar Contents 1 Design and description 1 1 Armament 1 2 Machinery 1 3 DDH conversion 1 4 DELEX program 2 Service history 3 References 3 1 Notes 3 2 Citations 3 3 Sources 4 External linksDesign and description Edit Two St Laurent class destroyers in their original configuration 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 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 6 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 7 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 8 The destroyer escorts displaced 2 263 tonnes 2 227 long tons standard and 2 800 tonnes 2 800 long tons at deep load 8 note 1 The destroyer escorts had a crew of 12 officers and 237 enlisted 8 Armament Edit The St Laurent class was fitted with twin 3 inch 76 mm L50 caliber guns in two mounts for engaging both surface and air targets The ships were also fitted with two single mounted 40 mm 1 6 in guns 8 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 6 Machinery Edit The vessels of the St Laurent class had two Babcock amp Wilcox water tube boilers installed 8 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 9 The ships had an endurance of 4 570 nautical miles 8 460 km at 12 knots 22 km h 8 DDH conversion Edit Following successful trials aboard the frigate Buckingham and sister ship Ottawa plans to convert the St Laurent class took shape 10 11 12 Th development of the beartrap installed in Assiniboine during her 1962 63 conversion finalized the concept By keeping the aircraft secure the beartrap eliminated the need for deck handling from landing to the hangar or from hangar to takeoff 11 In the conversion to a helicopter carrying vessel Skeena was gutted except for machinery and some forward spaces The hull was strengthened fueling facilities for the helicopter and activated fin stabilizers installed The fin stabilizers were to reduce roll in rough weather during helicopter operations 13 All seven St Laurents were fitted with helicopter platforms and SQS 504 Variable Depth Sonar VDS The single funnel was altered to twin stepped funnels to permit the forward extension of the helicopter hangar 9 To make room for the helicopter deck the aft 3 inch mount and one of the Limbos were removed 13 14 The two 40 mm guns were also removed 14 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 8 DELEX program Edit 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 15 Service history Edit HMCS Skeena commissioning 1957 Skeena was laid down by Burrard Yarrows at Vancouver on 1 June 1951 The vessel was launched on 19 August 1952 and commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy on 30 March 1957 initially carrying the hull number DDE 207 as a destroyer escort 16 After commissioning Skeena was assigned to the Second Canadian Escort Squadron based out of Esquimalt British Columbia 17 18 The Second Canadian Escort Squadron departed on a training cruise around the Pacific in January 1958 returning on 2 April 18 On 29 January 1962 Skeena accidentally shelled an American village in the Strait of Juan de Fuca As one of four ships practicing their gunnery some of the shrapnel from the ship s guns fell on Clallam Bay Washington The commander of the warship Richard H Leir faced a court martial for the event 19 He was later convicted 20 Skeena underwent conversion to a destroyer helicopter escort DDH beginning in 1964 by Davie Shipbuilding at Lauzon Quebec The vessel exited the yard and was recommissioned as a DDH with the hull number DDH 207 on 14 August 1965 16 Following re entry into service the ship joined the Third Canadian Escort Squadron at Halifax Nova Scotia 18 In 1972 Skeena was designated a French Language Unit FLU replacing Ottawa 5 A French Language Unit was a Canadian Forces designation where French was to be the primarily spoken language to encourage career opportunities for Canadian Francophones 21 During the 1976 Summer Olympics which were held in Montreal Quebec the vessel was among those assigned to provide security 16 Skeena was selected by the Canadian Forces for the Destroyer Life Extension DELEX program and completed this refit on 20 November 1981 at Montreal However the ship only began sea trials with the modifications on 4 January 1982 In May 1985 Skeena deployed as part of STANAVFORLANT NATO s standing naval fleet On 24 26 May Skeena and USS Richard E Byrd tracked a Soviet task force off the coast of Portugal 18 During the summer of 1991 the ship participated in the NATO naval exercise Ocean Safari 91 She also deployed with STANAVFORLANT from 09 Jan 1992 to 16 July 1992 sailing to the Caribbean then going to Europe until the end of her deployment She was paid off from active service in the Canadian Forces on 1 November 1993 Skeena was sold in 1994 and broken up in India in 1996 16 References EditNotes Edit Conway s says 2000 tons standard displacement 2600 deep load Citations Edit a b c Arbuckle p 116 Battle Honours Britain s Navy Retrieved 18 September 2013 a b Blackman 1964 a b Sharpe p 84 a b Hadley et al p 319 a b Friedman p 161 Barrie and Macpherson 1996 pp 9 11 a b c d e f g Barrie and Macpherson 1996 p 17 a b Blackman p 35 Soward 1995 pp 63 65 a b The Beartrap A Canadian Invention The Crowsnest Vol 17 no 3 March 1965 Archived from the original on 2014 07 27 Blackman pp 35 37 a b Barrie and Macpherson 1996 pp 12 13 a b Chumbley amp Gardiner p 44 Barrie and Macpherson 1996 p 16 a b c d Macpherson amp Barrie 2002 p 250 Canadian Ships at Saigon The St Maurice Valley Chronicle 3 July 1958 Retrieved 14 September 2014 a b c d Barrie and Macpherson 1996 pp 32 33 Wild shot by destroyer has trial aftermath Ellensburg Daily Record 21 February 1962 Retrieved 14 September 2014 Naval Officer Convicted Spokane Daily Chronicle 12 March 1962 Retrieved 14 September 2014 Hadley et al pp 310 312 Sources Edit Arbuckle J Graeme 1987 Badges of the Canadian Navy Halifax Nova Scotia Nimbus Publishing ISBN 0 920852 49 1 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 amp Co Ltd ISBN 0070321612 Friedman Norman 1986 The Postwar Naval Revolution Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 952 9 Gardiner Robert Chumbley Stephen Budzbon Przemyslaw eds 1995 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1947 1995 Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 132 7 Hadley Michael L Huebert Rob Crickard Fred W eds 1992 A Nation s Navy In Quest of Canadian Naval Identity Montreal Quebec and Kingston Ontario McGill Queen s University Press ISBN 0 7735 1506 2 Macpherson Ken Barrie Ron 2002 The Ships of Canada s Naval Forces 1910 2002 Third ed St Catharines Ontario Vanwell Publishing ISBN 1 55125 072 1 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 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMCS Skeena DDH 207 ship 1952 Canadian Navy of Yesterday amp Today St Laurent class destroyer escort Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMCS Skeena DDH 207 amp oldid 1135641339, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
