NAC News - Edition J484 - NIOBE DAY - Naval Association of Canada

NAC News – Edition J484 – NIOBE DAY

Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of October 21st, 2022

21 OCTOBER – NIOBE DAY

Edition: J484 HMCS Cedar Lake (WWII Lake Class minesweeper) and J484 HMCS Cedarwood (Editor – Oceanographic Survey Vessel with a diverse history – yes, best I can discern there were two J484!

Quote: “England expects that every man will do his duty” Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1^stDuke of Bronte KB, from his flagship HMS Victory as the Battle of Trafalgar was about to commence on 21 October 1805. (See the Scuttlebutt Section for Admiral Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar – the trilogy!)

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

Editor – We certainly do live in interesting times! This is the end of my fifth year and the 261st editions as Editor of NAC News. I hope the content and breadth of articles meets with your approval…if not please email as I’m more than happy to adjust the form or content to meet your desires)

The 2023 Centennial of the Naval Reserves is fast approaching. You can find information on activities planned in all the NRDs on the UNTDA website along with the programme and on-line registration for a major conference and celebration organized by the UNTDA in Victoria 9-12 May 2023. You will find both at http://www.untd.org/

1-2 November 2022. NAC is pleased to become a supporting partner of this year’s Deep Blue Forum sponsored by Vanguard Canada. The 2022 Deep Blue Forum – The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project: 2030 Options for Canada. National Arts Centre, Ottawa, ON. Reception 1 November 17.30 – 20.00 (Ottawa time) at the National Arts Centre 1 Elgin Street. On-line agenda. Keynote speakers: Cdr RCN, VAdm Angus Topshee; President BMT Canada Ltd, Darcy Brytus; and the reception speaker is DG Naval Force Development, Cmdre Jason Armstrong. Details for attending. (there are a limited number of discounts available for NAC members, contact Nora Kennedy by email for details) The Summer 2022 Starshell focused on submarine issues.

2 November 2022 7:00-9:00 PM Halifax time. The RUSI Nova Scotia extends the invitation to join the Zoom presentation by Adam MacDonald of Dalhousie University, titled “The Maritime Domain of the Russian-Ukrainian War: Implications, Considerations and Lessons for Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy.” To register, email RUSINovaScotia@gmail.com by close-of-business Sunday, 30 October. Instructions will be emailed to registrants by end Monday, 31 October.

8-9 November 2022 Starts 8 Nov @9:00am finishes 9 Nov @4:00pm. Association of British Columbia Marine Industry’s (ABCMI) Business Opportunities Conference and Trade Show 2022 Impressive panellists in a packed programme. To register.

Update 14-16 November 2022 Registration for Maritime Security Challenges 2022 in Victoria BC Apaart from all the other great sessions, Maritime Security Challenges announced the addition of a new panel to the 2022 conference! MSC will host a special session with the deputy heads of navy of the 5 Eyes intelligence alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States) on November 16th, where they will share their perspectives on security issues in the Indo-Pacific and what their navies are doing to meet the maritime security challenges of today and tomorrow.

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SIGNIFICANT ARTICLES

‘Freeland Doctrine’ could set the world on a path to a new trade cold war

Navel-gazing Canada has neglected its military, new French ambassador says

Canada’s ‘tenuous hold’ in Arctic could be challenged by Russia, China, says top soldier

Stealthiest U.S. submarine makes rare appearance in Arabian Sea and Would Putin Roll the Nuclear Dice?

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CANADA

Defence chief calls on Canadians to rally behind military during personnel crisis

Canadian generals push for arms industry to go to ‘war footing,’ but hurdles remain

Legion’s 2022 National Poppy Campaign set for launch

Canadian Coast Guard Ship Vincent Massey joins the icebreaker fleet

Diving Officer reveals what it takes to keep a deployed ship top-notch

Exercise Waking Giant more detail in Defence Team News | 20 October 2022

(Editor – Two 2-3 min RCN videos)

Five questions with Commander Annick Fortin (Editor – CO HMCS Winnipeg)

New Trauma Centre for CAF Personnel and Veterans Opens in Maritimes

Chief of the Defence Staff Updates COVID-19 Vaccinations Requirement

Fighter squadron commander removed from post after probe into sexually explicit pilot call sign

