NAC News - Edition 449 - Naval Association of Canada

NAC News – Edition 449

Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of February 18th, 2022

Edition 449 “There is a strong authoritarian tilt among the list of leaders attending [the Winter Olympics opening ceremony]. It’s a much different list of global leaders when compared with the attendees of Biden’s Summit for Democracy last December.” – 27 January 2022, Andrew Yeo, Associated Press

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

Links to keep in touch with the NAC and RCN can be found at the bottom of this email. Contact David Soule executivedirector-nac@outlook.com if you wish someone to be added to the NAC News email distribution. (Perhaps an influencer or a good candidate to become an NAC member)

NOTICES

NEW – Looking for high resolution pictures of HMC ships St Croix (DDE 256) and Iroquois (DDH 280) for a presentation. Please contact Colin Darlington in Halifax if you have them.

24-25 February 2022 Vanguard Ship Tech Forum 2022 – A virtual event, themed Theme — Smart Ships of the Future. 0800-1700 Ottawa time. Keynote Speakers: Deputy Commissioner Andy Smith, for Shipbuilding and Materiel of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG); and RAdm (RCN) C.P. Donovan, CD – Director General Future Ship Capability. To register.

9-11 March 2022 CDAI 90th Ottawa Conference Security and Defence. The Ottawa Conference is an annual gathering of Canada’s defence and security community. CDAI is an umbrella group for organizations who represent 400,000 active and retired members of the CAF, the event brings in foreign guests, Canadian government leaders, academia, and the business community to reflect on how to make Canada and the world safer. To Register. (Note – free to students)

14-16 November 2022 The MSC organisers have decided given the ongoing COVID-19 environment to postpone MSC22 which was originally scheduled for March 2022. The team announced that the in-person MSC22 will now take place in Victoria, BC. The draft program for this November’s MSC22 is now posted on the MSC website and is available on the MSC social media channels.

THIS WEEK’S SIGNIFICANT ARTICLES

Leaders pitch last-ditch diplomacy as Ukraine-Russia tensions on ‘edge of a precipice’ and Ukraine crisis: Russian attack still a possibility – Biden then Canada considers sending more troops to Europe as threat of Russian invasion of Ukraine persists

Ottawa launches long-awaited competition for armed military drones

Canada’s emergency law invoked over fear of ‘serious violence’ for political, ideological gain

__________________________________

CANADA

Canadian military trainers pulled out of Ukraine before anticipated Russian invasion: sources but Canada to send Ukraine lethal military equipment worth $7.8M

Saskatoon, Yellowknife prep for Operation Caribbe and an older yet interesting from last summer’s deployment Engineering Readiness: The Key to Mission Success on Op Caribbe

2 special forces members under investigation for allegedly taking part in convoy protest

10 killed, 11 missing after Spanish fishing boat sinks off Newfoundland coast eventually Search ends for 12 missing crew members of Spanish fishing vessel off Newfoundland coast

Commemorating the 65th Anniversary of Canada’s first Peacekeepers (Editor – not mentioned in the article was how they got there – HMCS Magnificent Transporting Army Vehicles, and Maggie delivers peacekeepers to the Suez Canal)

More powerful tugboats coming to Auxiliary Fleet (Editor – more to a Navy than the ships at sea)

Ocean Ranger Sinking: 40th Anniversary of Canada’s Worst Offshore Accident

Two more Indigenous nations join coast guard auxiliary

Children recognized for their sacrifice with medals

EU Joined By 13 Countries To Form Coalition To Protect Ocean Biodiversity

Official tartan created for the RCN

Legion calls on Government to clear the backlog of disability benefits

Sailors inspire Naval Reserve Centennial graphic identifier design

NAC Naval Affairs Programme Briefing Note # 43 Ship-to-Shore Connectors

New Windsor Salt – CSL vessel on its way to Halifax (Editor – built in China)

Facebook to begin laying cable through fishing grounds off Nova Scotia

Canada’s gov’t urged to reject Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project

Ship Arrivals (Editor – ATP-01 Vol II – Formation 2)

