HMCS Algonquin (R17)

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HMCS Algonquin
The sister ship HMCS Sioux
The sister ship HMCS Sioux
Ship data
flag CanadaCanada (naval war flag) Canada CanadaCanadaCanada (national flag) 
Ship type Destroyer , 1959: frigate
class S to W class
Shipyard John Brown & Co. , Clydebank
Build number 602
Keel laying October 8, 1942
(planned Kempenfelt )
Launch September 2, 1943
as Valentine
Commissioning February 17, 1944
as HMCS Algonquin
Whereabouts April 1971 demolition
Ship dimensions and crew
length
110.6 m ( Lüa )
103.5 m ( Lpp )
width 10.9 m
Draft Max. 4.32 m
displacement 1780 tn.l. , max 2505 tn.l.
1953: 2240, max 2850 tn.l.
 
crew 180–225 men,
as a frigate: 195 men
Machine system
machine 3 Admiralty Kessel
Parson turbines
2 shafts
Machine
performance 		40,000 hp
Top
speed 		36.75 kn (68 km / h)
propeller 2
Armament
Sensors

Radar , sonar ,

Armament from 1953

HMCS Algonquin (R17) was a Royal Canadian Navy destroyer that was taken over and renamed when it entered service in 1943. The destroyer of S to W-Class of the Royal Navy was as HMS Valentine (R17) was built. During the Second World War , the Algonquin was awarded the Battle Honors Norway 1944, Normandy 1944 and Arctic 1944/45. The ship was not ready in time for a planned mission in the Pacific.

1950 to 1953 the Algonquin was converted into a anti-submarine frigate . The conversion followed the plans of the Royal Navy to convert War Emergency destroyers into Type 15 ASW frigates. After that, the ship spent most of its time in the Atlantic until it was decommissioned in 1970.

History of the Algonquin

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) wanted to transform itself from a navy for securing convoys against submarines into a more balanced fleet that could serve more general Canadian interests in a post-war era. An opportunity arose in the summer of 1943 when the Royal Navy had considerable personnel concerns and was not sure to be able to man all ships that were to come into service from autumn 1943 onwards. At the Quebec conference in August, the RCN was able to enforce its wish for larger ships for a more balanced fleet: they should manned one or two cruisers and two fleet destroyers. The ships were to be put into service as ships of the RCN. The Royal Navy offered the existing British tribal destroyers Eskimo and Tartar . However, the RCN preferred new destroyers of the War Emergency type , which appeared to them to be more versatile and had a greater range. There was a need for additional destroyers because of the battle on the Atlantic, the losses incurred there and the completion of the Tribal class destroyers under construction in Canada, which is not expected in the short term . In recognition of the Canadians' great efforts in battle on the Atlantic, the Royal Navy decided to give away two V-Group destroyers under construction . It was decided to hand over the destroyers Valentine and Vixen , which were about to be delivered , which were in the final equipment at John Brown & Company in Clydebank and at Samuel White in Cowes . They belonged to the V Group ( 8th Emergency Flotilla ), which had been appointed on September 1, 1941. The official takeover of the two destroyers took place when the destroyers were finally delivered in February 1944. On February 21, 1944, the Vixen built for the RN was taken over as HMCS Sioux in Cowes and put into service.

As early as February 17, 1944, the Valentine was taken over as HMCS Algonquin in Clydebank and put into service. The destroyer had been started for the Royal Navy (RN) at John Brown as Kempenfelt on October 8, 1942. Renamed in 1942, it was launched as Valentine on September 2, 1943. She got her name at the RCN in honor of the Canadians (First Nations), who belonged to the Algonquin language family . The name was supposed to match the tribal destroyers last built for Canada and disguise the fact that they were of a different type. On February 21, 1944, the Vixen built for the RN was taken over as HMCS Sioux in Cowes and put into service.

The armament corresponded to most British ships of the war structures since the U-Gruppe with four single 120-mm-L / 45-Mk.XII-guns , a twin 40m-L / 58-Bofors-Flak in Hazemayer -Lafette and four Oerlikon 20-mm twin-machine guns and two 533 mm-Vierlings- torpedo tube -Sätzen and two dropping frames and four mortars for up to 130 water bombs .

