HMCS Columbia (DDE 260)
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_at_Rotterdam_on_10_May_1965.jpg) HMCS Columbia at Rotterdam, 10 May 1965 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
  Canada | |
| Name | Columbia |
| Namesake | Columbia River |
| Builder | Burrard Dry Dock, North Vancouver |
| Laid down | 11 June 1952 |
| Launched | 1 November 1956 |
| Commissioned | 7 November 1959 |
| Decommissioned | 18 February 1974 |
| Homeport | CFB Esquimalt |
| Identification | DDE 260 |
| Motto | Floreat Columbia ubique ("May Columbia flourish everywhere")[1] |
| Honours and awards | Belgian Coast, 1914–15, Atlantic 1940–44[1] |
| Fate | Sunk as artificial reef off British Columbia in June 1996. |
| Badge | Gules, a bend wavy argent charged with two like cotises azure, and over all in the center a dogwood flower proper[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Restigouche-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 2,800 t (2,800 long tons; 3,100 short tons) (deep load) |
| Length | 366 ft (111.6 m) |
| Beam | 42 ft (12.8 m) |
| Draught | 14 ft (4.3 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) |
| Range | 4,750 nautical miles (8,800 km; 5,470 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement | 214 |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys | 1 × DAU HF/DF (high frequency direction finder) |
| Armament |
|
HMCS Columbia was a Restigouche-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1959 to 1974. Columbia was the seventh and final ship in her class and is the second Canadian naval unit to carry the name HMCS Columbia. Following her service, she was kept at Esquimalt in an altered condition, no longer capable of sailing. During the summer of 1974 she along with her sister ship HMCS Chaudiere served as the base of operations for the Esquimalt Sea Cadet Camp while being docked at the DND jetty in Colwood. This location was across the harbour from the main site of CFB Esquimalt. Columbia was sold for use as an artificial reef and sunk off the coast of British Columbia in 1996.
Armament
Based on the preceding St. Laurent-class design, the Restigouches had the same hull and propulsion, but different weaponry.[2] Initially the St. Laurent class had been planned to be 14 ships. However the order was halved, and the following seven were redesigned to take into improvements made on the St. Laurents. As time passed, their design diverged further from that of the St. Laurents.[3]
The ships had a displacement of 2,000 tonnes (2,000 long tons), 2,500 t (2,500 long tons) at deep load. They were designed to be 112 metres (366 ft) long with a beam of 13 metres (42 ft) and a draught of 4.01 metres (13 ft 2 in).[2] The Restigouches had a complement of 214.[4]
The Restigouches were by powered by two English Electric geared steam turbines, each driving a propeller shaft, using steam provided by two Babcock & Wilcox boilers. They generated 22,000 kilowatts (30,000 shp) giving the vessels a maximum speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph).[2]
The Restigouches were equipped with SPS-10, SPS-12, Sperry Mk 2 and SPG-48 radar along with SQS-501 and SQS-503 sonar.[5]
The Restigouches diverged from the St. Laurents in their weaponry. The Restigouches were equipped with two twin mounts of Vickers 3-inch (76 mm)/70 calibre Mk 6 dual-purpose guns forward and maintained a single twin mount of 3-inch/50 calibre Mk 22 guns aft used in the preceding class.[note 1] A Mk 69 fire control director was added to control the new guns.[6] They were also armed with two Limbo Mk 10 mortars and two single Bofors 40 mm guns.[5] However the 40 mm guns were dropped in the final design.[6]
From 1958 the destroyers were also equipped with Mk 43 homing torpedoes in an effort to increase the effective range of the armament. The Mk 43 torpedo had a range of 4,100 metres (4,500 yd) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). They were launched by a modified depth charge thrower.[7]