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Blazon Azure, within a representation of the wampum of the Iroquois nation, another of the head of the mace used at the sitting of the first Parliament of Upper Canada in 1792, both proper.[2]
Several plans for the disposal of the submarine were made and cancelled before the Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père in Rimouski purchased the boat for preservation as a museum vessel. The submarine was moved into location during 2008, and is open to the public.
The Oberon class were considered an improved version of the preceding Porpoise-class submarines, with a different frame of the pressure hull[3] and constructed from a better grade of steel.[4][5] These build differences allowed the Oberons to have a deeper diving depth at roughly 1,000 feet (300m).[5]
The submarines displaced2,030 tonnes (2,000 long tons) surfaced and 2,410 tonnes (2,370 long tons) submerged.[3][5] They measured 295ft 1⁄4in (89.922m)long with a beam of 26ft 1⁄2in (7.938m) and a draught of 18ft (5.5m).[3][note 1]
The boats were powered by a two shaft diesel-electric system. The Oberons were equipped with two ASR 1 16-cylinder diesel engines creating 3,680 brake horsepower (2,740kW) and two English Electric motors creating 6,000 shaft horsepower (4,500kW). This gave the submarines a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22km/h; 14mph) and a submerged speed of 17 knots (31km/h; 20mph). The boats carried 258 tons of oil giving them a range of 9,000 nautical miles (17,000km; 10,000mi) at 12 knots.[3][6]
The design was armed with eight 21 inch (533 mm)torpedo tubes, six in the bow and two in the stern. They carried 24 reloads for a total of 30 torpedoes.[3][7] Canadian boats differed from the original design by being equipped for the US Mark 37C torpedo.[8] The longer, wire-guided Mod 2 version was carried in the forward tubes and the non-guided Mod 0 for the rear tubes.[9]
The Oberons were equipped with Type 187 active-passive sonar, Type 2007 passive sonar and Type 2019 sonar.[5]
Submarine Operational Update Program (SOUP)
By the late 1970s, the Oberons in Canadian service had become obsolete and were in need of an update. Planning was done in 1978 and the program approved in February 1979.[10] In an effort to take the subs from anti-submarine warfare training to frontline service, Maritime Command developed a refit program that included new sonars, periscopes, communications and fire-control systems. They also had their armament upgraded with the fitting of torpedo tubes capable of firing the Mk 48 torpedo. This would allow the submarines to be deployed by NATO in the North Atlantic to monitor Soviet submarines.[11][12]
The SOUP refits comprised a new US fire control system, a digital Singer Librascope Mark I, and new Sperry passive ranging sonar with the Type 719 short range sonar removed. The new sonar was placed in the upper casing on the pressure hull. New communications and navigational systems were installed.[10] The submarines were fitted with new torpedo tubes for Mark 48 torpedoes, however the torpedoes themselves were considered a separate procurement program, which was only finalized in 1985.[13]
Between 1980 and 1986, one of the Canadian Oberons was out of service undergoing the refit. SOUP came in on time and on its budget of C$45 million in 1986.[14][15] SOUP kept the Canadian Oberons operating until the end of the 1990s when they were replaced by the British Upholder-class submarines.[16]
Acquisition
In March 1962, the Cabinet recommended the purchase of three Oberons and eight frigates, on the condition that the cost of acquiring the submarines from the United Kingdom would be offset by British defence purchases in Canada.[17][18] On 11 April 1962, the purchase was announced in the House of Commons of Canada by the Minister of National Defence, Douglas Harkness.[19][20]
However, the Conservative government postponed the acquisition of the Oberons due to the slow speed of the United Kingdom's attempt to offset the acquisition.[21] The Conservative government was defeated in 1963 and the incoming Liberal government suspended all major defence procurement projects upon taking power.[22][23] The final price of C$40 million for the entire contract was agreed upon in 1963.[24]
Since Onyx was already under construction, the boat was finished to Royal Navy specifications. All three boats received modifications to the original Oberon design, which included the enlargement of the snort de-icer, a different weapons fit, a larger air conditioning unit, active sonar and different communications equipment.[24] The second and third hulls were built to Canadian specifications, which moved the galley forward of the control room to make room for the sonar equipment. This led to the removal of three crew bunks, a problem that was never rectified in the submarines and led to an accommodation issue for the crew.[25] The three submarines were acquired for service as "clockwork mice", submarines used to train surface vessels in anti-submarine warfare.[26][27]