Four Canadian ports and terminal to be Green Marine certified

__________________________________

USA & AMERICAS

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Feb. 14, 2022

Gilday calls for more collaboration with allies on operations, tech development

Coast Guard Struggling with Southern California ‘Costal Awareness Gap’ as Maritime Smuggling Rises

Carl Vinson Deployment Was Navy’s Test Case for 5th-Gen Aviation, Pacific Carrier Operations

WIG Passenger Craft Startup Attracts Big Backers

U.S. Navy Christens First Snakehead LDUUV Prototype

Mine Warfare Revival 2021 Naval Mine Warfare Essay Contest—Third Prize
Sponsored by the Mine Warfare Association

Marines’ ACV Resume Water Operations from USS Anchorage After Operational Pause

Shipbuilding: Fincantieri Marine Group Invests Mightily to Deliver for the US Navy

VIDEO: First New Navy Hovercrafts Deliver to Fleet Unit After Delays, Cost Increases

US Coast Guard Hand Over 87-foot Protector-Class Boats to Uruguay Navy

Metallurgist gets 2 1/2 years for falsifying steel strength of Navy submarines and Navy Nuclear Engineer Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Sell Sub Secrets

UPDATED: Four Chiefs, Ensign Facing Charges Over Release of USS Carl Vinson F-35C Crash Video

Marine Corps COVID-19 Vaccine Separations Tops 600

US plays catch up with Canada to quiet ships for endangered orcas

World’s largest ethane carrier officially named in Texas

Tall ships gather at Rio de Janeiro for naval parade

____________________________________

INDO-PACIFIC

SE Asian maritime order in trouble and China’s Malevolent Naval Aggression

Special Report: NATO’s Forgotten Western Flank

USNI Proceedings Podcast Ep. 256: A Maritime Strategy to Deal with China (Editor – 47:51 min podcast)

Japanese MoD Voices Concern Over Russian Naval Exercises

PLA holds simultaneous drills after US, Japan exercise near Taiwan Island

US nuclear submarine violates Russian waters – Defense Ministry and of course Navy disputes Russia’s claims that it chased a US sub out of its waters

Frigates and changing defence planning

China’s New Naval Mystery: Mini Zumwalt Stealth Vessel

Anti-submarine warfare, a first for Milan 2022: Indian Navy’s biggest multi-nation exercise

Australian Navy’s HMAS Supply aces first refueling at sea in Tonga

Chinese navy ships carrying relief supplies arrive in Tonga

Indonesian Navy to Acquire Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to Arm Its Fast Missile Boats

China’s submarine diplomacy reaching deep and wide

French Floreal-class frigate Vendemiaire visits Singapore

New footages of Chinese Type 055 destroyer Lhasa released

Container Bull Market Helps HMM Wipe Out Years of Losses

___________________________________

EUROPE

Statement by NATO Defence Ministers on the situation in and around Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine: how will the West react? | The Economist (Editor – useful summary and perspective in a 9:23 min video)

Flurry of Russian naval activity explained and Russia’s Improved Kilo-Class Submarine Entering Black Seathen More Than 30 Russian Ships Start Drills Near Crimea Peninsula yet Russian Navy Warns It Will Fire If Foreign Flagged Ships Intrude

Russia Ready to Re-Route Energy Flows If Hit By New Sanctions

Black Sea Fleet ship formations started their training practice

Russia issues largest warning zone in Norwegian Barents Sea “since Cold War”

Pentagon Accuses Russian Pilots of Making ‘Unprofessional Intercepts’ of Navy P-8As

A group of Russian ships will conduct drills in Caspian Sea

Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond set to depart Portsmouth later today and The Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers – status report

France Unveils New Seabed Warfare Strategy

NATO SNMG1 Participates In Arctic Dolphin 2022

Naval drills between Finnish and German Navies in Gulf of Finland

Ukraine Says Shipping Through Azov Sea is Now Open Again but London Marine Insurers Add Russian, Ukrainian Waters to High Risk List

Admiral Sir Ben Key’s speech to industry leaders in Rosyth another piece of the puzzle First Sea Lord: Royal Navy Is ‘Back to the Modern Era,’ Tilting to the Indo-Pacific

