Prestonian class frigate

Class overview
Operators: Royal Canadian Navy
Preceded by: River-class frigate
Succeeded by: St. Laurent-class destroyer
In commission: 28 Aug 1953 - 15 Sep 1967
Planned: 21
Completed: 21
Retired: 21
General characteristics
Displacement: 2,360 t (2,360.0 t) (full load)
Length: 301.25 ft (91.82 m)o/a
Beam: 36.5 ft (11.13 m)
Draught: 12 ft (3.66 m)
Propulsion: 2 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, reciprocating vertical triple expansion, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed: 19 knots (35.2 km/h)
Complement: 140
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • 1 x USN SU Type radar (4" gunnery spotting)
  • 1 x Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar
  • 1 x Type 147 target depth finding sonar
  • 1 x Type 164B search sonar
  • 1 x SQS 501 (Type 162) bottom profiler sonar
  • 1 x Optical fire control director for twin 40mm
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
  • 1 x DAU hf/df
  • 1 x AN/UPD 501 d/f
Armament:
  • 1 x 4"/45 QF Mk.16 twin
  • 1 x 40mm/56 Mk.5 twin
  • 2-4 x 40mm/56 Boffin
  • 2 x Squid Mk.4 ASW 3-barrelled mortars
Aviation facilities: HMCS Buckingham (FFE 314) fitted with flight deck for helicopter tests.

The Prestonian-class ocean escort frigate was a class of 21 frigates that served with the Royal Canadian Navy from 1953-1967.

They were converted from mothballed River-class frigates that had been placed in reserve following the end of World War II. The first vessel to be reactivated and undergo refit was HMCS Prestonian (FFE 307) which was recommissioned on 28 August 1953. The class did not use sequential pennant numbers.

Ships

Royal Canadian Navy
Ship Builder Laid Down Launched Commissioned Paid Off Fate
HMCS Antigonish (FFE 301) Yarrows Ltd., Esquimalt 2 Oct 1943 10 Feb 1944 12 Oct 1957 30 Nov 1966 Formerly pennant K661.
HMCS Beacon Hill (FFE 303) Yarrows Ltd., Esquimalt 16 Jul 1943 6 Nov 1943 21 Dec 1957 15 Sep 1967 Formerly pennant K407.
HMCS Buckingham (FFE 314) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 11 Nov 1943 28 Apr 1944 25 Jun 1954 23 Mar 1965 Formerly pennant K685.
HMCS Cap de la Madeleine (FFE 317) Morton Engineering & Dry Dock Co., Quebec City 5 Nov 1943 13 May 1944 7 Dec 1954 15 May 1965 Formerly pennant K663.
HMCS Fort Erie (FFE 312) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 3 Nov 1943 27 May 1944 17 Apr 1956 26 Mar 1965 Formerly pennant K670.
HMCS Inch Arran (FFE 308) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 25 Oct 1943 6 Jun 1944 23 Aug 1954 23 Jun 1965 Formerly pennant K667.
HMCS Jonquiere (FFE 318) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 26 Jan 1943 28 Oct 1943 20 Sep 1954 23 Sep 1966 Formerly pennant K318.
HMCS La Hulloise (FFE 305) Canadian Vickers, Montreal 10 Aug 1943 29 Oct 1943 9 Oct 1957 16 Jul 1965 Formerly pennant K668.
HMCS Lanark (FFE 321) Canadian Vickers, Montreal 25 Sep 1943 10 Dec 1943 15 Apr 1956 19 Mar 1965 Formerly pennant K669.
HMCS Lauzon (FFE 322) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 2 Jul 1943 10 Jun 1944 12 Dec 1953 24 May 1963 Formerly pennant K371.
HMCS New Glasgow (FFE 315) Yarrows Ltd., Esquimalt 2 Dec 1942 23 Jun 1943 30 Jan 1954 30 Jan 1967 Formerly pennant K320.
HMCS New Waterford (FFE 304) Yarrows Ltd., Esquimalt 17 Dec 1943 3 Jul 1943 31 Jan 1958 22 Dec 1966 Formerly pennant K321.
HMCS Outremont (FFE 310) Morton Engineering & Dry Dock Co., Quebec City 18 Nov 1942 3 Jul 1943 2 Sep 1955 7 Jun 1965 Formerly pennant K322.
HMCS Penetang (FFE 316) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 22 Sep 1943 6 Jul 1944 1 Jun 1954 25 Jan 1956 Formerly pennant K676.
HMCS Prestonian (FFE 307) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 20 Jul 1943 22 Jun 1944 22 Aug 1953 24 Apr 1956 Formerly pennant K662.
HMCS Ste. Therese (FFE 309) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 18 May 1943 16 Oct 1943 21 Jan 1955 30 Jan 1967 Formerly pennant K366.
HMCS Stettler (FFE 311) Canadian Vickers, Montreal 31 May 1943 9 Oct 1943 2 Feb 1954 31 Aug 1966 Formerly pennant K681.
HMCS Sussexvale (FFE 313) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 15 Nov 1943 12 Jul 1944 8 Aug 1955 30 Nov 1966 Formerly pennant K683.
HMCS Swansea (FFE 306) Yarrows Ltd., Esquimalt 15 Jul 1942 19 Dec 1942 14 Nov 1957 14 Oct 1966 Formerly pennant K328.
HMCS Toronto (FFE 319) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 10 May 1943 18 Sep 1943 26 Nov 1953 14 Apr 1956 Formerly pennant K538.
HMCS Victoriaville (FFE 320) Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon 2 Dec 1943 23 Jun 1944 25 Sep 1959 Dec 1966 Formerly pennant K684. Decommissioned as a Prestonian-class frigate in Dec 1966 and recommissioned as diving tender HMCS Granby. Finally decommissioned on 31 Dec 1973.

References

Prestonian-class frigate
Royal Canadian Navy
Antigonish · Beacon Hill · Buckingham · Cap de la Madeleine · Fort Erie · Inch Arran · Jonquiere · La Hulloise · Lanark · Lauzon · New Glasgow · New Waterford · Outremont · Penetang · Prestonian · Ste. Therese · Stettler · Sussexvale · Swansea · Toronto · Victoriaville