Onondaga was assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) as part of the First Canadian Submarine Squadron and served nearly her entire career in the North Atlantic.[26][30]Onondoga spent time training with the Royal Navy after an exchange program was instituted in the 1960s that would see submarines from both the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy spend time with each other's forces. This allowed Canadian submarines on intelligence-gathering missions. Beginning in the 1970s, Canada began underwater surveillance patrols in the western Atlantic, tracking Soviet sub and surface fleet vessels, especially the ballistic missile submarines, usually in concert with a Canadair CP-107 Argus or Lockheed CP-140 Aurora patrol aircraft.[31]
Onondoga arrived at HMC Dockyard at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 18 January 1982 in preparation for her SOUP refit. The refit began on 25 June 1983 and was completed on 27 April 1984.[29] Following the SOUP refit and the introduction of the Mark 48 torpedoes, the Oberons were considered fully operational and counted the same as other offensive fleet units in Maritime Command.[31]
Following the end of the Cold War, the Oberons were retasked, performing patrols on behalf of federal institutions such as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Solicitor General of Canada between 1991 and 1994.[31] For six months in 1994, the submarine served on the west coast.[26] The delay of the introduction of the Victoria-class submarines led to the Oberons working past their life expectancy.[31] During the Turbot War, the Oberons were tasked with monitoring European fishing fleets off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Their presence served as a deterrent in the escalating crisis.[32]
Onondaga was decommissioned by Maritime Command on 28 July 2000.[26] She was the last Oberon-class submarine operational in Canadian service.[26] On decommissioning, Onondaga and her sister boats were left to await disposal in Halifax harbour.[33]
Preservation
In 2001, it was planned to cut Onondaga into pieces and reassemble her inside the Canadian War Museum.[34] This plan was cancelled before the end of the year, because of the excessive cost.[34] In May 2005 the Halifax Chronicle-Herald announced that Maritime Command was looking to sell Onondaga for scrap metal, along with three other Canadian Oberons.[35] MARCOM stated that the submarines were not in suitable condition to be used as museum ships, and predicted that each submarine would sell for between C$50,000 and C$60,000.[35]
Instead of being scrapped, the submarine was purchased by the Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père, Rimouski in 2006, for C$4 plus tax to become a museum ship[fr].[34] The submarine was towed from Halifax to Rimouski during the summer of 2008, floated onto a temporary marine railway, then hauled up the shore into the final position.[36] Getting the submarine onto the marine railway required a high tide of 4.6 metres (15ft), which would only occur during a 2-hour window on 2 August.[37] The removal of torpedoes and batteries following decommissioning had significantly affected Onondaga's displacement, and 180,000 litres (40,000impgal; 48,000USgal) of water had to be pumped into the ballast tanks before the submarine could be safely towed.[37] Originally due to leave Halifax on 9 July, the tow was delayed by two days due to foul weather.[38] One of the tow bridles snapped before the tugboat and submarine left the harbour, causing a half-day delay.[39] On 12 July, submarine and tugboat were forced to divert via the Canso Canal to avoid Hurricane Bertha; a second tugboat was called in to help Onondaga traverse the locks.[40]
Following the second attempt to pull Onondaga out of the water, the submarine rolled off the marine railway
Onondaga arrived in Rimouski harbour on time for the 2 August high tide, but a heavy storm prevented the operation from occurring.[41] The marine railway was extended further into the water to permit an attempt in September[when?] with a 4.3-metre (14ft) tide.[42] The second attempt succeeded in half-removing Onondaga from the water, but the submarine was not properly aligned with the support cradles.[43] As the water receded overnight, the submarine rolled to the right and off the railway, puncturing the outer casing on a nearby boulder.[44] A third attempt was made two weeks later, after the submarine was shored up and the cradles were replaced.[45] Two tugboats were used to help position the submarine over the railway, but as the pull from shore started, one of the tugboats applied too much tension and pulled Onondaga back off.[45] A fourth and final attempt was made on 28 November; after this, there were no more opportunities before winter struck and froze Rimouski harbour, further damaging the submarine.[45]Onondaga was successfully removed clear of the water.[45] The transportation and removal of Onondaga from the water was featured in the 'Supersize Submarine' episode of the Monster Moves documentary series.