Spy sub base must get facelift, says Murmansk governor

Italian Navy’s Fourth PPA Launched by Fincantieri

New Top Officer Lays Out Vision for a Bolder, Better-Armed Royal Navy

Navy’s fifth Astute-class submarine one step closer to entering service

Tribute to WW2 heroes who ‘knew they would probably not come back’ from daring mission

German frigate Schlewig-Holstein returns from NATO mission to Wilhelmshaven, Germany – 11 Feb 2022(Editor – great pics)

Plans to order next batch of frigates on the Clyde confirmed (Editor – Type 26 Batch 2 (Ships 4-8) confirmed)

STM completes sea trials of Turkish Preveze-class modernized submarines

Greek Parliament Releases the Details of FDI Frigate Deal

Clean Oceans Initiative commits to provide €4 bln to protect oceans

Turkey: Workers’ strike halts ship recycling at 22 facilities

Russia and China to deepen cooperation in the Arctic

Viral Video: Wave Crashes Through Ferry’s Windows in Germany (Editor – not really news but 4 brief OMG videos included)

__________________________________

MIDDLE EAST

Brief Q&A, United Kingdom Royal Navy Commodore Adrian Fryer, deputy commander of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)

Work Underway to Widen Suez Canal

____________________________________

GLOBAL INTERESTS

Car Carrier Felicity Ace Abandoned After Catching Fire in Atlantic Ocean

A matter of speed? Understanding hypersonic missile systems (Editor – educational article)

First Project Biro vessel to be handed over next month

World’s Damaged Supply Chains Brace for Painful Recovery

AFRICOM’s Cutlass Express Exercise 2022 kicks off in Seychelles

____________________________________

SCUTTLEBUTT

War Factories | Part 2 | Krupp | Free Documentary History (Editor – linkage between industry and defence during WWII clearly illustrated in this 44:07 min video)

How Allied Submarines Crippled Japan in WW2

The Royal Navy’s war on trees (Editor – an example 35:22 video to help with the history)

The Hunt for Shackleton’s Endurance (Editor – really great The Mariner’s Mirror 37 min podcast)

Hedgehog Anti-Submarine Hydrostatic Shockwave Projector (Editor – 10:11 min video)

____________________________________

THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY

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”, The Naval Service of Canada, Its Official History Vol 1-3, and Roger Litwiller’s excellent web site, encyclopedic guidance from Fraser McKee, the Uboat.net site, and anywhere else I can find credible information. For a comprehensive list of the staggering merchant losses – sunk, damaged, or lost – here is an excellent web page: Canadian Merchant Ship Losses of the Second World War, 1939-1945 by Rob Fisher {Revised June 2001}, and for the loss of individual personnel RCN Ship Histories, Convoy Escort Movements, Casualty Lists 1939-1947)