Operations in World War

After the commissioning, the Algonquin moved to Scapa Flow , where she was brought in together with her sister ship Sioux . Both destroyers were subordinated to the British Home Fleet and the 26th Destroyer Flotilla (with the other destroyers of the V group). On March 29, 1944, the flotilla left Scapa Flow and from the 31st it belonged to the cover group of the Northern Sea Convoy JW 58 , which included two battleships, two aircraft carriers and four escort carriers, four cruisers and a total of 11 destroyers, including the two new Canadian and three British sister ships , belonged. From April 3, the flotilla secured the combat group that attacked the German battleship Tirpitz ( Operation Tungsten ). The combat group under Vice Admiral Moore on the battleship Anson still consisted of the carriers Furious and Victorious , three cruisers and five destroyers of the cover group. To attack the German battleship, 41 Barracuda carrier bombers with fighter protection by 20 Corsairs and 20 Hellcats took off from the carriers . They scored 14 hits out of a total of four losses. 122 men died on the Tirpitz as a result of the air attack , another 316 were wounded and the battleship was not operational for another three months. The Algonquin managed to rescue the pilot of a Hellcat that had crashed nearby. On April 26th and May 6th, the Algonquin escorted British launchers who successfully attacked German maritime traffic along the Norwegian coast.

Then the two Canadian and the other destroyers of the 26th Destroyer Flotilla began training for Operation Neptune , the naval part of the Normandy landing . The flotilla moved from Scapa Flow to Portsmouth on May 28th . Algonquin and her sister ship Sioux provided fire support in the Juno Beach landing section, the Canadian section.

Landing in Normandy

On June 6, 1944, the Algonquin first destroyed a 75mm battery west of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer (Calvados) . After that, she focused her fire on houses where German snipers were suspected. The next morning the Algonquin's fire was steered ashore by army observers. She later concentrated her fire on an 88 mm battery located further inland at Courseulles-sur-Mer , the three guns of which she put out of action. For the rest of the day the destroyer secured the landing fleet and was the target of German air strikes. On June 10, Algonquin brought Vice Admiral Percy W. Nelles , OB of the RCN, to Normandy and on June 18, General Crerar , commander of the Canadian Landing Forces, and his staff to France. The following day, the destroyer completed an artillery support assignment for the Royal Marines during their attack between Ouistreham and Cabourg . On June 24, sister ships Algonquin and Sioux fired at a German battery near Franceville , shortly before they were withdrawn to Scapa Flow.

Use in the North Sea

After returning from the invasion front, the Algonquin was again part of the destroyers of the Home Fleet. From August 9 to 11, 1944, Algonquin and Sioux belonged to the security of a carrier group that attacked the German airfield on Gossen (Norway) and damaged and prevented German shipping traffic in the area. From August 15, the Home Fleet planned a new attack on the Tirpitz in the Kaafjord (Operation Goodwood) and the securing of the opposing Northern Sea convoys JW 59 and RA 59 . When on August 22, U 354 in the attack group under Rear Admiral Rhoderick McGrigor torpedoed the escort carrier Nabob , which was primarily manned by Canadians , the two Canadian destroyers rushed to the carrier's aid. Algonquin took over 203 crewmen from the Nabob . The heavily damaged girder could be brought in, but was no longer repaired. The destroyer was able to hand over the men from the Nabob to another ship and return to work with the fleet off Norway. In the following month, both Canadian destroyers were involved in the subsequent convoy operation JW 60 and RA 60 .

On September 11, the Algonquin and Sioux took part in another carrier raid against German shipping and then secured the supply convoy JW 61 the Soviet Union and the return convoy RA 61 , in which two transporters were torpedoed.

Algonquin then secured on 14/15. October a British association that attacked German shipping traffic along the Norwegian coast from the air and obstructed it with air mines near Frohavet . From October 26 to 28, the destroyer was used to secure the aircraft carrier Implacable in the event of renewed attacks on Norway ( Operation Athletic ).

On the night of November 13, 1944, Algonquin was part of Operation Counterblast with the cruisers Kent and Bellona and the destroyers Myngs , Verulam and Zambesi , who were able to attack the German convoy KS 357 between Listerfjord and Egersund through "Ultra" information . They sank the Greif (998 BRT) and the Cornoualles (3324 BRT) of four freighters, as well as the two minesweepers M 427 and M 416 ( type 40 ) and the U-boat hunters UJ 1221 , UJ 1223 and UJ 1713 of the six security boats (Type KUJ ). Algonquin was awarded the participation in the sinking of the three submarine fighters and a transporter. Until the end of November, the Algonquin was still in action to secure two more carrier raids against Norway.