Nominations for The Admirals’ Medal Open

‘Took a long time’: Canadian navy photographer takes remarkable underwater class photo (Editor – now this is funny, in a 2:10 min video

Operation Service Dog – A partnership in support of Veterans

Report shows Canada was not prepared to manage Zim Kingston container spill

Deep Inside the Strike Shaking Vancouver’s Port then Seaspan reaches tentative agreement with Canadian Merchant Service Guild, ending job action on B.C. tugboats

Lookout: Volume 67, Issue 41, October 17, 2022

Trident: Monday October 17, 2022 Volume 56, Issue 21

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USA & AMERICAS

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Oct. 17, 2022

‘Assault Carrier’ Tests Show How Marine F-35Bs Can Operate ith Navy Aircraft Carriers, Says 7th Fleet Commander and US Seventh Fleet continues “experimentation” with assault carriers

2022 U.S. Coast Guard Strategy

US Navy sharing Project Overmatch insights with international allies

Navy Tests Reloading Missiles on Destroyer in San Diego Bay, Open Ocean Tests Tougher Task

Marine Corps War Plans Are Too Sino-Centric. What About The Other 90% Of The World?

Why Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carriers Lost One Elevator? (Editor – 8:47 min video)

Venezuela Gives US Navy 60 Days To Prove Fat Leonard’s Guilt

New vessel class enters US Army watercraft fleet with MSV(L) prototype launch

Royal Caribbean Unveils Details for World’s Largest Cruise Ship

Dry Winter Forecast Spells More Trouble for Shallow Mississippi River

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INDO-PACIFIC

‘Hit the target’: Ballistic missile fired from nuclear submarine INS Arihant

Losing Taiwan Would Jeopardize Key Shipping Lanes Says Japan

China’s jet fighter pilots elevated as aircraft carrier fleet grows a prickly ethical situation to consider Ex-UK pilots lured to help Chinese military, MoD says and more detail in a 1:59 min video China recruits British ex-military pilots in ‘security breach’

Why China Is Not a Peer Competitor in the Arctic

Taiwan’s military will issue warnings before destroying PLA planes or ships, defence minister says

Japan Set to Buy SM-6s in Potential $450M Deal, Says State Deptartment

Indian Navy deployed INS Vela for 9 months in Indian Ocean in view of China increasing its Naval Presence

Boeing Explains Why F/A-18E Super Hornets are perfect for Indian Aircraft Carriers

Invigorating regional efforts to bolster maritime security in Asia (Editor – you will need to download the full report)

Chinese PLA Navy holds full test for dual amphibious assault ship group and Accelerated Chinese Timeline to Seize Taiwan Raises Questions on Pentagon Priorities, Says Gallagher

U.S. Navy Supports Australia’s Indo-Pacific Deployment alongside Canada, Japan in the South China Sea

Major Defects Found On South Korea’s Type 214 Submarine Fleet

US Navy ship docks in Palawan as ‘KAMANDAG’ Exercise concludes

Private Defence Giant L&T to Display its Indigenous Midget Submarine

A best practice approach for naval acquisitions

Australia Invests in Life Extension for its Diesel Subs

India getting French Nuclear Sub Technology could trigger Indian Ocean Arms Race; Sino-Pak Media

VLCCs with world’s 1st high-manganese steel LNG fuel tanks named

China Halts LNG Sales to Foreign Buyers to Ensure Own Supply

Russia Seizes Exxon’s Stake in Sakhalin-1 Offshore Project and Exxon Exits Russia Empty-handed with Oil Project ‘Unilaterally Terminated’

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EUROPE

Ukraine:

Ukraine war: Putin says no more massive strikes – for now and Is Putin’s exit strategy coming into view?

