NAC News - Edition 452 - Naval Association of Canada

NAC News – Edition 452

Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of March 11th, 2022

Edition 452 “NATO is not going to get into a war with Russia. There is a limit to what the West can do given the fact that Russia is a nuclear superpower and is intent on conquering Ukraine.” 1 March 202, Angela Stent, All Things Considered, NPR

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. (Influencer or good candidates to become a NAC member, and note the first year’s NAC & Branch membership dues are waived)

NOTICES

16 March 2022 1-3 PM Halifax Time RUSI(NS) – Distinguished Speaker – “Surveillance of Sea Surface Activities in Atlantic Canada” by Jan-Andrej Skopalik, Regional Manager, National Aerial Surveillance Program, Transport Canada Atlantic Region. To register, email RUSINovaScotia@gmail.com by close-of-business Sunday, 13 March. Use subject line RUSI(NS) Distinguished Speaker 16 March 2022 Registration. Include your name, and organization.

28 April 2022 – 2022 BOA Gala Dinner – Regrettably this event has been cancelled. Notwithstanding that the COVID situation appears to be abating, there are still too many pandemic related issues to overcome, particularly for hosting and ensuring the success of events the size of a BOA Gala Dinner.

NEW 17-19 May 2022 Niagara Falls, ON. Mari-Tech 2022 Conference and Exhibition titled Industrial Revolution Making Waves. Mari-Tech was created by the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering (CIMarE) in 1976 and is the premier event for the marine engineering community in Canada. The 2022 event will be hosted by CIMarE’s Great Lakes Branch.

14-16 November 2022 Originally scheduled for March 2022., this event will be held in-person in Victoria, BC. The draft program for this November’s MSC22 is now posted on the MSC website and is available on other MSC social media channels.

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THIS WEEK’S SIGNIFICANT ARTICLES

Canada increasingly isolated as allies pledge more military funding in response to Ukraine invasion then Trudeau opens door to more military spending in response to Russian invasion while Last Minute FY 22 $728.5B Defense Bill Funds 13 Navy Ships, 12 F/A-18s; Saves 3 LCS From Decommissioning and PM unveils $38bn ADF enhancement plan and UK to beef up its naval fleet with £38.1 billion investment plan

Military readiness ‘one of the things that keeps me awake at night,’ says Canada’s top soldier

Over 7,000 foreigners held hostage by Ukrainian neo-Nazis – Russian ministry (Editor – this article is included as an example of the propaganda rubbish being produced by TASS Russia)

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CANADA

Gander airport closed after Cormorant helicopter crash

HMCS Brandon participates in Exercise Arctic Edge 2022

International Women’s Day: Mentorship is key for CPO1 Nancy Lachance

More privacy breaches in handling of military sexual misconduct settlement deal

NAC Discussion Paper Submarine Procurement – Widening the Aperture of Options

Defence Team News | 9 March 2022 (Editor – people, people, people, 4:44 min video about the release of the Defence Team Total Health and Wellness Strategy.)

Navy hits MP Kevin Vuong with a service offence charge for failing to disclose 2019 arrest

From Kenya to Winnipeg: One sailor’s journey to the RCN

RCN Ship Pennant Numbers

Containership MSC Kim Breaks Down in Gulf of St. Lawrence

Debris from cargo ship spill last fall spreading along B.C. coast, say beach cleaners

Trident Newspaper Volume 56, Issue 05, March 7, 2022

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USA & AMERICAS

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: March 7, 2022

Navy Says Destroyer is ‘Out of Commission’ After Florida Judge Blocks Removal of Unvaccinated CO (Editor – unintended consequence, either way the CO is finished)

Report to Congress on Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons (Editor – a scary subject)

US Navy celebrates 100 years of its aircraft carriers

Navy offers a new argument for decommissioning cruisers: They’re not safe.

First Columbia Ballistic Missile Submarine Begins to Take Shape

Keel laid for US Navy’s 78th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ted Stevens

Marine Corps Exceeds 1,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Separations, Navy at 469

‘Controlled’ report paints rough picture for Navy’s unmanned mine-clearing vessel

Sailor Arraigned on Arson, Hazarding Vessel Charges in Bonhomme Richard Fire

F-35 JPO Evaluating Spare Parts Following Vinson, Queen Elizabeth Deployments

US Navy To Shutdown World’s Largest Underground Bunker Fuel Tanks

USAF QUICKSINK: Sudden Death for Enemy Ships (Editor – something new!)

