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RCN 1st, 2nds, 3rds, etc ......
This page is dedicated to historical events involving ships of the RCN, such as the first ship to Round the Horn, Circumnavigate the Globe, etc, that may get overlooked or just be blurred by the passage of time ....
Rounding the Horn:
HMCS UGANDA - In 1946 during her South American cruise, HMCS UGANDA became the first ship of the RCN to Round the Horn transiting from west to east and did so "under sail".
HMCS KOOTENAY 258 was the 2nd ship of the RCN to Round the Horn doing so 1995. Her transit schedule was as follows: 13 Oct 1995- Punta Arenas, aux steaming, short visit. 14 Oct 1995 - Full Power Trial on the way to the Horn. 15 Oct 1995- Rounded the Horn then headed North. 20 Oct 1995 - Puerto Montt, aux steaming, short visit.
HMCS HALIFAX 330 was the 3rd ship of the RCN to Round the Horn, doing so in 1997.
HMCS MARGARET BROOKE 431 will become the 4th ship of the RCN to Round the Horn doing so during her 2025 deployment to South America and Antarctica
Honourable mention goes to HMCS RAINBOW - When RAINBOW departed England for Esquimalt to become the 1st ship of the RCN's Pacific fleet, she made her transit from east to west via the Strait of Madgellan and did not Round the Horn during her voyage. Close but not quite.
The North West Passage:
HMCS LABRADOR - HMCS LABRADOR was the first ship of the RCN to transit the Northwest Passage when on 23 Jul 1954 she sailed from Halifax on her maiden transiting the passage from east to west.
HMCS HARRY DEWOLF - On 03 Aug 2021 HMCS HARRY DEWOLF departed Halifax to transit the Northwest Passage, transiting from east to west, becoming the 2nd ship of the RCN to navigate the Northwest Passage.
Historical navigation of the Northwest passage:
The Gjøa left Kristiania (Oslo), Norway on 16 June 1903, and became the first ship to sail through the entire Passage. Travelling east to west, the expedition arrived in Nome, Alaska on 30 August 1906 after two winterings in Gjøa Haven on King William Island and one at King Point by the Mackenzie Delta.
RCMP vessel ST. ROCH - In 1940-42 the RCMP's service ship ST. ROCH became the first vessel to complete a voyage through the Northwest Passage in a west to east direction following the same route the Gjøa took in her east to west voyage, and in 1944 became the first vessel to make a return trip through the Northwest Passage, traversing the more northerly route considered the true Northwest Passage, and was also the first to navigate the passage in a single season.
Circumnavigating North America:
HMCS LABRADOR - On 23 Jul 1954 she sailed from Halifax on her maiden voyage transiting the Northwest Passage east to west and returning to Halifax on 21 Nov 1954 via the Panama Canal becoming the first ship of the RCN to circumnavigate North America.
HMCS HARRY DEWOLF - On 03 Aug 2021 HMCS HARRY DEWOLF departed Halifax to transit the Northwest Passage and, returning to Halifax via the Panama Canal becoming the 2nd ship of the RCN to circumnavigate North America.
Circumnavigating South America:
HMCS UGANDA was the first ship of the RCN to circumnavigate South America. She did so on her 1946 South American Cruise, proceeding down the west coast of South America, Rounding the Horn, travelling north along the east coast of South America and transiting the Panama Canal to return to Esquimalt.
HMCS MARGARET BROOKE 431 will become the 2nd ship of the RCN to circumnavigate South America during her 2025 deployment to South America and Antarctica - departing Halifax and transiting the Panama Canal from east to west then proceeding south along the east coast of South America, then Rounding the Horn and returning northwards to Halifax, NS.
Circumnavigating the Globe:
HMCS NOOTKA 213 - During her 2nd Korean War deployment, 30 Dec 1951 - 17 Dec 1952, HMCS NOOTKA departed Halifax, proceeding to the Pacific via the Panama Canal and returning to Halifax via the Suez Canal.
HMCS HAIDA 215 - During both her 1st and 2nd Korean War deployments, 27 Sep 1952 - 22 Jul 1953 and 14 Dec 1953 - 01 Nov 1954, HMCS HAIDA departed Halifax, proceeding to the Pacific via the Panama Canal and returning to Halifax via the Suez Canal.
HMCS IROQUOIS 217 - During both her 2nd and 3rd Korean War deployments, 29 Apr 1953 - 10 Feb 1954 and 01 Jul 1954 - 19 Mar 1955, HMCS IROQUOIS departed Halifax, proceeding to the Pacific via the Panama Canal and returning to Halifax via the Suez Canal.
HMCS HURON 216 - During both her 2nd and 3rd Korean War deployments, 29 Apr 1943 - 17 Mar 1954 and 01 Aug 1954 - 19 Mar 1955, HMCS HURON departed Halifax, proceeding to the Pacific via the Panama Canal and returning to Halifax via the Suez Canal.
HMCS ST LAURENT 205 - Heading west, HMCS ST LAURENT departed Esquimalt on 07 Jan 1964, circumnavigating the globe via the Suez Canal and Panama Canal returning to Esquimalt on 29 Sep 1964.
Antarctica:
HMCS MARGARET BROOKE 431 - During her Jan-Apr 2025 deployment, HMCS MARGARET BROOKE will become the first ship of the RCN to visit Antarctica.
Rounding the Cape of Good Hope:
HMCS HALIFAX 330 - believed to be the 1st ship of the RCN to do so, HMCS HALIFAX Rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1997.
RAS North of the Arctic Circle
HMCS PRESERVER 510, HMCS ASSINIBOINE 234 and HMCS MARGAREE 230 - On 29 Aug 1971, during the squadron's Arctic deployment, PRESERVER, ASSINIBOINE and MARGAREE became the first ships of the RCN to conduct a RAS north of the Arctic Circle.
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