HMCS ALGONQUIN 283

Iroquois Class Destroyer

The last of her class, she was built by the Davie Shipbuilding Co., Lauzon, and commissioned on 03 Nov 1973. In Nov 1974, ALGONQUIN rescued the crew of the fishing vessel Paul & Maria, which was sinking 80 miles east of Halifax. In the fall of 1977, she took part in the Caribbean exercise CARIBOPS ‘77, in the process being the first of her class to cross the equator. On 26 Sep 1978, she relieved Huron as flagship of SNFL, staying with the Force until the end of the year. By the end of her tenth year in service, ALGONQUIN had steamed more than 200,000 nautical miles and spent an actual three years at sea. During that period, she had taken part in more than twenty multinational exercises and completed four tours of duty with SNFL, three of them as flagship. On 01 Mar 1986, she responded to a call for help from the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, two of whose officers had boarded the Panamanian trawler Peonia 7. Ignoring orders to put in to St. John’s, the vessel’s captain had headed to sea with the DFO officers still on board. ALGONQUIN overtook her and enforced the original orders. On 26 Oct 1987, she commenced her TRUMP refit at MIL Davie, Lauzon. Labour problems and contract disputes delayed completion of the work until 11 Oct 1991. On 29 Mar 1993, ALGONQUIN sailed to join SNFL, again as flagship, and transited the Suez Canal to join the other NATO vessel in the Adriatic enforcing the blockade of the former Yugoslavia on 24 Jun 1993. She transferred to the west coast in Aug 1994. Early in 1995 she took part in an U.S. battle group training exercise off southern California. That fall, ALGONQUIN test-fired her SM2 missile on the Pacific Missile Range in the Hawaiian Islands. On 18 Mar 1996 she left Esquimalt to participate in Exercise WESTPLOY '96, acting as flagship of a group including Preserver, Regina and Winnipeg. During three months the ships visited Japan, Russia and South Korea and afterward took part in RIMPAC '96 off Hawaii. In mid-Jan 1997, she began what was foreseen as a 12-month, $15 million refit but which proved to cost almost $25 million, re-entering service in May 1998. More exercises with Pacific rim countries followed during 2000 and 2001. On 23 Mar 2002, she departed Esquimalt for the Arabian Sea to support the U.S.-led coalition against international terrorism, arriving back on 14 Oct 2002. For the next decade she continued to act as the west coast flagship through a range of national and international exercises. On 12 Jun 2010, she was the command ship for Her Excellency Governor-General Michaëlle Jean for the International Fleet Review marking the Canadian Naval Centennial. On 30 Aug 2013, HMCS ALGONQUIN was involved in a collision with HMCS PROTECTEUR which resulted in considerable damage to her hangar. The damage was never repaired and she was paid off on 11 Jun 2015. On 09 May 2016, the former HMCS ALGONQUIN departed Esquimalt, BC, under tow, destined for Liverpool, NS to be broken up. In Jun 2016, she arrived alongside at the yard of R.J. MacIsaac Construction at Liverpool to be broken up.

Note: The 5"54 cal gun on the 280s were named after the Oto Melara technicians who installed them and did the FSR work in Canada.  The names for the guns were as follows:  IROQUOIS - Pasquale, HURON - Tulio, ATHABASKAN - Leno and ALGONQUIN - Luigi.

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos          The Ship's Bell

RCN Memories:  Speaking of Anchors and Chains....

Commanding Officers

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

V

W

Photos and Documents

(ALG001 - ALG002) ALGONQUIN under construction in dry dock at Davies Shipbuilding Company, Quebec - summer 1971  //  Courtesy of Richard Larcheveque

(ALG003) First Routine Orders for HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 - 03 Nov 1973  //  From the collection of Bill Edison  //  Courtesy of Brian Lapierre

(ALG004) Newspaper article on HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 entering Halifax for the first time on 15 Nov 1973  //   Courtesy of Art Fallas

(ALG005) Newspaper article - HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 enters Halifax Harbour for the first time  //  From the collection of Bill Edison  //  Courtesy of Brian Lapierre

(ALG006) HMCS ALGONQUIN communicators circa 1974

Front row: (L-R)Art Fallas, Doug Rainville, Terry Nehiley  //  Second Row: (L-R)  Ted Kendall (POTEL), ?, Slt Creber, Harry Coleman  //  Third row (standing): (L-R) Larry Cayen, PO Green, Keith Gerrard (top half of head showing behind PO Green), Joe Burgoyne, Butch O'Brian, ?, Harry Israel, Norm Brooks, Jean Guy Gilbert, Keith Lawson, Roger Doucet  //   On top of locker: Candy Kane  //  Courtesy of Art Fallas

