HMCS Haida

HMCS Haida docked in Hamilton, Ontario, as a museum ship
History
Canada
NameHaida
NamesakeHaida
Ordered5 April 1940
BuilderVickers-Armstrongs, Ltd., Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Yard number41
Laid down29 September 1941
Launched25 August 1942
Commissioned30 August 1943
Decommissioned20 March 1946
Recommissioned15 March 1952
Decommissioned11 October 1963
Out of service22 February 1964
Identification
  • DDE 215 (February 1952)
  • G63 (September 1964)
Honours and
awards
  • Arctic 1943–1945
  • English Channel 1944
  • Normandy 1944
  • Biscay 1944
  • Korea 1952–1953[1]
StatusMuseum ship
General characteristics
Class and typeTribal-class destroyer
Displacement
  • 1,959 long tons (1,990 t) standard
  • 2,519 long tons (2,559 t) deep load
Length377 ft (114.9 m)
Beam37 ft 6 in (11.4 m)
Draught13 ft (4.0 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 shafts; 3 × Admiralty 3-drum type boilers
  • 2 × Parsons geared steam turbines, 44,000 shp (33,000 kW)
Speed36.5 knots (67.6 km/h; 42.0 mph) (maximum), 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) (service)
Complement259 (14 officers, 245 ratings)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • As G63 (1943–1952):
  • 1 type 268 radar
  • 1 type 271 radar
  • 1 type 291 radar
  • 1 × Mk.III fire control director with Type 285 fire control radar
  • 1 type 144 sonar
  • 1 type 144Q sonar
  • 1 type 147F sonar
  • As DDE 215 (1952–1963):
  • 1 SPS-6C air search radar
  • 1 Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar
  • 1 × Mk.63 fire control director with SPG-34 fire control radar
  • 1 type 164B sonar
  • 1 type 162 (SQS 501) sonar
  • SQS 10 sonar
Armament
  • As G63 (1943–1952):
  • 3 × 4.7-inch (119 mm)/45 Mk.XII twin guns
  • 1 × 4-inch (102 mm)/45 Mk.16 twin guns
  • 1 × quadruple mount 40 mm/39 2-pounder gun
  • 6 × 20 mm Oerlikon twin cannons
  • 1 quad launcher with Mk.IX torpedoes (4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes)
  • 1 rail + 2 Mk.IV throwers (Mk.VII depth charges)
  • As DDE 215 (1952–1963):
  • 2 × 4-inch/45 Mk.16 twin guns
  • 1 × 3-inch (76 mm)/50 Mk.33 twin guns
  • 4 × 40 mm/56 Bofors guns
  • 1 quad launcher with Mk.IX torpedoes (4 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes)
  • 2 × Squid ASW mortars
Official nameHMCS Haida National Historic Site of Canada
Designated1984

HMCS Haida is a Tribal-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) from 1943 to 1963, participating in World War II and the Korean War.[2] She was named after the Haida people.

The only surviving Tribal-class destroyer out of 27 vessels constructed for the RCN, the Royal Navy, and the Royal Australian Navy between 1937 and 1945, Haida sank more enemy surface tonnage than any other Canadian warship and as such is commonly referred to as the "Fightingest Ship in the Royal Canadian Navy".[3][4]

Designated a national historic site of Canada in 1984, she now serves as a museum ship berthed next to HMCS Star, an active Royal Canadian Naval Reserve Division, in Hamilton, Ontario.[5][6] In 2018, Haida was designated the ceremonial flagship of the RCN.

  1. ^ Arbuckle, p. 46
  2. ^ Brewster, Murray (26 August 2023). "HMCS Haida — the 'fightingest' ship in the Royal Canadian Navy — turns 80". CBC News. Retrieved 27 August 2023 – via MSN.com.
  3. ^ "Canada to Honour "the Fightingest Ship in the Royal Canadian Navy" (Press release). Parks Canada. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  4. ^ "RCN flagship: HMCS Haida, Canada's "fightingest ship"". Government of Canada. 23 October 2014. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  5. ^ "HMCS Haida". Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada. [dead link]
  6. ^ HMCS Haida National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 1 July 2015.