After repairs and refurbishment, Onondaga and her attached museum, as a publicly accessible submarine, opened on 29 May 2009, with over 100,000 visitors in the first year.[46][47]
Notes
↑ Gardiner and Chumbley state that the dimensions were 241ft (73m)between perpendiculars, 290ft 3in (88.47m) long overall with a beam of 26ft 6in (8.08m) and a draught of 18ft 3in (5.56m)
The Upholder/Victoria-class submarines, also known as the Type 2400, are a class of diesel-electric submarines built in the United Kingdom in the 1980s to supplement the nuclear submarines in the Submarine Service of the British Royal Navy.
HMCS Victoria is a long-range hunter-killer (SSK) submarine of the Royal Canadian Navy, the lead ship of her class. She is named after the city of Victoria, British Columbia. She was purchased from the Royal Navy, and is the former HMS Unseen (S41). The class was also renamed from the Upholder class.
The Oberon class was a ship class of 27 British-designed submarines operated by five nations. They were designed as a follow-on from the Porpoise class; physical dimensions were the same but stronger materials were used in hull construction and improved equipment was fitted.
HMCS Okanagan (S74) was an Oberon-class submarine that served in the Canadian Forces (CF). She entered service in 1968 and spent the majority of her career on the east coast. The ship was paid off in 1998 and sold for scrap in 2011.
HMCS Ojibwa is an Oberon-class submarine that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and later the Canadian Forces Maritime Command (MARCOM). Originally intended for service with the British Royal Navy as HMS Onyx, the submarine was transferred to Canadian ownership before completion, and entered RCN service in 1965. Ojibwa operated primarily with Maritime Forces Atlantic until her decommissioning in 1998. In 2010, Ojibwa was laid up at CFB Halifax awaiting disposal, with the Elgin Military Museum planning to preserve her as a museum vessel. The submarine was towed to Port Burwell, Ontario in 2012, and was opened to the public in 2013. She is now the new focal point of a planned Museum of Naval History to be built alongside.
HMCS Chicoutimi is a Victoria-class long-range hunter-killer (SSK) submarine of the Royal Canadian Navy, originally built and operated by the Royal Navy as HMS Upholder. Shortly after being handed over by the United Kingdom to Canada she was involved in a partial flooding incident which resulted in a fire at sea. The incident sparked a fierce debate over the value of the purchase of this group of second-hand vessels, as well as the handover inspection process. The subsequent investigation "determined the fire was caused by human, technical and operational factors, [and] the board cleared the commanding officer and crew of any blame." The submarine was repaired and entered Canadian service in 2015.
HMCS Yukon was a Mackenzie-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and later the Canadian Forces. She was the first Canadian naval unit to carry the name. She was named for the Yukon River that runs from British Columbia through Yukon and into Alaska in the United States.
HMCS Nipigon was an Annapolis-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces. She was the second Canadian naval unit to carry this name. Entering service in 1964, she was named for the Nipigon River that flows through Ontario.
HMCS Corner Brook is a long-range hunter-killer submarine (SSK) of the Royal Canadian Navy. She is the former Royal Navy Upholder-class submarine HMS Ursula (S42), purchased from the British at the end of the Cold War. She is the third boat of the Victoria class and is named after the city of Corner Brook, Newfoundland. The submarine was launched in 1989 and entered service with the Royal Navy in 1992. The Royal Navy laid Ursula up in 1994. In 1998, Canada acquired the submarine from the United Kingdom. The vessel entered service with the Canadian Armed Forces in 2003. Renamed Corner Brook, the submarine took part in several military exercises both internationally, such as NATO exercises and domestic, such as Operation Nanook. In June 2011, the submarine ran aground in Nootka Sound, damaging the vessel's bow. The submarine was sent for refit in 2014 to complete the repairs.
HMCS Annapolis was an Annapolis-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later, the Canadian Forces. She was the second Canadian naval unit to carry this name. Named for the Annapolis River that flows through Nova Scotia, the ship entered service in 1964, the last of the St. Laurent-class design. Serving through the Cold War, Annapolis was decommissioned in 1998 before going through a protracted legal battle for use as an artificial reef. She was finally scuttled as such in 2015 off the coast of British Columbia.
