HMCS Kootenay (DDE 258)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HMCS Kootenay (DDE 258) © Canada, Department of National Defence |
|
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | |
| Ordered: | 1952 |
| Laid down: | 21 August 1952 |
| Launched: | 15 June 1954 |
| Completed: | 7 March 1959 |
| IRE modernisation: | 1972[1] |
| DELEX modernisation: | 21 October 1983[1] |
| Persian Gulf modernisation: | Never[1] |
| Laid up: | Paid Off 18 November 1995[2] |
| Fate: | Sunk off Mexico as artificial reef 2001.[1] |
| Specification | |
| Builder: | Burrard, Vancouver[3] |
| Normal Displacement: | 2390 tons[4] |
| Deep Load Displacement: | 2900 tons[5] |
| Length: | 371 ft (113.1 m) waterline 366 ft (111.6 m) overall |
| Beam: | 42 ft (12.8m) |
| Draught: | 13 ft 2 ins (4.2 m) normal |
| Engine: | 2-shaft English-Electric geared steam turbines, 3 Babcock and Wilcox boilers 30,000 shp |
| Speed: | 28 kts |
| Oil: | |
| Range: | 4750 nm at 14 kts [6] |
| Electrical Power: | (late 1970s) 1400 kW [7] |
| Complement: | Early 1960s: 246 = 12 officers 234 men[8] By the late 1970s: 250 = 13 officers 237 men[9] |
| Original armament: | 2 x 3 in /70 Mk 6 DP (1 x 2 forward) Mk 69 gunnery control system with SPG-48 director 2 x 3 in /50 Mk 22 DP (1 x 2 aft) Mk 64 gunnery control system with SPG-48 director 2 x Limbo Mk 10 3-barrelled ASW mortars 2 x 40mm /60 Bofors on Boffin mount (2 x 1) 2 x Mk 2 single ASW torpedo tubes - but never carried torpedoes for them 103mm Bofors illumination rocket launchers[10] |
| Armament after IRE modernisation: | 2 x 3 in /70 Mk 6 DP (1 x 2 forward) Mk 69 gunnery control system with SPG-48 director 1 x Mk 112 ASROC launcher (aft) 1 x Limbo Mk 10 3-barrelled ASW mortars 2 x Mk 32 triple ASW torpedo tubes with Mk 46 torpedoes[11][1] |
| Change to Armament at DELEX modernisation: | SPG-515 director replaced SPG-48 director for 3 in guns.[1] |
| Radar (before DELEX): | SPS-12 air search SPS-10B surface search Sperry Mk 2 navigation[1] |
| Radar (DELEX): | Marconi SPS 502 air search Raytheon SPS 10D surface search Sperry Mk.127 E navigation[1] |
| Sonar | SQS-501 (Type 162) high frequency bottom profiler SQS-502 (Type 170) high frequency fire control for LIMBO SQS-503 hull mounted active search SQS-10 hull mounted active search[1] |
| Additional sonar added at IRE: | SQS 505 Variable depth Sonar[12] |
| EW originally fitted: | DAU HF/DF (High Frequency Direction Finder)[1] |
| EW at IRE: | ULQ-6 jammer WLR-1C radar analyser UPD-501 radar detector SRD-501 HF/DF[1] |
| EW at DELEX: | CANEWS (Canadian Electronic Warfare System) ULQ-6 jammer[1] |
| Counter-measures originally fitted: | None[1] |
| Counter-measures at IRE: | Corvus chaff[1] |
| Counter-measures at DELEX: | 4 x Mk 36 chaff launchers 1 x SLQ-25 Nixie[1] |
HMCS Kootenay was one of the seven destroyer escorts of the Restigouche class ordered in 1952. The design was a development of the St Laurent class, itself a development of the British Type 12 frigate. Compared with the St Laurents the most noticeable differences "were the replacement of the forward 3"/50 with a 3"/70, and the presence of a fire control director atop the bridge superstructure. In order to see over the new gun mount, the bridge was raised one full deck higher than on the previous ships."[1]
Kootenay was commissioned in 1959, and along with three other ships of the Restigouche class, she was modernised 1972 to the Improved Restigouche (IRE) standard. Whereas the St Laurents' had been given Sea King helicopters when they were modernised, the Restigouches had the aft 3 in turret replaced by an octuple ASROC launcher instead. The old mast was replaced with a new, taller lattice mast, and the stern was altered in order to accommodate a new variable depth sonar. [13] [1]
On 23 October 1969, Kootenay suffered the Canadian Navy's worst peacetime accident when one of her gearboxes exploded; the explosion and the ensuing fire killed 9 crew members and injured at least 8 others.[14] In 1989, she collided with a freighter and suffered damage to her bows, which was repaired using the bow from her sister ship Chaudiere.[1]
In 1983, Kootenay was given further set of upgrades known as the Destroyer Life Extension Program (DELEX).
Kootenay was paid off on 18 November 1995.[15] She was sunk off Mexico as an artificial reef in 2001.[1]
[edit] Notable Events Involving HMCS Kootenay
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s RESTIGOUCHE Class DDE (escort destroyer)
- ^ Ships Served on by Owner of Dawn Dreamer
- ^ Conways and'Combat Fleets of the World say Burrard, Vancouver.
However [1] says Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel QC, which is probably an error. - ^ Conways says 2000 tons standard displacement, 2600 deep load.
Combat Fleets of the World 1978-79 says 2390 tons displacement, 2900 full load load.
[2] says 2,390 tonnes displacement. - ^ See notes on normal displacement.
- ^ Combat Fleets of the World 1978-79
- ^ Combat Fleets of the World 1978-79
- ^ Janes Fighting Ships 1963-64
Conways claims 290. - ^ Combat Fleets of the World 1978-79
- ^ Conways does not mention the ASW torpedo tubes or the illumination rocket launchers
Janes Fighting Ships 1963-64 does mention "improved homing torpedoes"
The Postwar Naval Revolution page 161 says of the St Laurent class: "As in the case of the Type 12, the design included provision for long-range homing torpedoes (in this case BIDDER [Mk20E] or the UK Mark 35). They were never fitted however."
RESTIGOUCHE Class DDE (escort destroyer) - ^ Conways does not mention the ASW torpedo tubes
- ^ RESTIGOUCHE Class DDE (escort destroyer) This source claims that AQA-5 Jezebel passive tracer was added at IRE, and SQS-505 hull and SQS 505 VDS replaced the other sonars at DELEX. This does not seem to make sense, and is not in agreement with Combat Fleets of the World 1978-79, which has the SQS-505 VDS being operating with the earlier hull mounted sonars.
- ^ Conways
- ^ The captain reported 7 killed, 9 medically evacuated, and 1 missing. However the final death toll was 9 killed. It has been assumed that the other two men killed were the 1 man missing and 1 of the 9 medically evacuated. See 10 page account of explosion aboard HMCS Kootenay
- ^ Ships Served on by Owner of Dawn Dreamer
- Chumbley, Stephen and Gardner, Robert (Ed.) Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1947-1995. Conway Maritime Press, 1995. ISBN 0-85177-605-1.
- Photo of HMCS Kootenay
- Ships Served on by Owner of Dawn Dreamer
- 10 page account of explosion aboard HMCS Kootenay
- Couhat, Jean Labayle, Combat Fleets of the World 1978-79 Arms and Armour Press, 1978.
- Janes Fighting Ships 1963-64
- Friedman, Norman, The Postwar Naval Revolution, Naval Institute Press, 1986. ISBN 0-87021-952-9.
[edit] Notes
See also: List of ships of the Canadian Navy
