naval affairs

NAC News – Edition 349

NAC News – Edition 349

Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of March 20th, 2020

Edition – 349

Rod Hughes – Editor NAC News rhughes@shaw.ca  (comments welcome to help improve this service)

Contact David Soule executivedirector-nac@outlook.com if you wish someone (who may be a member or perhaps a good candidate to join) to be added to the NAC News email distribution.

★   Editor’s stars of the week

Keep in touch with the NAC

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  • TWITTER       @RCN_MRC  @Comd_MARPAC   @MARPAC   @RCN_MARLANT                           #RCNavy or #MarineRC
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NOTICES

  • ★   2020 NAC BOA Gala, conference and AGM –  POSTPONED until further notice  (All – Out of concern for the health and welfare of those we seek to honour, our loyal NAC members far and wide, those who loyally serve in the RCN, and those who support the NAC (we have some very generous corporate sponsors for these events), we have decided to postpone these activities to a later date. We are working on a plan to host a replacement dinner and conference in October along with other RCN activities which may be scheduled at that time. The AGM will be held via electronic means sometime in June. Details to follow. Please check the link and future NAC News editions – Keep safe out there! your NAC News editor and NAC executive director send)
  • Vanguard Launches First-Ever Canadian Submarine Event  (Editor – The next big RCN procurement challenge!  The Deep Blue 2020 Forum, a one-day event, will take place on 29 October 2020, details to follow)

CANADA

USA & AMERICAS

INDO-PACIFIC

EUROPE

MIDDLE EAST

GLOBAL INTERESTS

SCUTTLEBUTT

SIGNIFICANT RCN DATES – MARCH

(If you see any omissions or errors please inform me, and any more modern significant dates are also welcomed.  The list draws primarily from the Directory of History and Heritage’s comprehensive “Significant Dates in Canadian Military History”, the now defunct “Canada Channel”, “Legion Magazine”, and Roger Litwiller’s excellent web site http://www.rogerlitwiller.com)

  • 1 March 1928  HMC Ships Champlain and Vancouver are commissioned into the RCN, replacing HMC Ships Patriot and Patrician.
  • 3 March 1921  HMC Submarines CH-14 and CH-15 are commissioned into the RCN.
  • 4 March 1943  HMC Ships Shediac and St. Croix sink the German submarine U-87 in the North Atlantic.
  • 6 March 1944  HMC Ships St. Catharines, Chilliwack, Gatineau, Fennel and Chaudiere assist Royal Naval warships in the sinking of the German submarine U-744 in the North Atlantic.
  • 7 March 1945  HMC Ships La Hulloise, Strathadam and Thetford Mines sink the German submarine U-1302 in St. George’s Channel.
  • 9 March 1945  HMCS Uganda arrives in Sydney, Australia, to join the British Pacific Fleet.
  • 10 March 1944  HMC Ships St. Laurent, Owen Sound and Swansea assist Royal Navy warships sink the German submarine U-845 in the North Atlantic.
  • 12 March 1918  Lieutenant (RCN) William McKinstry Heriot-Maitland-Dougall (RCNC 1911–1914) at age of 23 years of age was in command of HMS D3 and was killed with his submarine’s crew of 29 off Le Havre, France.  HMS D3 was sunk in error by French dirigible AT-9, which could not see D3’s insignia because of the sub’s reflection off the waves and took her to be a U-boat firing upon it. The French hadn’t been informed that D3 was assigned to their waters in the English Channel and were not aware that British submarines were identifying themselves with rockets as opposed to flashing lights.
  • 13 March 1943 HMCS Prescott sink U163 off Cape Finisterre, the kill was originally credited to a USS Herring a USN submarine.
  • 17 March 1945  HMCS Guysborough is torpedoed and sunk by U878 off Ushant.  51 of her crew were lost.
  • 20 March 1943 – World War II – UK destroyer commissioned into RCN as HMCS Griffin; 3 weeks later, renamed HMCS Ottawa; second of name. Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 21 March 1945  HMCS New Glasgow (frigate) rammed and fatally damages U-Boat 1003 off Lough Foyle, Northern Ireland .
  • 23 March 1965  Fifteen RCAF aviators are killed when their Argus patrol plane goes down in a night exercise off Puerto Rico.
  • 24 March 1941  The Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817, which restricted the number of naval vessels allowed on the Great Lakes, is modified to allow both American and Canadian naval vessels to operate on the Great Lakes in greater numbers.
  • 26 March 1941 – World War II – Disaster – RCN armed yacht HMCS Otter destroyed by an accidental explosion and fire, off Halifax; two Officers and 17 men lost.
  • 29 March 1945  HMCS TEME (frigate) is torpedoed by U Boat 246 in the English Channel off Falmouth and declared a total loss.
  • 31 March 1945  HMCS Conestoga, the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service training establishment, is paid off.
  • 31 March 1991  The Gulf War between Iraq and the United Nations coalition ends.