HMCS Mackenzie was a Mackenzie-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and later the Canadian Forces. She was the lead ship of her class and is the first Canadian naval unit to carry this name. The ship was named for the Mackenzie River, the largest river system in Canada and runs primarily through the Northwest Territories.
HMS Olympus was an Oberon-class submarine that served in the Royal Navy, and later in the Canadian Forces as a submarine trainer.
HMCS Qu'Appelle was a Mackenzie-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces. The ship's insignia and logo was the head of a fox facing forward centered in a diagonal line double white with a red center sqiggley line from the top left to bottom right. The moniker of the ship was "Follow the Fox".
HMCS Restigouche was the lead ship of the Restigouche-class destroyers that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces. Commissioned in 1958, Restigouche remained in service until 1994. She was sold for use as an artificial reef, however controversy arose over her acquisition and instead she was scuttled off the coast of Mexico in 2001. She was the second Canadian warship to carry the name HMCS Restigouche.
HMCS Kootenay was a Restigouche-class destroyer escort that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces from 1959 until 1996. She was the fifth ship in her class and the second vessel to carry the designation HMCS Kootenay. The ship suffered two serious incidents in her career: a 1969 explosion and ensuing fire that killed nine, and a 1989 collision that required the complete replacement of her bow. Following her service, the ship was sunk as an artificial reef.
The Mackenzie-class destroyer was a class of warship used by the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces from the 1960s–1990s. Six such ships were envisioned, of which four were completed to this specification. The last two hulls were completed to the post DDH conversion St. Laurent-class design ; they were designated as the Annapolis class instead. The four Mackenzie-class destroyers spent most of their service in the Pacific Ocean, used primarily in a training role. Their only significant update was the DELEX program, which was completed between 1982 and 1985 and updated their navigational radar and their sonar.
HMCS Saskatchewan was a Mackenzie-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and later the Canadian Forces. She was the second Canadian naval unit to bear the name HMCS Saskatchewan. The ship was named for the Saskatchewan River which runs from Saskatchewan to Manitoba in Canada.
The Annapolis-class destroyer escort was a two-ship class of destroyer escorts that saw service with the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces from the 1960s to the 1990s. The final version of the St. Laurent-class design, the class was used extensively for anti-submarine warfare purposes. Both ships were sunk as artificial reefs after being retired, one on each coast of Canada.
HMCS Gatineau was a Restigouche-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces during the Cold War from 1959 to 1996. She was the third ship in her class and the second vessel to carry the designation HMCS Gatineau. She was sold for scrapping in 2009.
HMCS Windsor is a long-range hunter-killer (SSK) submarine of the Royal Canadian Navy, the second submarine of the Victoria class. She is named after the city of Windsor, Ontario. Built for the Royal Navy as the Upholder-class submarine HMS Unicorn she was purchased by Canada when the United Kingdom decided to move to an all-nuclear power fleet.
References
Arbuckle, J. Graeme (1987). Badges of the Canadian Navy. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Nimbus Publishing. ISBN0-920852-49-1.
Brown, David K.; Moore, George (2012). Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design since 1945. Barnsley, United Kingdom: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-184832-150-2.
Cocker, Maurice (2008). Royal Navy Submarines: 1901 to the Present Day. Barnsley, United Kingdom: Pen and Sword Books Ltd. ISBN978-1-84415-733-4.
Macpherson, Ken; Barrie, Ron (2002). The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 (Thirded.). St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN1-55125-072-1.
Massarella, Carlo (2011). Monster Moves: Adventures in Moving the Impossible. London: Quercus Publishing. ISBN9780857386335. OCLC751789641.
Milner, Marc (2010). Canada's Navy: The First Century (Seconded.). Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN978-0-8020-9604-3.
Perkins, J. David (2000). The Canadian Submarine Service in Review. St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing Limited. ISBN1-55125-031-4.
Tracy, Nicholas (2012). A Two-Edged Sword: The Navy as an Instrument of Canadian Foreign Policy. Montreal, Quebec and Kingston, Ontario: McGill-Queens University Press. ISBN978-0-7735-4051-4.
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