naval affairs

NAC News – Edition 383

NAC News – Edition 383

Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of November 13th, 2020

Edition – 383   “It is not so much the mode of formation as the proper combined use of the different arms which will insure victory” Jomini: Précis de l’Art de la guerre 1838

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

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NOTICES

  • The Royal Canadian Legion offers currently serving and retired Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP members a free, one-year membership to welcome them to the Legion!  (Editor – I only joined the Legion once I retired, I wish I’d joined earlier, they do great community work…Poppy Fund for example)
  • A NAC Christmas Present – An Underwater Adventure – NAC’s Naval Affairs program second childrens book. Now for sale – why not order an early Christmas present for your family or donate a copy to your local library. $10 ($12 including shipping). NAC donates $1 for every copy sold to your local MFRC. SPECIAL OFFER – Order “An Underwater Adventure” and “Mom’s in the Navy for the low price of $18 (included shipping!). Just send an email to the NAC Executive Director, executivedirector-nac@outlook.com for this special offer.

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USA & AMERICAS

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INDO-PACIFIC

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MIDDLE EAST

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GLOBAL INTERESTS

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SCUTTLEBUTT

 

SIGNIFICANT RCN DATES – NOVEMBER

(If you see any omissions or errors please inform me, and more modern significant dates are also welcome.  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”, Roger Litwiller’s excellent web site, the encyclopedic guidance of NAC member and author Fraser McKee, and anywhere else I can find credible information.)

  • 1 November 1914 Battle at Coronel A brass plaque at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Esquimalt, BC, is dedicated to the four ex-cadets of the Royal Naval College of Canada and men of Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Good Hope who were killed in action in 1914.  Four cadets of the first class of the Royal Navy College of Canada, were the first Canadian Navy casualties in WWI. Midshipman Malcolm Cann, Midshipman John V.W. Hatheway, Midshipman William Archibald Palmer, and Midshipman Arthur Wiltshire Silver, died when the British warship HMS Good Hope went down with no survivors, sunk by the German navy.  These casualties were avenged 8 December at the Battle of the Falkland Islands.
  • 1 November 1920 Three British ships, Aurora, Patriot and Patrician are officially commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy at Portsmouth.
  • 1 November 1941 Reserve Divisions are commissioned as HMCS, local names chosen for each.
  • 5 November 1962 A fire heavily damages the prototype hydrofoil BRAS D’OR under construction in Quebec.
  • 6 November 1940 HMCS Ottawa (I) commanded by Cdr E. Rollo Mainguy, RCN with HMS Harvester sank the Italian Submarine Comandante Faà di Bruno after it attacked Convoy HX-84.
  • 6 November 1990 CAF establishes a headquarters under Commodore Kenneth J. Summers in Manama, Bahrain, part of Canada’s contribution to the Persian Gulf War.
  • 8 November 1942 British Fleet Air Arm pilots in North Africa conduct the first operational use of anti-gravity suits, developed at the University of Toronto.
  • 8 November 1910 HMCS Rainbow arrives in Esquimalt for the first time.
  • 8 November 1942 The first German agent is landed from a U-boat off New Carlisle, Quebec and is promptly arrested by the police.
  • 9 November 1910 His Majesty’s Dockyard, Esquimalt, is transferred to Canadian ownership and forms the basis for Pacific Command
  • 9 November 1940 HMCS Collingwood, the first corvette built in Canada for the RCN, is commissioned.
  • 11 November 1918 Armistice Day for the “War to end all Wars” came to an end after more than four years of bloody fighting.  8,826 Canadians served in the RCN and RCNVR.  24 became casualties.
  • 13 November 1942 Captain (RN) Frederick Thornton Peters born in Charlottetown and raised in Vernon and Victoria was awarded the VC for his actions 13 Nov 1943.  Captain Peters was in the suicide charge” by two little cutters at Oran.  The “Walney” and “Hartland” were two ex-American coastguard cutters which were lost in a gallant attempt to force the boom defences in the harbour of Oran during the landings on the North African coast.  Captain Peters led his force through the boom in the face of point-blank fire from shore batteries, destroyer, and a cruiser – a feat which was described as one of the great episodes of naval history.  The “Walney” reached the jetty disabled and ablaze, she and went down with her colours flying.  Blinded in one eye, Captain Peters was the only survivor of the seventeen men on the bridge of the “Walney”.  He was taken prisoner but was later released when Oran was captured.  On being liberated from the gaol, he was carried through the streets where the citizens hailed him with flowers.  He earned the Distinguished Service Order (George V), London Gazette 30 March 1915, Distinguished Service Cross (George V), London Gazette 8 March 1918 and Bar – London Gazette 11 July 1940.  British War Medal, Victory Medal, 1939-45 Star, Africa Star with Bar (North Africa 1942-43) 1939-45 Medal, Distinguished Service Cross (USA).
  • 13 November 1944 HMCS Algonquin commanded by LCdr Desmond W. Piers, DSO, RCN sank German Minesweepers M-416 and M-427.
  • 15 November 1942 While escorting a convoy, HMCS Saguenay is accidentally struck in the stern by freighter SS Azra, which sinks. Saguenay is towed to St. John’s.
  • 15 November 1952 First Naval Reserve Air Squadron established, VC-920 at Toronto.  To fly Swordfish and Avengers.
  • 16 November 1857 PO1 William Hall, ‘Captain of the Foretop,’ of that HMS Shannon, were recommended by the late Captain Peel for the Victoria Cross, for their gallant conduct at a 24-Pounder Gun, brought up to the angle of the Shah Nujjiff, at Lucknow, on the 16th of November, 1857.  William Hall was the first Nova Scotian, the first Naval VC earned by a Canadian citizen, and the first Black person to receive the Victoria Cross.
  • 16 November 1941 HMCS Prince Robert arrived in Hong Kong escorting units of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada in TS Awatea.
  • 20 November 1943 HMCS Snowberry commanded by A/LCdr James A. Dunn,  RCNVR, HMCS Calgary commanded by A/LCDR Henry  Hill,  RCNVR, and HMCS Nene commanded by sink U-536 near the Azores.
  • 20 November 1957 HMCS Labrador, an Arctic patrol vessel, is paid off and later transferred to the Department of Transport.
  • 21 November 1953 HMCS Labrador arrived in Halifax, having circumnavigated the North American continent.
  • 23 November 1809 Convicted in Canada’s first piracy trial, Edward Jordan is hanged in Halifax.
  • 24 November 1944 HMCS Shawinigan while on independent anti-submarine patrol in the Cabot Strait, was torpedoed and sunk by U1228.  All 91 of the crew perished.
  • 25 November 1950 HMCS Nootka leaves Halifax for the first of two tours of duty in Korea.
  • 28 November 1953 The first group of 48 RCN volunteers left Montreal by air for submarine training with the Royal Navy.
  • 29 November 1957 HMCS Kenora and Kentville, two paid off minesweepers, are transferred to the Turkish navy as Bandirma and Bartin.