HMCS Ottawa (DDH 229)
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For other ships with the same name, see HMCS Ottawa.
History
Canada
Name: Ottawa
Namesake: Ottawa River
Builder: Canadian Vickers, Montreal
Laid down: 8 June 1951
Launched: 29 April 1953
Commissioned: 10 November 1956
Decommissioned: 31 July 1992
Reclassified: 21 October 1964 (as DDH)
Identification: DDH 229
Honours and Atlantic 1939–45, Normandy 1944, English Channel 1944,
awards: Biscay 1944[1]
Fate: Scrapped in 1994.
Badge: Gules, a bend wavy argent charged with two cotises wavy
azure over all a beaver or, the sinister forepaw resting on a log
of silver birch proper.[1]
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer escort
As DDE:
Displacement:
2263 tons (normal), 2800 tons (deep load)
As DDH:
2260 tons (normal), 3051 tons (deep load)[2]
Length: 366 ft (111.6 m)
Beam: 42 ft (12.8 m)
Draught: As DDE: 13 ft (4.0 m)[3]
As DDH:14 ft (4.3 m)[2]
Propulsion: 2-shaft English-Electric geared steam turbines, 3 Babcock &
Wilcox boilers 22,000 kW (30,000 shp)
Speed: 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h)[3]
Range: 4,570 nautical miles (8,463.6 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement: As DDE: 249
As DDH: 213 plus 20 aircrew
Sensors and As DDE:
processing 1 × SPS-12 air search radar
systems: 1 × SPS-10B surface search radar
1 × Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar
1 × SQS-10 or −11 hull mounted active search and
attack sonar
1 × SQS-501 (Type 162) high frequency bottom
profiling sonar
1 × SQS-502 (Type 170) high frequency Limbo
mortar control sonar
1 × UQC-1B "Gertrude" underwater telephone
1 × GUNAR (Mk.64 GFCS with 2 on-mount SPG-
48 directors)
As DDH:
1 × SPS-12 air search radar
1 × SPS-10B surface search radar
1 × Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar
1 × URN 20 TACAN radar
1 × SQS-10 or −11 hull mounted active search and
attack sonar
1 × SQS-501 (Type 162) high frequency bottom
profiling sonar
1 × SQS-502 (Type 170) high frequency Limbo
mortar control sonar
1 × SQS-504 VDS, medium frequency active search
(except 233 after 1986)
1 × UQC-1B "Gertrude" underwater telephone
1 × GUNAR (Mk.64 GFCS with 1 on-mount SPG-
48 director)
Electronic warfare As DDE:
& decoys: 1 × DAU HF/DF (high frequency direction finder)
As DDH:
1 × WLR 1C radar warning
1 × UPD 501 radar detection
1 × SRD 501 HF/DF
Armament: As DDE:
2 × 3 in (76 mm) Mk.33 FMC twin mounts guns
2 × 40 mm "Boffin" single mount guns
2 × Mk NC 10 Limbo ASW mortars
2 × single Mk.2 "K-gun" launchers with homing
torpedoes
As DDH:
1 × 3"/50 Mk.33 FMC twin mount gun
1 × Mk NC 10 Limbo ASW mortar
2 × triple Mk.32 12.75 inch launchers firing Mk.44
or Mk.46 Mod 5 torpedoes
Aircraft carried: As DDH:
1 × CH-124 Sea King
Aviation facilities: As DDH:
1 × midships helicopter deck with Beartrap and
hangar
HMCS Ottawa (DDH 229) was a St. Laurent-class destroyer that served in
the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1956 to
1992. Ottawa was the first bilingual ship to serve in the Canadian navy. [4]
Contents
1Design and description
o 1.1Armament
o 1.2Machinery
o 1.3DDH conversion
o 1.4DELEX program
2Construction and career
3Ship's bell
4References
o 4.1Notes
o 4.2Citations
o 4.3Sources
5External links
Design and description[edit]
Two St. Laurent-class destroyers in their original configuration
The need for the St. Laurent class came about in 1949 when Canada
joined NATO and the Cold War was in its infancy. The Royal Canadian Navy
(RCN) was assigned responsibility for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and
controlling sea space in the western North Atlantic. The St Laurent class were built
to an operational requirement much like that which produced the British Type 12,
and were powered by the same machinery plant. The rounded deck-edge forward
was adopted to prevent ice forming.[5] The vessels were designed to operate in
harsh Canadian conditions. They were built to
counter nuclear, biological and chemical attack conditions, which led to a design
with a rounded hull, a continuous main deck, and the addition of a pre-wetting
system to wash away contaminants. The living spaces on the ship were part of a
"citadel" which could be sealed off from contamination for the crew safety. The
ships were sometimes referred to as "Cadillacs" for their relatively luxurious crew
compartments; these were also the first Canadian warships to have a bunk for
every crew member since previous warship designs had used hammocks.[6]
As built, the ships were 366 feet (112 m) long overall with a beam of 42 feet (13 m)
and a draught of 13 feet 2 inches (4.01 m).[7] The destroyer escorts displaced 2,263
tonnes (2,227 long tons) standard and 2,800 tonnes (2,800 long tons) at deep load.