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INDO-PACIFIC

A Chinese Takeover of Taiwan Would Prompt Different Pentagon Response, Top Indo-Pacific Official Says

HHI And LIG Nex1 Team Up For CVX Aircraft Carrier

Japan Commissions First New Taigei-Class Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine (Editor – first to employ a lithium-ion based storage and supply system)

China commissions two Type 052D destroyers Zhanjiang and Jiaozuo

New base announced for future nuclear-powered submarines and Australia To Fast-Track Nuclear Submarine Plans

Indian Navy INS Chennai Successfully Fires Extended Range Brahmos Land Attack Missile

France proposes to Provide Cutting-edge Submarines and Heavyweight Torpedoes to the Indian Navy

A244/S Mod 3 Lightweight Torpedo Completes Acceptance Tests for Indonesian Navy

Multinational Naval Exercise MILAN 22 Concludes in Visakhapatnam, India

China Warns Shipping Of South China Sea Naval Drills then China Tests Freedom Of Navigation With Partial Sea Closure

Second Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boat launched

China Welcomes Russian Oil Tankers With Alternative Payment Options

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EUROPE

Ukraine sub section:

‘Yes, He Would’: Fiona Hill on Putin and Nukes

Here’s Why Navy Aircraft Carriers Can’t Help Ukraine

Market Forces Are Choking Off Russian Ports and Ship Insurers Extend War Risk Zone “Close To Romania”then More Russian Oil Deeply Discounted As Load Port Ban Risk Alarms Buyers

U.S. Officials: Russian Forces Keeping Forces Ashore For Now, Odesa Amphibious Assault Still Possible

Ukraine Reports Loss of U.S.-Built Patrol Boat by Russian Missile

Russian Project 22160 patrol ship Vasily Bykov reportedly damaged

The Failed Logistics of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine (Editor – useful 19:42 min video explanation)

French Carrier Strike Group to conduct exercise in Western Balkans and Greek frigate Hydra joins the French Carrier Strike Group then French Navy Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Now Supporting NATO in the Black Sea

CIMSEC: Sea Control 325 – Ukraine is not enough with Dr. Ian Ralby (Editor – trade realities explained in a 27:40 min podcast)

Over 1,000 Mariners Are Stranded Near Ukraine then Crews Start Abandoning Ships In Ukraine

As Russia Avoids Energy Sanctions, Oil Majors Flee but TotalEnergies Stays plus Shell to Exit Russian Oil and Gas

Russian Piped Gas Deliveries to Europe Stable

Europe continued:

Finland and Sweden to “strengthen interaction with NATO”

Solve the Baltic’s Geography Problem and Russia is keeping a close eye on two US Navy destroyers in the Baltic Sea

HMS Prince of Wales deploys to lead Nato’s Maritime High Readiness Force and Sub hunters embark on HMS Prince of Wales

US Navy’s Nimitz-class USS Harry S. Truman operates near Greece

USV and LARS for Belgian and Dutch Navies successfully Tested (Editor – 10:02min video)

UK announces £4bn injection into regional shipbuilding industry

Transporting military hardware around the world – UK strategic sealift

Royal Navy divers form new elite mission teams

RAF submarine hunter aircraft tracks Russian warships in the Mediterranean

UK’s first Type 26 frigate to hit the water later this year

Construction mine countermeasures vessel Vlissingen started

Date revealed for UK to complete complex PIP on six Type 45 destroyers

Poland Invests For TUKAN Mine Searching Vehicle Project

Italy Arrests Russian Yachts Worth $115M

China Is Shipping Stockpiles Of Metal To Europe

UK to Boost Oil and Gas Output after Russian Import Ban

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MIDDLE EAST

Egypt sets sights on French Barracuda-class submarines

UK’s frigate scores heaviest drugs bust in a decade

World Defense Show 2022: Naval News coverage (Editor – 7:02 min video)

World’s Fastest Autonomous Interceptor Unveiled

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GLOBAL INTERESTS

Sea Control 326 – the futility of arctic FONOPS with Cornell Overfield (Editor – great explanations, if a bit biased, in a CIMSEC 33:37 min podcast discussing the difficulty of conducting FONOPs in the Russian and Canadian Arctic)

USS Hershel “Woody” Williams joins partners, allies for Ex Obangame Express 22

Watch: How Dirty Ships Are Cleaning Up Their Act (Editor – great 14:17 min video)

Endurance: Shackleton’s lost ship is found in Antarctic

46 Year Old Icebreaker Breaks World Record (Editor – cold water preserved!)

Spanish Navy’s Tornado departs on African deployment

The Rizzo frigate in an anti-piracy operation in the Gulf of Guinea

U.S. Navy Kicks Off ICEX 2022 in the Arctic Ocean

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SCUTTLEBUTT

Hitler’s Navy in Allied Service 1945-51 (Editor – expertise and capacity need for mine clearance!)

