HMCS Cape Breton (ARE 100)
 HMS Flamborough Head underway in coastal waters. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
| |
| Name: | Flamborough Head |
| Builder: | Burrard Dry Dock, Vancouver |
| Laid down: | 5 July 1944 |
| Launched: | 7 October 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 2 May 1955 |
| Out of service: | 1952 |
| Fate: | Sold to Canadian Government, 1952 |
 Canada
| |
| Name: | Cape Breton |
| Namesake: | Cape Breton |
| Acquired: | 31 January 1953 |
| Commissioned: | 16 November 1959 |
| Decommissioned: | 10 February 1964 |
| Motto: | "Le chance ne change pas la course" (Chance changes not our course)[1] |
| Honours and awards: |
|
| Fate: | Sunk as artificial reef, 20 October 2001, near Nanaimo, Vancouver Island |
| Badge: | Azure, a spur gear argent charged with a device consisting of three ermine spots conjoined in the center, one pointing to the chief, once to the dexter base and once to the sinister base in trefoil fashion sable, and between them issuing from the center, three thistle blooms coloured proper.[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Cape-class maintenance ship |
| Displacement: | 8,580 long tons (8,718 t) |
| Length: | 134.6 m (441 ft 7 in) |
| Beam: | 17.4 m (57 ft 1 in) |
| Draught: | 6.1 m (20 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Oil-fired triple expansion steam engines, 2 Foster Wheeler boilers, 1 shaft, 6,000 hp (4,474 kW) |
| Speed: | 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) |
| Complement: | 270 |
| Armament: | 16 × 20 mm guns |
| Aircraft carried: | can handle Sikorsky HO4S |
| Aviation facilities: | helicopter pad |
HMCS Cape Breton was a Royal Canadian Navy Cape-class maintenance ship. Originally built for the Royal Navy as HMS Flamborough Head in 1944 she was transferred in 1952. Upon her commissioning she was the second ship to bear the name Cape Breton. She served operationally from 1953-64, when she was laid up. She was used as a floating machine shop until the late 1990s, before being sold for use as an artificial reef off the coast of British Columbia.
Design and description
Flamborough Head was one of the 21 Beachy Head-class repair ships, built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. The Beachy Heads were modified versions of the Fort ship, called the "Victory" design.[2][3][4] She had a displacement of 8,580 long tons (8,720 t), a length overall of 134.6 metres (441 ft 7 in), a beam of 17.4 metres (57 ft 1 in) and a draught of 6.1 metres (20 ft 0 in).[4]
The ship was powered by one triple expansion steam engine with two Foster Wheeler boilers, driving one shaft.[4][5] This created 6,000 horsepower (4,474 kW) and gave the ship a maximum speed of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph).[4] The ship was armed with sixteen 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons.[6]
Construction and career
Flamborough Head (pennant F88) was laid down on 5 July 1944 by Burrard Dry Dock in Vancouver, British Columbia and launched on 7 October 1944.[2][4] She was completed on 2 May 1945.[4] Flamborough Head finished the Second World War in service with the Royal Navy and continued into the postwar period until 1952, when she was transferred to Canada.[2]
Service with Canada
Flamborough Head was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1952. She was officially renamed and recommissioned Cape Breton on 31 January 1953.[2] Cape Breton was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet and homeported at Halifax, Nova Scotia until 25 August 1958 as a repair and training ship.[2] She had been acquired in an effort to expand the range of the fleet and to sustain operations against Soviet submarines deploying west.[7] In 1958 she sailed to Esquimalt, British Columbia where she was converted to an escort maintenance ship, she was recommissioned on 16 November 1959.[2]
On 10 February 1964, Cape Breton was paid off into the reserve.[2] This was due to efforts to cut costs.[8] From there on, the vessel served as a towed support facility and accommodation vessel at Esquimalt under the designation Maintenance Group (Pacific). In 1993, she was replaced by a shore building. She was sold to the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) for use as an artificial reef.[2]
Fate
Except for a short section of the stern and her engines, the ship was sunk in the waters of British Columbia on 20 October 2001 by the ARSBC after extensive cleaning to meet Environment Canada requirements. The ship now lies near Snake Island in Nanaimo harbour for use as a scuba diving site.[2][6] Cape Breton sank upright to a depth of 145 feet (44 m). Her crow's nest reaches up to 40 feet (12 m) below the surface, the main deck lies at 100 feet (30 m).[9]
The stern was donated to the city of North Vancouver, British Columbia by the Artificial Reef Society. They placed it on display on the waterfront in 2001 with the plan to eventually develop the area into a maritime museum. However, those plans fell through in 2007 from lack of support. On 9 September 2013, the city council voted to dispose of the stern after the cradle upon which the stern is resting began to near the end of its life. Dismantling of the stern began in December 2013.[3] Following protests, the project was halted temporarily.[10]
The Christening Bells Project at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum includes information from the ship's bell of HMCS Cape Breton, which was used for baptism of babies onboard ship from 1959–1971. The bell is currently held by the CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum, Esquimalt, British Columbia.[11]
Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton was formed in 1996 at CFB Esquimalt from the amalgamation of three shore-based units: Ship Repair Unit (Pacific), Naval Engineering Unit (Pacific), and Fleet Maintenance Group (Pacific). Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton took its name from HMCS Cape Breton.
References
Notes
- 1 2 3 Arbuckle, p. 19
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Macpherson and Barrie, p. 279
- 1 2 Richter, Brent (1 December 2013). "North Vancouver scraps Flamborough Head". North Shore News. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Flamborough Head (6121059)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 23 April 2016. (subscription required (help)).
- ↑ Blackman, p. 99
- 1 2 Colledge, p. 237
- ↑ Milner, p. 229
- ↑ Milner, p. 239
- ↑ "Cape Breton, Vancouver Island, British Columbia". Sport Diver. Vol. 11 no. 1. February 2003. p. 75.
- ↑ Mackie, John (30 January 2014). "North Vancouver Victory Ship in mid-air". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
- ↑ "The Christening bells project". CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
Bibliography
- Arbuckle, J. Graeme (1987). Badges of the Canadian Navy. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Nimbus Publishing. ISBN 0-920852-49-1.
- Blackman, Raymond V.B., ed. (1953). Jane's Fighting Ships 1953-54. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd.
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
- Macpherson, Ken; Barrie, Ron (2002). The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 (Third ed.). St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN 1-55125-072-1.
- Milner, Marc (2010). Canada's Navy: The First Century (Second ed.). Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-9604-3.
Coordinates: 49°12.88′N 123°53.067′W / 49.21467°N 123.884450°W
External links
- "Cape Class escort maintenance ship". Haze Gray and Underway. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- "The Cape Breton: FMG 100 (Fleet Maintenance Group)". Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- "HMCS CAPE BRETON (2nd)". ReadyAyeReady.com. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
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