NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Saguenay	D79		Thornycroft, Woolston, UK	9.1929	11.7.1930	5.1931	collision 15.12.1942, then TS
Skeena	D59		Thornycroft, Woolston, UK	10.1929	10.10.1930	6.1931	wrecked 25.10.1944

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	1360
Displacement full, t	1815 (later 1990)
Length, m	94.2 pp 97.5 oa
Breadth, m	9.91
Draught, m	3.73 (later 3.99) deep load
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 3 Thornycroft boilers
Power, h. p.	32000
Max speed, kts	35
Fuel, t	oil 380
Endurance, nm(kts)	5000(15)
Armament	4 x 1 - 120/45 QF Mk IX, 2 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk II, 2 x 4 - 533 TT, 3 DCR (6 DC), mechanical minesweeping gear
Complement	138

Standard scale images

Project history

Besides 16 ships of A and B classes for the Royal Navy two more have built by order of Canada. The design has been developed on the basis of "A" class destroyer, but with a number of the changes dictated by specificity of possible service both in northern latitudes, and in subtropics. The hull has been strengthened for ice navigation and became wider, that allowed to carry on an upper deck and superstructures up to 50-60t of ice without risk of loss of stability. In comparison with standard destroyers of the British fleet, the superstructure has received more covered form.

Modernizations

second half of 1940, both: - 1 x 4 - 533 TT, 2 DCR; + 1 x 1 - 76/45 20cwt QF Mk I/II/III/IV, 2 DCT (20 - 40 DC totally), type 128 sonar

late 1940 - late 1941, both: - 1 x 1 - 120/45; + 2 DCT (70 DC totally)

late 1941 - early 1942, both: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1942 - 1943, both: - 2 x 1 - 40/39; + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, DC stowage increased up to 125 pcs.

1942-1944, Saguenay: + type 271, type 286 or type 291 radars

1942, Skeena: + SW1C radar

1944, Skeena: - 1 x 1 - 120/45, type 128 sonar; + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk 10 ASWRL, type 144 sonar

Naval service

Saguenay 1.12.1940 was damaged by torpedo from Italian submarine Argo in Northern Atlantic; she was repeatedly damaged in November, 1942 at collision with s/s Azara at Newfoundland; partially repaired, but used only as TS. Skeena wrecked in a mist in Hval-fiord 25.10.1944.

© Ivan Gogin, 2015