From 7 to 14 December 1944, the two Canadian destroyers were in action with British naval units: first with the fleet carrier Implacable , the escort carriers Premier and Trumpeter, the cruiser Diadem and the destroyers Zambesi , Zealous , Vigilant , Savage , Serapis and the Norwegian sister ship Stord and then again on the 14th with the two escort carriers, the heavy cruiser Devonshire and the destroyers Serapis , Savage , Zealous and Zephyr on against German installations and shipping traffic ( Operation Urbane ).

The escort puncher

In the first three weeks of January 1945, the two Canadian destroyers were used to secure the convoy of JW / RA 63 . The return march was hindered by extremely bad weather with wind speeds of over 150 km / h, so that the convoy arrived in Loch Ewe on January 21, significantly delayed . The two Canadian destroyers then took part again in carrier attacks against the Norwegian coast. In February, the two Canadian met the escort carrier Puncher at the Hebrides , who joined the Home Fleet with a predominantly Canadian crew. After a gearbox damage, he had received the gearbox of the severely damaged Nabob and also parts from its largely Canadian crew. Algonquin then moved to Canada for the first time on February 5, 1945.

The sister ship Sioux stayed with the British Home Fleet until April 6, 1945 and took part in the convoy operations JW 64 / RA 64 and JW 65 / RA 65 . The destroyer then moved to Halifax (Nova Scotia) to be converted for use with the British Pacific Fleet (BPF), but this did not come about.

Further planning

Algonquin came to Canada to be prepared in Halifax, Nova Scotia for future use with the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) in tropical conditions. This work was completed in August 1945 and on the 12th the transfer to the BPF began across the Mediterranean and Malta. On the day of the Japanese surrender, the destroyer had reached the eastern Mediterranean. After a short stay in Alexandria , Egypt , until November 3, 1945 , the ship moved to its new home port Esquimalt in British Columbia . On February 6, 1946, destroyer was decommissioned and assigned to the reserve.

Sioux also moved from Halifax to the west coast in November 1945 and was also decommissioned in Esquimalt on February 27, 1946.

Modernization and further use

Algonquin was modernized similar to the plans for British anti-submarine frigates Type 15 at Vickers in Esquimalt and put back into service on February 25, 1953.

The standard displacement increased to 2240 ts and 2850 ts at full load after the conversion. The length of the rebuilt was 109.2 m over all and 103.5 m pp, the width was 10.9 m and the draft between 4.2 and 4.3 m. The machinery was unchanged and should still allow a top speed of 36.75 kn. With a fuel supply of 476 t of oil, she could cover 3000 nautical miles at 20 kn.

The converted ship was armed with an American 76 mm L / 50 Mk.22 twin gun on the forecastle and a 102 mm L / 45 Mk.19 twin gun on the rear. In addition, the ship added two 40mm L / 60 Mk.9 single guns and two triple 305mm Limbo Mk.10 U-fighter launchers. The Algonquin , which was almost completely renewed above the waterline , had extensive radar and sonar systems and was deployed with a crew of 195 men. The new American nose gun and the forward bridge section largely corresponded to the new frigates under construction.

The converted ship was not used in Korea, but moved to the Canadian base in Halifax on the Atlantic coast in the summer , where it remained for 14 years and practiced with Canada's NATO partners.

When the First Canadian Escort Squadron was set up as part of the Atlantic Command on November 10, 1953 , the converted Algonquin became the squadron's flagship. This initially formed Algonquin and the frigates Lauzon , Prestonian (later the Norwegian Draug ) and Toronto (later Garm ) of the Prestonian class . [33] In September, the First Canadian Escort Squadron participated in the NATO exercises "New Broom II" and in October "Morning Mist", followed by a two-month training voyage with several port visits in the Mediterranean. [34] [35] The journey back to Canada began on December 10, 1954. [35] In January 1958, the Algonquin collided with the Nootka (DDE 213) of the First Canadian Escort Squadron during an exercise by the squadron in the Atlantic . [36] In December 1959, the converted destroyer took part in a six-week mission with NATO exercises along with the aircraft carrier Bonaventure as well the destroyers Iroquois (DDE 217) , Athabaskan (DDE 219) and the unmodified sister ship Sioux , which was disrupted by severe storms.

In April 1963, twelve Canadian ships (in addition to the Algonquin , the destroyers Micmac and Cayuga and the newer St. Croix , Terra Nova , Kootenay of the Restigouche class , the frigates Swansea , La Hulloise , Buckingham of the Prestonian class, the workshop ship Cape Scott as well the support ships CNAV Bluethroat and St. Charles ) participated in the NATO exercise New Broom Eleven , in which the defense of a convoy was checked. In October 1963, Algonquin took part in another NATO exercise in addition to Bonaventure , Cayuga , Micmac and the new Saskatchewan of the Mackenzie class , in which all units involved suffered significant marine damage in the Atlantic.

