HMCS Canada

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Coordinates: 24°47′N 080°39′W / 24.783°N 80.650°W / 24.783; -80.650
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with HMS Canada, Canada (ship), or RMS Canada.

CGS Canada (front) at Barrow-in-Furness in 1904
History
Canada
NameCanada
BuilderVickers, Sons & Maxim, Barrow-in-Furness
Launched15 June 1904
CompletedJuly 1904
RenamedQueen of Nassau (1924)
FateSold for commercial use, sunk 2 July 1926
General characteristics
Type
Patrol vessel
Tonnage411 GRT
Displacement557 long tons (566 t)
Length
  • 200 ft (61 m) (as ordered)
  • 206 ft (63 m) (modified)
Beam25 ft (7.6 m)
Draught13 ft (4.0 m)
Installed power1,800 ihp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion2 ×
triple expansion steam engine
Speed16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement60
Armament

CGS Canada

First World War and was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Canada during that conflict. Following the war, the vessel was sold for commercial use and renamed MV Queen of Nassau. On the verge of being sold again, the ship sank in Straits of Florida
on 2 July 1926.

Description

Canada was 200 feet (61 m) long as ordered, but ended up 206 ft (63 m) long.

kW). The ship's maximum speed is different among the sources, ranging from as low as 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) to as high as 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph).[2][3][b] The ship could carry 110 long tons (110 t) of coal for fuel.[5] The ship was initially fitted with four 3-pounder guns. For naval service, the ship was rearmed with two 12-pounder and two 3-pounder guns.[2][3] Canada was fitted with a Marconi wireless, a device just being installed aboard much larger British warships at the time.[4]

Service history

Civilian service

As part of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier's efforts to relieve Great Britain's overall commitment to North American defence in the wake of the Boer War, the Laurier government sought to develop the Fisheries Protection Service. As part of this effort, the government ordered a patrol ship in 1903–1904 for service on the East Coast of Canada.[6][7] Canada was laid down by Vickers, Sons & Maxim at their shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, England and launched on 15 June 1904. The ship was completed in July that year.[8][9] Canada arrived at Quebec City on 29 September after undergoing a two-week inspection at Gaspé, Quebec. The ship then sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia to install the Marconi wireless and more sea trials.[9]

The original group of Canadian naval cadets serving in CGS Canada

In January 1905, with naval militia recruits aboard, the ship was sent to the

naval exercises there.[10] Canada's participation in Royal Navy fleet exercises in 1905 is considered by some to be the beginnings of Canada's naval activity.[11] The patrol vessel's planned Caribbean cruise in 1907 was cancelled due to personnel requirements.[12] In 1908, the Canadian government sought to build a naval militia around Canada. This was soon put off as the department came under investigation.[13]</ref> That year Canada took part in Quebec City's tercentenary celebrations.[14]

In 1908, Canada became a

Royal Navy Reserve were brought aboard to provide a higher level of naval training. However, Canada continued to be used as a fisheries patrol vessel.[17] In 1910, the Canadian navy was formed Canada escorted one of the nation's newly acquired cruisers, Niobe, into Halifax Harbour, with the new navy's cadets and the Director of the Naval Service, Rear Admiral Charles Kingsmill, aboard.[18]

HMCS Canada

As HMCS Canada, during the First World War

After the

decommissioned in November 1919.[3]

Queen of Nassau

In 1920, Canada was offered for sale at a price of $25,000.

Miami, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas.[27] This was a service for which she was poorly equipped, lacking comfortable overnight accommodations for the island cruise, as well as air conditioning. Passengers rapidly lost interest in the service and once again the ship sat idle and rusting, this time for 18 months in Biscayne Bay.[citation needed
]

Collier announced some

Islamorada.[citation needed] The site of the wreck is located 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) south of Miami and roughly 7 miles (11 km) south of Lower Matecumbe Key.[8][27]

Wreck site

The wreck was located by technical

sponges, corals, and other invertebrate growth and rests upright on a white, sandy bottom.[25]

U.S. National Historic Site because of the significance it holds in the evolution of Canada's military.[11]

Notes

  1. Canadian Government Ship and HMCS stands for His Majesty's Canadian Ship
  2. ^ The Miramar Ship Index gives the ship's speed as 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) and Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I claims it was 14 knots.

Citations

  1. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, p. 211.
  2. ^ a b c d e Maginley & Collin 2001, p. 89.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Macpherson & Barrie 2002, p. 18.
  4. ^ a b Johnston et al. 2010, p. 139.
  5. ^ Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I, p. 99.
  6. ^ Gimblett 2009, p. 4.
  7. ^ Milner 2010, p. 11.
  8. ^ a b c Miramar Ship Index.
  9. ^ a b Johnston et al. 2010, p. 148.
  10. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, p. 149.
  11. ^ a b Boswell, Randy (17 April 2010). "Canada's first warship to be preserved – near Florida Keys". Vancouver Sun. Canwest News Service. Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  12. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, p. 160.
  13. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, pp. 173–177.
  14. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, p. 177.
  15. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, p. 180.
  16. ^ a b c Casserley, T (2003). "A Ram Bow in the Keys: Latest findings from the Investigation of the Steamer Queen of Nassau". In: SF Norton (Ed). 2003. Diving for Science...2003. Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Scientific Diving Symposium. Greenville, North Carolina: American Academy of Underwater Sciences. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2015.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, p. 230.
  18. ^ Milner 2010, p. 19.
  19. ^ Tucker 1962, p. 217.
  20. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, p. 290.
  21. ^ Hadley & Sarty 1991, p. 121.
  22. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, p. 615.
  23. ^ Armstrong 2002, p. 51.
  24. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, pp. 779, 789.
  25. ^ a b Barnette, Michael C. "The Queen of Nassau: How one of Canada's first warships ended up off the Florida Keys". Archived from the original on 18 May 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  26. ^ Johnston et al. 2010, p. 841.
  27. ^ a b "National Marine Sanctuaries – Queen of Nassau". National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  28. ^ Faulk, Kimberly L. (14 December 2010). "Deepwater Archaeology in Oil and Gas". Museum of Underwater Archaeology.
  29. ^ "Nautilus Productions – Archaeology". Nautilus Productions.

Bibliography

External links

24°47′N 080°39′W / 24.783°N 80.650°W / 24.783; -80.650

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