naval affairs

NAC News – Edition J397 HMCS New Liskeard

NAC News – Edition J397 HMCS New Liskeard

Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of February 19th, 2021

Edition – J397 HMCS New Liskeard (WW2 Algerine Class minesweeper)

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

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NOTICES

  • Monday  22 February at 1pm (Ottawa time) – join the Veterans Affairs Canada virtual event to learn more about “a vision on the future of remembrance and recognition in Canada.”  The event features the Minister of Veterans Affairs, Dr Lee Windsor, and Captain (Retd) Hélène Le Scelleur who will outline how this new approach will better serve the Veteran community.  Sign up at letstalkveterans.ca
  • Tuesday 23 February 2021, 1200 – 1330 (Ottawa time) The RCN is embracing “Black History Month” by virtually (MS Teams in a panel format) bring three distinguished and inspirational leaders for a Black History Month Panel – Focus of the discussion is how the RCN can move towards to becoming a better ally for members of the Black community. Registration is required; contact LCdr Teri Share Teri.Share@forces.gc.ca no later than 22 February.
  • Wednesday 3 March 2021, 1200 Ottawa time.  Maritime Affairs Virtual (Zoom) Speaker Series – Deputy CCG Commissioner Chris Henderson will speak on the Future of the CCG. Made possible by Seaspan Shipyards and hosted by the Navy League of Canada. To register email rsvp@navyleague.ca  You will receive an email confirmation. Meeting link will be sent 1 March 2021.
  • 10-12 June 2021 – Canadian Nautical Research Society: Canada’s Pacific Gateway, Past Present and Future.  The Society will hold its annual conference 10–11 June 2021 and is “ Canada’s Pacific Gateway, past present and future”.  Proposals are invited for papers or presentations related to the general theme of Canada’s wider Pacific Ocean dimensions or other maritime contemporary and historical topics.  This virtual conference will commemorate the 150th anniversary of BC joining Canada, 25 July 1871.  Traditional conference planned for in Victoria on these dates have been cancelled.
  • Editor – I recommend the “Wild Apricot for Members” app – There are three main features your members can access with the app.  Under “Events”: View an event calendar and event details, register for an event through the app, view existing event registrations, Pay an outstanding event registration fee.  Under “Member Directory” View your organization’s entire member directory, View member profiles, Email and call fellow members.  Under “Personal Profile” View their personal profile, including their membership renewal date

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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 – FEBRUARY

(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 February 1911 The first recruiting posters for the RCN are issued to post offices throughout Canada.
  • 1 February 1968 The personnel and organization of the RCN, Canadian Army, and the Royal Canadian Air Force were unified into a single organization, the Canadian Forces.
  • 5 February 1944 HMS Puncher, an aircraft carrier, is commissioned into the Royal Navy at Vancouver with a Canadian crew, but a British air complement.
  • 6 February 6, 1943 – Italian aircraft attack and sink RCN Flower Class corvette HMCS Louisbourg east of Oran while she is escorting a convoy from Gibraltar to Bone, Algeria; 2 Officers, 35 crew, and 5 RN seaman are lost.
  • 8 February 1943 HMCS Regina commanded by LCdr Harry Freeland, RCNR sinks the Italian submarine Avorio in the Mediterranean Sea.
  • 10 February 1942 HMCS Spikenard is torpedoed by U136 and sunk in the North Atlantic.  There were only 8 survivors and 57 perish.
  • 14 February 1945 Five Motor Torpedo Boats (459, 461, 462, 465, 466) of the Canadian 29th Flotilla burn in Ostende harbour.  26 RCN crew are lost.
  • 15 February 1965 The Maple Leaf becomes Canada’s official flag.
  • 16 February 1945 HMCS St. John commanded by A/LCdr William R. Stacey, RCNR sinks the German submarine U-309 off the northeast coast of Scotland near Moray Firth.
  • 18 February 1944 Sixteen Canadian minesweepers, in four divisions of four ships, begin to leave St. John’s for British waters to take part in the invasion of Normandy.
  • 19 February 1944 Motor Torpedo boats of the 29th and 65th (Canadian) Flotillas began to be commissioned (continues until 31 March).
  • 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.
  • 24 February 1944 HMCS Waskesiu commanded by LCdr James P. Fraser, RCNR sank the German submarine U-257 in the North Atlantic.
  • 27 February 1930 HMCS Thiepval is lost in Barkley Sound, British Columbia.
  • 28 February 1946 HMCS Cornwallis is paid off (taken out of service) and new recruit training begins to be conducted at local naval depots.
  • 28 February 1991 Operation Desert Storm, the combat phase of the Persian Gulf War ends.