naval affairs

NAC News – Edition 387

NAC News – Edition 387

Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of December 11th, 2020

Edition – 387   “Most of the people in Canada lived in the heart of the continent, and were largely oblivious of the sea which they seldom ever saw.  Moreover a navy in any case remains largely hidden from landsmen.  Accordingly, as the warships of the Royal Navy lay in readiness at their stations, to Canadians in general they were like the air – mysterious, invisible, gratuitous, and taken for granted.”   The Naval Service of Canada Its Official History Vol 1, Origins and Early Years.  pg. 9.  Gilbert Norman Tucker, PH.D. Director of Naval History Section 1952 (Editor – same issues today!)

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

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★   Editor’s stars of the week

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NOTICES

  • ★  Naval Affairs Partnership Programme –  Over the past year the NAC National Board has been considering how to ensure continued funding for our emergent Naval Affairs programme, which after several years of development is now achieving measurable success.  We are pleased to announce a partnership with the Association of Marketing Professionals (AMP) in the promotion of and the securing support for, our Naval Affairs Program. To this end they will be helping us to connect with industry to secure the needed support and to promote the work we are doing in educating Canadians on the need for a modern and well-equipped RCN. We will keep you apprised of the progress of this exciting initiative. If there is a way that you as a member can be supportive or directly assist AMP in their efforts please contact the NAC Executive Director
  • A NAC Christmas Present – An Undersea Adventure – is NAC’s Naval Affairs programme second children’s 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 (includes shipping!).  Just send an email to the NAC Executive Director, executivedirector-nac@outlook.com for this special offer.  Note: we have French version of these books in inventory!
  • RCN presentation “Canadian Surface Combatants – the RIGHT ship for the RCN, the RIGHT ship for Canada” by Capt (RCN) Christopher Nucci, Director Naval Strategy.  This is a reschedule of the event previously scheduled for 2 December 2020, 12 January 2021 – invitation to follow.
  • NAC-TO announces the Canadian Naval Tribute Project. The intention is to unveil the monument 1 May 2021

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CANADA

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USA & AMERICAS

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INDO-PACIFIC

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EUROPE

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MIDDLE EAST

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GLOBAL INTERESTS

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SCUTTLEBUTT

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SIGNIFICANT RCN DATES – DECEMBER

(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 website, the encyclopedic guidance of NAC member and author Fraser McKee, and anywhere else I can find credible information.)

  • 1 December 1948 HMCS Shearwater, RCN Air Station, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is commissioned.
  • 2 December 1946 HMCS Middlesex goes aground on Shut-in Island near Halifax and becomes a total loss.
  • 2 December 1968 The Canadian submarine HMCS Rainbow is commissioned; purchased from the United States, it was originally the USS Argonaut launched in 1944.
  • 3 December 1969 As the aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure is decommissioned, the aviation fuel tanks are emptied and cleaned, but on of the tanks does not vent properly; two sailors are overcome by the fumes and another two lose their lives during the rescue attempt.
  • 4 December 1940 HMCS Prince Henry is commissioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser.
  • 4-6 Dec 1950 A United Nations task force under Captain J.V. Brock, RCN, in HMCS Cayuga, and consisting of HMC Ships Athabaskan and Sioux, His Majesty’s Australian Ships Warramunga and Bataan, the USS Forest Royal, covered the seaborne withdrawal of civilians and elements of the 8th Army (US) threatened by enemy advances in the Chinnampo area, Korea.
  • 5 December 1950 HMCS Athabaskan and HMCS Cayuga bombard the port of Chinnampo, Korea (04-05 Apr).
  • 6 December 1917 Halifax Explosion.  A huge explosion in Halifax harbour destroys the naval facilities and much of the city.
  • 7 December 1941 Canada declares war on Romania, Hungary, Finland, and Japan.
  • 7 December 1941 HMCS Windflower is lost and 23 of her crew perish after a collision with a Dutch freighter SS Zypenburg on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
  • 8 December 1918 The Royal Canadian Naval Air Service is discontinued and the cadets being trained are demobilized.
  • 10 December 1939 The first Canadian troop convoy of 7,400 soldiers sails for Britain escorted out of Halifax by HMC ships Ottawa, Restigouche, Fraser and St. Laurent.
  • 12 December 1969  RCN retires aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure after 12 years of service; “Bonnie” never saw combat, but was scram­bled dur­ing the Octo­ber Mis­sile Crisis; later sold for scrap. Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 13 December 1940 HMCS Royal Roads is commissioned as a training establishment for Probationary Sub-Lieutenants.
  • 14 December 1915 Flight Sub-Lieutenant A.S. Ince, RNAS while flying as observer in a Viewpoint aircraft shot down in flames a German two-seater.  The victory, the first confirmed success credited to a Canadian airman, won for Ince the DSC, the first decoration awarded a Canadian in the RNAS.
  • 17 December 1944 HMCS MONTREAL (frigate) rescues survivors of U-Boat 1209 wrecked on Wolf Rock southwest of Land’s End.
  • 19 December 1945 The Government of Canada approves in principle the formation of a naval air branch.
  • 20 December 1941 HMCS Adversus, ex-RCMP patrol ship, while on patrol was lost at sea when caught in a blizzard and run aground on McNutts Island near Shelburne, NS.  All 16 crew survive.
  • 20 December 1943 HMCS Prince David is re-commissioned as a Landing Ship Infantry (Medium).
  • 24 December 1944 HMCS Clayoquot is torpedoed by a U806 and sinks while taking station on convoy XB.139, in the approaches to Halifax harbour.  Eight of her crew were lost.
  • 26 December 1954 HMCS ships HURON and IROQUOIS leave Korea for their home base in Halifax.
  • 27 December 1942 HMC Ships St. Laurent commanded by LCdr Guy S. Windeyer, RCN, with HMCS Chilliwack, commanded by LCdr Clifton P. Coughlin,  RCNVR, with HMCS Battleford commanded by Lt F.A. Beck, RCNVR, and HMCS Napanee commanded by Lt L.S. Henderson, RCNVR and other escorts in a melee sank the German submarine U-356 in the mid-Atlantic.
  • 27 December 1944 HMCS St. Thomas commanded by LCdr Leslie P. Denny, RCNR in company with HMCS Sea Cliff commanded by LCdr J.E. Harrington, RCNVR directed St. Thomas onto her ASDIC contact and sank the German submarine U-877 in the North Atlantic.
  • 28 December 1940 HMCS Prince David is commissioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser.
  • 29 December 1837: Canadian ‘volunteers’ under Captain Andrew Drew (ex-RN) cross upper Niagara River, seize supply schooner Caroline, supporting W.L. Mackenzie’s rebellious force on American Navy Island above the Falls.  1 US citizen killed, the ship is cut loose, strands on rocks above the Falls, breaks up and goes over.  Canadians row home.
  • 31 December 1990 The crew of HMCS Preserver flies to the Persian Gulf to relieve HMCS Protecteur’s crew.
  • 31 December 1992 New Canadian military honours are created: The Victoria Cross, Star of Military Valour, Medal of Military Valour and Mention in Dispatches.