Canadian Bird-class patrol vessel
| {{Infobox ship begin |sclass=2}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Name=Bird class |Builders= Various Ontario boatyards |Operators={{navy|Canada|1911}} |Class before=Fairmile B motor launch |Class after= |Subclasses= |Cost= |Built range= |In service range= |In commission range=30 November 1955 – 2 September 1965 |Total ships building= |Total ships planned=8 |Total ships completed=4 |Total ships cancelled=4 |Total ships active= |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships retired=4 |Total ships preserved= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type= Patrol vessel |Ship displacement= {{convert|66|LT|t|0|lk=in|abbr=on}} |Ship length={{convert|92|ft|m|abbr=on}} o/a |Ship beam= {{convert|17|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|5.3|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion= |Ship speed= |Ship range= |Ship complement= 2 officers, 19 ratings |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=*1 × 20 mm
|Ship armour= |Ship notes= }} |
The Bird-class patrol vessels were a class of seaward patrol vessels operated by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during the Cold War. The class derives its name from large birds found in Canada and was designed by the RCN as a replacement for the remaining Second World War-era Fairmile motor launches used for coastal patrol.{{sfn|Macpherson|Barrie|2002|p=278}}
Design
Bird-class patrol vessels were designed for harbour patrol, training and anti-submarine warfare. Constructed of wood and aluminum, the Bird class displaced {{convert|66|LT|t|0|lk=in|abbr=on}}. The vessels were {{convert|92|ft|m|abbr=on}} long overall, with a beam of {{convert|17|ft|m|abbr=on}} and a draught of {{convert|5.3|ft|m|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Gardiner|Chumbley|Budzbon|1995|p=49}} They had a complement of two officers and nineteen ratings.{{cite magazine |title=Three New Patrol Craft in Service |magazine=The Crowsnest |publisher=Queen's Printer |location=Ottawa |volume=8 |number=10 |pages=3}}
The Bird class were powered by diesel engines creating {{convert|1200|bhp|lk=in}} connected to two shafts. This gave the ships a maximum speed of {{convert|14|kn|lk=in}}.{{sfn|Gardiner|Chumbley|Budzbon|1995|p=49}} The vessels were armed with one 20 mm gun and a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar.{{sfn|Macpherson|Barrie|2002|p=278}}
Ships
| class="wikitable" |
| + Bird class construction data |
| scope="col"| Ship
! scope="col"| Pennant number ! scope="col"| Builder ! scope="col"| Commissioned ! scope="col"| Paid off ! scope="col"| Fate |
|---|
| scope="row"|{{HMCS|Loon|PCS 780|2}}
|PCS 780 |30 November 1955 |30 August 1965 |Sold around 1970. |
| scope="row"|{{HMCS|Cormorant|PCS 781|2}}
|PCS 781 |16 July 1956 |23 May 1963 |Sold around 1970. |
| scope="row"|{{HMCS|Blue Heron|PCS 782|2}}
|PCS 782 |30 July 1956 |19 November 1956 |Transferred to the RCMP. |
| scope="row"|{{HMCS|Mallard|PCS 783|2}}
|PCS 783 |Grew Boat Works, Penetanguishene |16 July 1956 |2 September 1965 |Sold around 1970. |
| scope="row"|Arctic Tern
|PCS 784 |align="center" colspan="4" rowspan="4"|Planned but never built. |
| scope="row"|Sandpiper
|PCS 785 |
| scope="row"|Herring Gull
|PCS 786 |
| scope="row"|Kingfisher
|PCS 787 |
Service history
Loon was the first to commission, on 30 November 1955 at Toronto, Ontario. The vessel sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia in December through treacherous ice conditions. Cormorant and Mallard were commissioned on 16 July 1956 at Midland, Ontario and Penetang, Ontario respectively. Blue Heron commissioned on 30 July 1956 at Orillia, Ontario and was allocated to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Marine Division based at Halifax.
In 1961, Cormorant, Mallard and Loon were assigned to Atlantic Command as harbour patrol craft.{{cite magazine |title=Composition of the Fleet |magazine=The Crowsnest |publisher=Queen's Printer |location=Ottawa |volume=13 |number=8 |date=June 1961 |pages=10}} In April 1961, Mallard was deployed to rescue the crew of the fishing vessel Ocean Wave which had run aground off Nova Scotia. The heavy seas prevented rescue by ship and the crew were taken off by helicopter.{{cite magazine |title=The Navy to the Rescue |magazine=The Crowsnest |publisher=Queen's Printer |location=Ottawa |date=June 1961 |volume=13 |number=8 |pages=25}}
References
=Notes=
{{Reflist|30em}}
=Sources=
- {{cite book |editor-last1=Gardiner |editor-first1=Robert |editor-last2=Chumbley |editor-first2=Stephen |editor-last3=Budzbon |editor-first3=Przemysław |name-list-style=amp |year=1995 |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-132-7}}
- {{cite book |last1=Macpherson |first1=Ken |last2=Barrie |first2=Ron |name-list-style=amp |year=2002 |title=The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 |edition=Third |publisher=Vanwell Publishing |location=St. Catharines, Ontario |isbn=1-55125-072-1}}
External links
- [http://jproc.ca/rrp/bird.html Bird Class – Radio Fit] – Radio Research Paper
{{Canadian Bird class patrol vessel}}