Five-Star Leadership: Lessons from Fleet Admiral Nimitz and the Race to Midway

The Vikings: The Wolf Age (Editor – The Mariner’s Mirror 34 min podcast)

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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, NAC member Roger Litwiller’s excellent web site, encyclopedic guidance from NAC member Fraser McKee, the Uboat.net site, and anywhere else I can find credible information. For the merchant ship history, I thank NAC member Bill Dziadyk for his able assistance and detailed work. A comprehensive list of the staggering merchant losses – sunk, damaged, or lost – 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)

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 commanded by LCdr Wilfred McIsaac, RCNVR sank U163 off Cape Finisterre, the kill was originally credited to the submarine USS Herring.

13 March 1944 HMCS Prince Rupert commanded by LCDR Robert W. Draney, RCNR in a combined efforts of multiple allied ships and aircraft sank U575 off Cape Finisterre.

13 March 1945 The SS Taber Park (a coal-fired steamship) was built in Pictou, Nova Scotia and was delivered to the Government of Canada (Park Steamship Company) on 28 August 1944. With a British crew and a cargo of softwood lumber, her first sailing was in the eastbound convoy HX-309, which departed Halifax on 18 Sep 1944. Shortly after her arrival in Grangemouth, Scotland, the ownership of the ship was officially transferred to the United Kingdom government “C + S.S. Division”. The SS Taber Park had become a Collier, delivering coal (the life blood of coal-fired steamships in the Battle of the Atlantic) to ports in Northern Ireland, England, Wales, and Scotland. On 13 March 1945, the SS Taber Park, with a cargo of coal, was in convoy FS-1753 southbound in coastal waters from the Port of Tyne to the Thames estuary. She was sunk about 7 nautical miles SE of Lowestoft, England, where the ocean depth was about 22 meters. The historical records indicate some uncertainty regarding the cause. The SS Taber Park might have hit a mine or have been torpedoed by midget submarine. There were 28 casualties (including four DEMS gunners). The only survivors were the Master and two crew members.

14 Mar 1923 Lt Frank Meade appointed C.O. of English Half Company in Montreal, the first RCNVR unit appointment: also A/Lt Alexandre Brodeur for the French Half Company, and on 15 Mar. Lt R.H. Yeates for the Hamilton Half Company. During 1923 & ’24, 11 Units had C.O.’s appointed, although it took a while to establish the actual units in some cases.

14 March 1942 SS Sarniadoc (Paterson Steamships Ltd, Fort William, Ontario), a Great Lakes ore carrier departed Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana) on 9 March with a cargo of high value bauxite to be used in aluminum production for various weapons systems. She briefly stopped in Port of Spain, Trinidad for fuel and provisions. On 11 March, the ship continued to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands with her cargo of bauxite. She would be refueling in St. Thomas and continuing to a North American port. The U-161 log entry for 13 March records the first sighting of the Sarniadoc which was on a northern course at 6 knots. The surfaced U-boat then maneuvered ahead for a night attack. Four hours later with the target at range 1000 meters, the surfaced U-161 fired a single torpedo which “hit just before the aft smokestack, high water column with small fiery glow, apparently a boiler explosion… the tanker sank immediately after the hit. No lifeboats.” The master and 20 crew members went down with their ship, approximately 318 nautical miles due south of St Thomas.

16 March 1941 SS J.B. White (Atlantic Transportation Company Ltd, Montreal), with a cargo of 2500 tons of steel and 4500 tons of newsprint, was one of 41 ships in the slow convoy HX-112, on route from Halifax to Liverpool. On the night of 15/16 March 1941 and about 215 nautical miles SE of Iceland, the convoy came under an attack by five U-boats. However, U-99, with Otto Kretschmer in command, was the only U-boat to succeed in sinking any of the ships. U-99 sank the SS Venetia, Motor Tanker Ferm, Motor Tanker Beduin, MV Korshamn and the SS J.B. White. Two crew members from the J.B. White were killed. The 38 survivors were rescued by HMS Walker. The next day, on 17 March, HMS Walker and HMS Vanoc disabled and brought the U-99 to the surface. Otto Kretschmer and 39 of his crew surrendered and became POWs. The engineering officer and two of his men lost their lives when opening valves to scuttle their boat.

17 March1945 HMCS Guysborough, a Bangor-class minesweeper, was sailing alone on 17 March 1945, in the Bay of Biscay off Ushant when she was hit with an acoustic torpedo from U-868. It was early evening when she was hit, but Guysborough did not sink immediately and a second torpedo in the late afternoon at took Guysborough to the bottom. Two crew members were killed instantly in the explosions, the remaining crew abandoned ship onto five Carley floats because the ship’s motor cutter and the whaler were unusable. The survivors lashed four floats together and this became a temporary raft for 48 men. The fifth Carley float was overcrowded and drifted away. Guysborough was able to send a distress signal, but it took 19 hours for the frigate, HMS Inglis to arrive. In total, 49 men died of injuries or from exposure – 36 on the overcrowded raft. Two RCNVR sailors were recognized posthumously for their actions with Mentioned in Dispatches.