Warships of the Royal Canadian Navy

Corvette

Description: Royal Canadian Navy escort corvette during World War II
Builder: Morton Engineering, Québec City
Year built: 1941
Dimensions: length 62.48 m, beam 10.06 m
First use: 1942
Armament: 1 x 4 inches gun, 1 x anti-aircraft pom-pom gun and 2 x machine guns

The corvette Ville de Québec discovered on January 13, 1943, an original way of sinking a German submarine. The captain of the corvette steamed full speed ahead at the submarine while it was surfacing.    The bow of the Canadian ship sank the submarine by ramming it!

Corvettes were medium-size ships designed for defence, rather than offence. Ranging between 80 and 130 metres in length, they were usually adequately armed and easily manoeuverable, though ill-suited to the high seas. During the two World Wars, ships of this type served as convoy escorts, and participated in anti-submarine warfare.

Destroyer

Description: First warship entirely designed and built in Canada
Builder: Canadian Vickers, Montreal
Year built: 1950-1951
Dimensions : length 113.1 m, beam 12.8 m
First use: 1955
Original armament: 4 x 3" guns, 2 x 40-mm "Boffin" guns, 2 x Limbo mortars, 2 x Mk 2 torpedo launchers

The destroyer St. Laurent was used as the model for a scale model ship, constructed entirely of sterling silver. This very valuable model ship was used from 1952 to 1993 as a trophy awarded to the best divisions of Canada's Naval Reserve.

Destroyers were initially designed for anti-submarine warfare. They had sufficient range to cross the Atlantic and can thus be used as convoy escorts. In the 1990s, the Canadian Navy upgraded its destroyers by providing them with anti-aircraft capability. The RCN currently owns 3 Iroquois-class destroyers.

Hydrofoil

Description: Experimental submarine detection hydrofoil
Builder: Marine Industries, Sorel
Year built: 1964-1968
Dimensions: length 45.95 m, beam 19.8 m main foil span
First use: 1968-1971
Armament: None
Propulsion: DC8 aircraft engine
Speed: 50 to 60 knots in hydrofoil mode

The Canadian hydrofoil HMCS Bras d'Or could almost fly through the air. It had wing-like extensions that made it possible for the ship to travel very fast through the water. The ship was even powered by an aircraft engine.

Hydrofoils are ships designed so that the hull, once the ship reached a certain speed, lifts out of the water to be supported on some kind of wing, using the same principles as the wing of a plane. The goal of this set-up was to increase the speed of the ship by cancelling as much as possible friction of the hull against the water.

Frigate

The frigate Ville de Québec is the only ship in the Royal Canadian Navy whose working language is French. On board this ship, in order to reach the captain's cabin, you follow the "Grande-Allée", and when the sailors get paid they line up along the "Rue du Trésor".

Frigates appeared in the sail era, as early as the 16^th century. To this day they are medium-size warships. Better suited to the high seas and better armed than corvettes, frigates escorted convoys of cargo ships during World War II. Indeed, they are recognized as the most efficient anti-submarine ships ever built. Modern frigates carry one CH-124 Sea King helicopter that also participates in anti-submarine warfare. Ships of this type also does its part in anti-surface ship and anti-aircraft warfare.

Submarine

Description: Submarine of the Royal Canadian Navy
Builder: Royal Navy
Year built: 1990
Dimensions: length 70.26 m, beam 7.6 m
First use: 1988 in Canada
Armament: 18 x Mk 48 heavyweight torpedoes

The Canadian submarine HMCS Corner Brook was named in honour of the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador. The ship's insignia is a Viking helmet, symbolising the visit to Newfoundland of the Viking Leif Erickson in the year 1000.

WW2 subs dived up to 100 meters but now, modern subs can dive as deep as 300 or 400 meters. The Royal Canadian Navy operates 4 submarines. HMCS Victoria, HMCS Corner Brook, HMCS Windsor and HMCS Chicoutimi.