(ALG007) HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 at anchor.  Note the NATO symbol on the side of her bridge  //  DND- RCN Photo

(ALG008) HMCS ALGONQUIN 283  //  DND- RCN Photo

Inclination Trials Gone Wrong - 15 Nov 1991

After coming out of refit, HMCS ALGONQUIN was conducting alongside trials, which included inclination trials involving "tilting" the ship by flooding ballast tanks.  It was discovered (afterwards) that the covers on the tanks were not properly secured and it resulted in major flooding.  ALGONQUIN'S damage control teams as well as crews and equipment from other nearby ships managed to stop the flooding and keep her afloat.

(ALG009) Two newspaper articles on the "List Trial" on HMCS ALGONQUIN that went wrong on 15 Nov 1991

(ALG010 - ALG011) Secured with hawsers that kept her from heeling over, HMCS ALGONQUIN in a precarious position while water is pumped out of her during the "list trial" on 15 Nov 1991  //  Courtesy of Jarrod David

(ALG012) Two newspaper articles on the "List Trial" on HMCS ALGONQUIN that went wrong on 15 Nov 1991  //  Article on the left - Halifax Chronicle Herald 16 Nov 1991  //  Researched by / Courtesy of George Newbury

(ALG013) VDS well on HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 - undated  //  DND Neg # HS86C-3717  //  Courtesy of the Naval Museum of Halifax

(ALG014) Tug manoeurvering HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 in Halifax Harbour c1998  //  DND Neg # HS 87-0770-2  //  Courtesy of the Naval Museum of Halifax

(ALG015) "5th Birthday Party for HMCS ALGONQUIN in 1978 with Commander Westrop"  //  Courtesy of Robyn Buffett

(AGL016) HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 (pre-TRUMP)

(ALG017) Gunshield art on HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 circa 1984-86 painted by Norman Vanasse  //  Courtesy of Norman Vanasse

(ALG018) Gunshield art on HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 - undated  //  Courtesy of Rejean Trudeau

(ALG019) HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 post TRUMP refit  //  Courtesy of David Shirlaw

(ALG020) Detainee being hand over to USN authorities  //  HMCS ALGONQUIN detained two men encountered during one of the many patrols as a part of OP Apollo in 2002. The 2 detainees were embarked by the Jacob's ladder shortly after sunset. They were held overnight before handing over to the USN at dawn the next morning.  //  HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 - OP APOLLO 2002 Deployment  //  Courtesy of Steve Hutchings

(ALG021) Chief's and Petty Officer's beach party held in Samoa - 2002  //  HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 - OP APOLLO 2002 Deployment  //  Courtesy of Steve Hutchings

(ALG022) HMCS ALGONQUIN 283, Kitimat, BC - 2007  //  Courtesy of Gary Cook, LS Mar Eng

(ALG022 - ALG023) "Giddy up!!"  "I wanna go fast" painted on the end of HMCS ALGONQUIN'S flight deck - date unknown  //  Source: Twitter feed of Joetey Attariwala  //  Courtesy of Colin Darlington

(ALG024 - ALG026) HMCS ALGONQUIN returning to Esquimalt, BC, 31 Aug 2013, after her collision with HMCS Protecteur on 30 Aug 2013

Courtesy of  Gail Hartman

(ALG027 - ALG031) Series of photos showing the damage to the hangar of HMCS ALGONQUIN after her collision with HMCS Protecteur on 30 Aug 2013

Courtesy of Craig Forsberg

(ALG032) HMCS Protecteur (left) and HMCS ALGONQUIN (right). Damage caused after the two ships collided on 30 August 2013 during a TOWEX while en route to the International Fleet Review in Australia  //  Source: Maritime Forces Pacific facebook page

(ALG033) The Naval Ensign being lowered on HMCS ALGONQUIN 283 for the final time during her paying off ceremony - 11 Jun 2015  //  DND-RCN photo

The End

(ALG034) The former HMCS ALGONQUIN is on its final journey, 09 May 2016, from CFB Esquimalt to Port Mersey Commercial Park, Liverpool, N.S. to be broken up  //  Image by: Leading Seaman David Gariépy ET2016-0150-03.NEF ©2016 DND – MDN Canada

(ALG035) The former HMCS ALGONQUIN in the breaker's yard at Liverpool, NS, 25 Jun 2017. The superstructure mostly gone, the demolition begins on her hull.  //  Courtesy of Jarrod David