Algonquin returned to Esquimalt on the west coast in 1967 and was permanently decommissioned on April 1, 1970. It was sold for demolition and scrapped in Taiwan in 1971.

Sister ship Sioux and two other destroyers

Together with the Algonquin , the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) took over a second destroyer of the V group (8th Emergency Flotilla) in 1944 with the Sioux ex Vixen . In 1945 the RCN acquired two similar destroyers of the 14th Emergency Flotilla of the Cr group, which had been ordered on September 12, 1942 . Of the four destroyers, the Algonquin and the Crescent were converted into anti-submarine frigates in the 1950s, similar to the British Type 15 destroyers.

HMCS shipyard Keel laying Launch in service Whereabouts
Sioux
ex Vixen 		J. Samuel White ,
Cowes 		10/31/1942 09/14/1943 5.03.1944 Decommissioned October 30, 1963, demolished in La Spezia in 1965
Crescent John Brown & Co.
Clydebank , BN ° 607 		September 16, 1943 07/20/1944 09/10/1945 1953–1955 conversion similar to Type 15 ,
decommissioned April 1, 1970, 1971 demolition in Taiwan
Crusader John Brown & Co,
Clydebank , BN ° 608 		November 15, 1943 October 4, 1944 11/26/1945 Decommissioned January 15, 1960, scrapped in 1964

.

literature

  • Maurice Cocker: Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981 , Ian Allan 1983, ISBN 0-7110-1075-7 .
  • Hans H. Hildebrand / Albert Röhr / Hans-Otto Steinmetz: The German warships: Biographies - a mirror of naval history from 1815 to the present , Koehler's publishing company, Herford, seven volumes
  • Ken Macpherson / Ron Barrie: The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-2002 (3rd ed.), Vanwell Publishing, St. Catharines (2002), ISBN 1-55125-072-1 .
  • Anthony Preston: Destroyers , Bison Books Ltd. 1977, ISBN 0-600-32955-0
  • Jürgen Rohwer, Gerhard Hümmelchen: Chronicle of the Naval War 1939-1945 , Manfred Pawlak VerlagsGmbH, Herrsching (1968), ISBN 3-88199-009-7
  • Joseph Schull: The Far Distant Ships: An official account of Canadian naval operations in World War II , Queen's Printer, Canada, Ottawa 1961,

Web links

Commons : HMCS Algonquin  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Macpherson: The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 , p. 63
  2. ↑ a b Schull: The Far Distant Ships , p. 230.
  3. ↑ Rohwer: naval warfare , 3.- April 11, 1944 North Sea, Operation Tungsten.
  4. ^ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , p. 232
  5. ^ Rohwer: Sea War , June 6, 1944 Canal, Allied Invasion ( Decision Day ) in Normandy.
  6. ↑ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , p. 275
  7. ↑ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , p. 283
  8. ↑ a b Schull: The Far Distant Ships , p. 313
  9. ↑ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , p. 384
  10. ↑ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , p. 371
  11. ↑ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , pp. 371f.
  12. ↑ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , pp. 375f.
  13. ↑ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , p. 376.
  14. ^ Rohwer: Sea War , October 24, 1944 Norway, Operation Athletic .
  15. ^ Rohwer: Sea War , October 24, 1944 Norway, Operation Athletic .
  16. ↑ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , pp. 377f.
  17. ↑ Type KUJ : 830 t / max. 970 t, 58.70 m above sea level / 53.65 m KWL long, 8.44 m wide, 3.5 - 4.4 m draft, 3-cylinder, 3-way expansion machine, 750 PSi / 850 PSi maximum output , 11 kn / 12.8 kn when driving for miles , 1 screw, 4700 nm at 12.5 kn and 193 t coal, armament: 1 x 8.8 cm L / 45, 1 x 3.7 cm, 9 x 2 -cm, 6 depth charges, crew: 1 officer, 60 men.
  18. ^ Rohwer: Sea War , November 1 - 28, 1944 Norway, attacks on coastal traffic.
  19. ↑ Rohwer: naval warfare , 7.- December 14, 1944 Norway, Operation Urban .
  20. ↑ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , p. 378.
  21. ↑ Schull: The Far Distant Ships , p. 399.