19 February 1944 Motor Torpedo boats of the 29th and 65th (Canadian) Flotillas began to be commissioned (continues until 31 March).
21 February 1941 – The freighter SS Canadian Cruiser (Built in 1921 by Halifax Shipyards and owned by Canadian Tramp Shipping Co. Ltd.), was sailing unescorted between various Indian Ocean ports. She was intercepted by the German pocket battleship KMS Admiral Sheer and sunk by gunfire about 500 nm east of Zanzibar (now Tanzania). There were no casualties. All 36 crew members were taken prisoner. One man later escaped from a POW camp to Spain.
22 February 1941 – The freighter SS A.D. Huff (Atlantic Transportation Company, Montreal) was sailing independently from London to St. John’s. An old 4 inch gun was mounted on the poop deck, with a single DEMS rating to supervise his merchant seamen gunners. Mid-morning on 22 Feb, Huff had about 520 nm remaining in her transit to St. John’s, when a small bi-plane appeared overhead. The aircraft signalled for the ship to stop. The Master tried to out run the threat using his ship’s best speed which was only 8 knots. By midday, the German battle cruiser KMS Gneisenau was on the horizon. Almost at once there was the distant thud of heavy guns and two huge shells splashed in the ship’s wake. The Gneisenau continued periodic shelling of the merchantman with her 11-inch guns. The Master ordered his puny 4-inch gun fired at the oncoming vessel, but the DEMS gunner probably wisely refused. Then hits began to be more direct, with a hit on the large anchor windlass on the forecastle. The Gneisenau started using her secondary 5.9-inch guns. The most damaging being two hits to the engine room. The Master then ordered the crew to abandon ship. The ship’s Radio Officer tried to transmit the raider warning signal R-R-R-R, but Gneisenau’s operators jammed the signal. As the lifeboats cleared away from the ship, Gneisenau approached to within 100 yards and hastened the Huff’s demise with gunfire until she sank. Two engine room personnel were killed and 40 crew members including the DEMS gunner were taken prisoner.
22 February 1943 – Operation Torch – RCN Flower Class corvette HMCS Weyburn strikes a mine laid by U-118 off the Strait of Gibraltar; the explosion kills one seaman of her crew of 77; before the ship sinks, all but two depth charges are rendered safe by throwing the detonators over the side; British destroyer HMS Wivern starts to remove the wounded and survivors when twenty minutes later an after bulkhead gives way and the corvette begins to sink; the two depth charges explode, killing 8 more sailors and wounding others in the water; Wivern’s engines and boilers are hit, leaving the ship dead in the water; 84 RCN and RN sailors are wounded in total. Gibraltar.
22 February 1945 HMCS Trentonian is torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine U1004 near Falmouth England, six of her ship’s company were lost.
23 February 1942 – Two Canadian merchant ships steaming independently (without escorts) were sunk by U-129 on the very same day. The first ship was sunk at 0120 in the early morning of 23 February and the second was sunk later in the afternoon at 1504. Each ship had been stalked for hours by U-129 before they were each sunk. Both ships were ore carriers with cargoes of high value bauxite, and they were steaming from Paramaribo, Dutch Surinam (aka Guiana) to Port of Spain, Trinidad. Their wartime cargoes of bauxite would be shipped from Trinidad to various North American locations to be used in aluminum production for various weapons systems. 1. The ore carrier SS George L. Torian (Upper Lakes & St Lawrence Transportation Co. Ltd. Toronto) was sunk at 0120 when she was about 120 nm SE from Trinidad. The U-129 fired a torpedo into the ship’s bow and twenty-eight seconds later, she quickly sank. 13 crew members (including the Master) and two passengers were killed. Four crew members were rescued by a US Navy flying boat. 2. The ore carrier SS Lennox (Canada Steamships Lines Ltd, Montreal) was sunk at 1504 when she was about 160 nm from Trinidad. Two crew members were killed. The Master and 17 crew members were rescued by a merchant ship and landed at Port of Spain.
23 February 1945 – The freighter SS Point Pleasant Park (Furness Withy, Canada Ltd, Montreal) was sailing independently from Saint John, New Brunswick, via Trinidad across the South Atlantic to Cape Town. The cargo consisted of commercial trade goods transported between the ports-of-call while on route to Cape Town and back to Saint John. This round trip would be her third such commercial transit between Saint John to Cape Town. (The SS Point Pleasant Park was known to merchant seamen as being a happy ship.) At 1400 with Cape Town being 500 nm to the SE, the ship was hit by a torpedo fired by U-510. The torpedo struck the stern and blew off the screw, killed nine men and slowly flooded the engine room. The crew abandoned the ship. U-510 surfaced and fired bursts from the 37 mm AA gun into the waterline to flood the forward holds, and left the area. Eight days later (2 March) the lifeboat with the Master and 19 crew members made landfall at Mercury Island South West Africa (now Namibia). Ten days later (4 March) 29 crew members, in a lifeboat, were rescued by HMSAS Africana.
24 February 1944 HMCS Waskesiu commanded by LCdr James P. Fraser, RCNR sank the German submarine U-257 in the North Atlantic. In concert with Nene, the contact was gained and lost four times. Ordered to give up the chase, Waskesiu was permitted one more attack, an attack which drove the damaged U-boat to the surface. Waskesiu opened fire with its main armament, scoring four hits on the submarine’s conning tower. Eventually the sustained gunfire crippled the vessel, and the crew abandoned the sinking submarine. She was the first Royal Canadian Navy frigate to score a U-boat kill. Supported by Nene, the two ships rescued survivors of U-257.