[7][note 1]
The destroyer escorts had a crew of 12 officers and 237 enlisted. [7]
Armament[edit]
The St. Laurent class was fitted with twin 3-inch (76 mm)/L50 caliber guns in two
mounts for engaging both surface and air targets. The ships were also fitted with
two single-mounted 40 mm (1.6 in) guns.[7] The class's anti-submarine armament
consisted of a pair of triple-barreled Mk. NC 10 Limbo ASW mortars in a stern well.
The stern well had a roller top to close it off from following seas. As with the British
Type 12 design, the provision for long-range homing torpedoes (in this case
BIDDER [Mk 20E] or the US Mark 35 were included. However, they were never
fitted.[5]
Machinery[edit]
The vessels of the St. Laurent class had two Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers
installed.[7] The steam produced by these boilers was directed at two geared steam
turbines which powered two shafts, providing 22,000 kilowatts (30,000 shp) to drive
the ship at a maximum speed of 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h).[8] The ships had an
endurance of 4,570 nautical miles (8,460 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h).[7]
DDH conversion[edit]
Following successful trials aboard the frigate Buckingham and Ottawa, plans to
convert the St. Laurent class took shape.[9][10][11] Th development of the beartrap,
installed in Assiniboine during her 1962–63 conversion, finalized the concept. By
keeping the aircraft secure, the beartrap eliminated the need for deck handling
from landing to the hangar, or from hangar to takeoff. [10]
In the conversion to a helicopter-carrying vessel, Ottawa was gutted except for
machinery and some forward spaces. The hull was strengthened, fueling facilities
for the helicopter and activated fin stabilizers installed. The fin stabilizers were to
reduce roll in rough weather during helicopter operations. [12] All seven St Laurents
were fitted with helicopter platforms and SQS 504 Variable Depth Sonar (VDS).
The single funnel was altered to twin stepped funnels to permit the forward
extension of the helicopter hangar.[8] To make room for the helicopter deck, the aft
3-inch mount and one of the Limbos were removed. [12][13] The two 40 mm guns were
also removed.[13] Following the conversion, the displacement remained the same at
standard load but at full load, it increased to 3,051 tonnes (3,003 long tons). [7]
DELEX program[edit]
In the late 1970s, under the Destroyer Life Extension (DELEX) program was
commissioned to upgrade ten of the St. Laurent-class ships with new electronics,
machinery, and hull upgrades and repairs. However, only enough was done to
keep the ships in service into the late 1980s. For the St. Laurents, this meant hull
and machinery repairs only.[14]
Construction and career[edit]
Ottawa was laid down at Canadian Vickers in Montreal on 8 June 1951, the ship
was launched on 29 May 1953.[4] She was commissioned into the RCN on 10
November 1956 and initially carried the hull number DDE 229 as a destroyer
escort. In 1957, Ottawa was used as a test ship for helicopter landing trials on a
flight deck installed over the rear of the ship.[4]
Ottawa was transferred to the west coast where she joined the Second Canadian
Escort Squadron.[4][15] In February 1960, she sailed with sister ships St.
Laurent and Saguenay on an operational cruise to Hong Kong and Japan,
performing training exercises with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.[15] In
March 1961, the same three ships deployed with the United States Navy's Carrier
Division 17 off the coast of Hawaii.[16] Ottawa underwent conversion to a destroyer
helicopter escort (DDH) at Victoria, British Columbia, performed by Victoria
Machinery Depot beginning on 24 May 1963.[4][16] The ship was officially reclassed
with pennant DDH 229 on 21 October 1964. Ottawa recommissioned on 28
October 1964 and re-transferred to the east coast.[4]