Turkey Disables Mine in Black Sea

Russian general in charge of Ukraine operation speaks out

Russian jet released missile near RAF aircraft over Black Sea

Is Anonymous Rewriting the Rules of Cyberwarfare? Timeline of Their Attacks Against the Russian Government (Editor – not a maritime article but about an element of modern warfare that is often ignored at our peril)

Ukraine Intercepts Russian Kalibr Missiles: Pentagon

‘Come dive with us:’ The politics of archeology

General:

50-meter Section Missing from Damaged Nord Stream Pipeline (Editor – this week you may have noticed a growing number of articles related to energy “challenges”)

NATO And China Face-Off At Arctic Summit (Editor – I love the Dutch frankness)

George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group Now Under NATO Command

Princess Anne gives Daniel Craig same honour as his 007 film character (Editor – James Bond style!)

Three Russian Navy’s warships complete Arctic expedition

More than 100 Russian ships currently perform missions in world ocean — Defense Ministry

UK’s Type 31 frigate program hits major milestone

Naval ‘battle’ off Devon coast brings Exercise Joint Warrior to a close for UK and NATO allies

Latest PANG Aircraft Carrier Design Breaks Cover

UK is Building The New Submarine that is Totally Different than any Other Subs on Earth (Editor – a wow 8:02 min video)

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems at Euronaval 2022 (Editor – 7:18 min video)

Euronaval 2022: MBDA’s New Naval Counter-Drone Solution (Editor – 3:56 min video)

Naval Group unveils new high-tech, eco-friendly combat ship design

Here Is Naval Group’s New Torpedo Decoy Launcher

Saab receives order for additional Double Eagle SAROV systems from Poland

Naval Group’s Vision of the Submarine Environment in the 2040s (Editor – thought-provoking perspective in a 5:56 min video)

Euronaval 2022 – Day 2: Weapons Systems, EW Systems & Sonar System (Editor – 12:36 min video)

Israeli Shipyards Unveils New SAAR S-80 Multirole Corvette

Diehl Defence Awarded Contract for Produce RBS15 Anti-ship Missile of Bulgarian Navy

Saab Makes First Delivery of New Lightweight Torpedo to Sweden

Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch commissions as HMS Pegasus

Safran unveils new VIGY 4 EO/IR system at Euronaval 2022 (Editor – a wow 2:52 min video)

Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker Ural undergoing sea trials

MSC’s second eco-friendly 24,116 TEU behemoth undocked

The killer ‘Whale’: First Soviet nuclear submarine travels through Russian streets before being turned into a museum in St Petersburg

Dozens of LNG Carriers Back Up Off European Ports Waiting to Unload and Police Guard LNG Ports as Germany Fast-tracks Critical Infrastructure Law

Russian Arctic coal is looking for way out of sanctions

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MIDDLE EAST

Middle East Naval Coalition Expands with Seychelles as 10th Member

TKMS Delivers First MEKO A-200 EN Frigate to Egypt

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GLOBAL INTERESTS

Fuel protests gripping more than 90 countries (Editor – massive destabilizing factor)

Nigerian Navy Burns Tanker Caught Stealing Oil (Editor – a short video included of something you don’t see every day!)

World’s Most Modern Heavy Duty Factory – Producing Giant Propellers and Modern CNC Technology (Editor – amazing precision in a 13:50 min video)

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SCUTTLEBUTT

Admiral Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar – the trilogy!

Admiral Horatio Nelson – From Boy to Frigate (Part 1) (Editor – 48:09 min video)

Admiral Horatio Nelson – From Captain to Victory (Part 2) (Editor – 1:00:09 hr)

Admiral Horatio Nelson – The Trafalgar Campaign (Part 3) (Editor – 1:41:07 video)

Cuban Crisis, Northern Vantage (Editor – author Michael Whitby) and CIMSEC: Vice Admiral Vasili Arkhipov on Soviet submarine operations during the Cuban missile crisis

T-class – Guide 305 (Editor – the timeless compromises in stating the requirement or designing a boat explained in a 7:28 min video)

The USN Pacific Submarine Campaign – The Struggle is Real (Jan’43 – Jun’43)

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THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY

21 October – The RCN celebrates Niobe Day – Niobe Day is celebrated by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) on the 21st day of October each year. Called Trafalgar Day by the Royal Navy, Niobe Day marks the arrival of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Niobe in Halifax on October 21, 1910, the first Canadian warship to enter Canada’s territorial waters, and a landmark event in the beginnings of the Naval Service of Canada.

22 October 1914 HMCS Niobe makes her first operational patrol off the Strait of Belle Isle.

22 October 1940 Canadian destroyer HMCS Margaree is lost in collision with merchantman SS Port Fairy as she escorts Liverpool-out convoy OL8 450 miles to the west of Ireland. Cut in half the forward half of the ship sank immediately, the after half remaining afloat eventually sank by gunfire from the Port Fairy. She sank with 142 casualties, but 31 crew survive. Compounding the tragedy, 86 of those lost are survivors of the Fraser disaster. Margaree is the second destroyer lost due to collision within four months.

22 October 1943 The crew of U-537 set up an automatic weather station at Martin Island in northern Labrador. It is not discovered by Canadian officials until 1981.

23 October 1939 HMCS SAGUENAY (Destroyer) intercepted the German tanker Emmy Friederich which scuttled herself.

23 October 1969 A major explosion occurred aboard HMCS Kootenay. The blast and intense engine room fire would become known as one of the worst peacetime accidents in the history of the RCN, with nine of her crew killed. Three years later, six crew members received medals honouring their bravery during the incident. Chief Petty Officer V.O. Partanan and Petty Officer 2nd Class Lewis John Stringer were both posthumously awarded the Cross of Valour. They were the first recipients of the newly initiated Canadian Cross of Valour which is our highest decoration for bravery in non-combat circumstances. The Star of Courage was awarded to Sun-Lieutenant Clark Reiffenstein (posthumously) and Petty Officer Clement Bussiere. The Medal of Bravery was awarded to Chief Petty Officer 2^nd Class Robert George and Petty Officer 1^st Class Gerald Gillingham.

24 October 1949 A programme for the construction in Canadian shipyards of anti-submarine destroyer escorts for the RCN was announced by the Minister of national Defence in Parliament.

25 October 1944 HMCS Skeena was wrecked in a storm, and grounded near Reykjavik, Iceland. Fifteen lives were lost.

26 October 1952 HMCS Crusader destroys a North Korean supply train near Songjin: RCN gunners account for the destruction of eight enemy trains during the conflict.

28 October 1955 HMCS St. Laurent (second of name) is commissioned as the first warship of all-Canadian design and construction.

28 October 1940 – Two weeks after Canada declared war, the SS Empress of Britain (Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd. Montreal – home port London, UK) was requisitioned on 25 September 1939 and work immediately started in Quebec City to convert her into a troop transport. On 10 December, the Empress of Britain departed Halifax in the war’s first troop convoy TC-1 (5 ships). The convoy arrived in the UK a week later with a total of 7,415 Canadian Army personnel. On 30 January 1940, she was one of five ships that departed Halifax in the third convoy TC-3 with another 7,350 Canadian Army troops. She was also one of the 7 converted liners in convoy US-3 which departed Wellington NZ on 2 May with a total of 18,026 Australian and New Zealand troops bound for the UK. About five months later, the Empress departed Cape Town on 12 October with 416 crew members, two gunners and 205 passengers (military personnel and their families). She was steaming independently for the UK. On 26 October, she was about 55 nm NW of the County Mayo, Ireland coastline, when she was struck by two 250 kg bombs from a Luftwaffe Fw 200 Condor maritime patrol aircraft. The ship was set ablaze. The Master ordered abandon ship, and a skeleton crew remained to get the fires out and save the ship. The Polish destroyer ORP Burza took her in tow and was relieved by RN ships, and eventually by tugs HMS Seaman and HMS Raider. At 4 knots, they were heading for the North Chanel and the Clyde estuary. U-32 had been stalking the salvage convoy for about 24 hours. On 28 October, 3 torpedoes were fired at the Empress, two of which exploded into and sunk her (55°16’N 9°50’W) about 165 nm WNW from the North Channel. Of the complement of 623 persons, 25 crew members and 20 passengers were killed. The Empress of Britain at 42,348 tons was the largest merchant ship sunk by U-boats during the Second World War.

SIGNIFICANT RCN DATES – 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, a special thanks to NAC member Bill Dziadyk for his able assistance and detailed work. The RCN lost 1,965 men and 24 ships during the War, most of them in the Atlantic. 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)