HMCS Mackenzie (DDE 261)

The Mackenzie class was an offshoot of the {{sclass|St. Laurent|destroyer|0}} design. Initially planned to be an improved version of the design, budget difficulties led to the Canadian government ordering a repeat of the previous {{sclass|Restigouche|destroyer|4}},Milner, pp. 223–224 with improved habitability and better pre-wetting, bridge and weatherdeck fittings to better deal with extreme cold.Gardiner & Chumbley, p. 45 The original intention was to give the Mackenzie class variable depth sonar during construction, but would have led to delays of up to a year in construction time, which the navy could not accept.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19621116&id=xMAtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Cp4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=7208,3290031 |title=Canadian Navy Geared to Fight Fastest Subs |work=Montreal Gazette |last=MacIntosh |first=Dave |date=16 November 1962 |accessdate=11 November 2015}}

The Mackenzie-class vessels measured {{convert|366|ft|m}} in length, with a beam of {{convert|42|ft|m}} and a draught of {{convert|13|ft|6|in|m}}.Gardiner & Chumbley, pp. 44–45Macpherson and Barrie (2002), p. 256 The Mackenzies displaced {{convert|2880|t|LT}} fully loaded and had a complement of 290.Macpherson and Barrie state the complement as 245 (12 officers and 233 enlisted)

The class was powered by two Babcock & Wilcox boilers connected to the two-shaft English-Electric geared steam turbines creating {{convert|30,000|shp|lk=in}}. This gave the ships a maximum speed of {{convert|28|kn|lk=in}}.

The most noticeable change for the Mackenzies was the replacement of the forward 3"/50 caliber gun of the St. Laurent designCaliber denotes the length of the barrel. In this case, 50 caliber means that the gun barrel is 50 times as long as it is in diameter with a dual Vickers 3-inch/70 caliber Mk 6 gun mount and the presence of a fire-control director atop the bridge superstructure. The bridge was raised one full deck higher than on previous classes in order to see over the new gun mount. The class did retain the rear dual 3-inch/50 caliber gun mount and for anti-submarine warfare, the class was provided with two Mk 10 Limbo mortars. The ships were initially fitted with Mark 43 torpedoes to supplement their anti-submarine capability, but were quickly upgraded to the Mark 44 launched from a modified depth charge thrower. This was to give the destroyers the ability to combat submarines from a distance.Milner, p. 225

The Mackenzie class were equipped with one SPS-12 air search radar, one SPS-10B surface search radar and one Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar. For detection below the surface, the ships had one SQS-501 high frequency bottom profiler sonar, one SQS-503 hull mounted active search sonar, one SQS-502 high frequency mortar control sonar and one SQS-11 hull mounted active search sonar.

The DEstroyer Life EXtension (DELEX) refit was born out of the need to extend the life of the steam-powered destroyer escorts of the Canadian Navy in the 1980s until the next generation of surface ship was built. Encompassing all the classes based on the initial St. Laurent (the remaining St. Laurent, Restigouche, Mackenzie, and {{sclass|Annapolis|destroyer|0}} vessels), the DELEX upgrades were meant to improve their ability to combat modern Soviet submarines,Milner, pp. 277–278 and to allow them to continue to operate as part of NATO task forces.Gimblett, p. 179

The DELEX refit for the Mackenzie class was the same for the Improved Restigouche-class vessels. This meant that the ships would receive the new tactical data system ADLIPS, new radars, new fire control and satellite navigation.Milner, p. 278 They exchanged the SQS-503 sonar for the newer SQS-505 model.

They also received a triple mount for {{convert|12.75|in|mm|adj=on|0}} torpedo tubes that would use the new Mk 46 homing torpedo. The Mark 46 torpedo had a range of {{convert|12000|yd|m}} at over {{convert|40|kn}}{{cite web|url=http://www.weaponsystems.net/weapon.php?weapon=HH14%20-%20Mk%2046 |title=Mk 46 Torpedo |website=weaponsystems.net |accessdate=8 November 2015}} with a high-explosive warhead weighing {{convert|96.8|lb|kg}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=2100&tid=900&ct=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050527203708/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=2100&tid=900&ct=2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 27, 2005 |title=Fact File: Mk 46 torpedo |publisher=United States Navy |accessdate=8 October 2015}}

File:HMCS Mackenzie (DDE 261) at San Diego 1992.JPEG

Mackenzie was ordered in 1957 and was laid down on 15 December 1958 at Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal. The ship was launched on 25 May 1961 and was commissioned into the RCN on 6 October 1962 with the classification number DDE 261.

Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet based at Halifax, Mackenzie transferred to the Pacific on 2 March 1963. She was assigned to the Pacific Fleet as a member of the Fourth Canadian Destroyer Squadron and served largely as a training ship with the RCN and later in the Canadian Forces under Maritime Forces Pacific as part of Training Group Pacific.Barrie and Macpherson (1996), p. 53 She was also used for surveillance of the west coast, like in March 1973, when she intercepted drug smugglers off Quatsino Sound.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19730704&id=SlwlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z6EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5954,413770 |title=No drugs found yet on old warship |work=Montreal Gazette |agency=Canadian Press |date=4 July 1973 |accessdate=11 November 2015}} In July 1982, Mackenzie shadowed the Soviet spy ship Aavril Sarychev in Canadian waters which had monitoring the North American west coast for new American submarines.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19820718&id=7ztWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iukDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6962,1211965 |title=News media planes buzz Soviet spy vessel |work=Gainesville Sun |agency=Associated Press |date=18 July 1982 |accessdate=11 November 2015}} She underwent the DELEX refit between 25 May 1986 and 16 January 1987.

Mackenzie was paid off from Maritime Command on 3 August 1993.

Mackenzie{{'}}s hulk was purchased by the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) in March 1995 for $200,000.Orrick, p. 56 She was stripped in spring/summer 1995 of environmental contaminants and scuttled on 16 September 1995 near Isle-de-Lis and Gooch Island, in the Georgia Strait off Sidney, British Columbia. She rests on clay and rock with a 20° list to port.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}

As a dive site, the location of Mackenzie experiences strong currents during large ebbs. Diving during these conditions is not recommended by the ARSBC. The average visibility in the area is {{convert|25|ft|m}} and there is a multitude of sea life in and around the ship. Above {{convert|60|ft|m}}, divers can explore the bow and deck guns, superstructure, radar mast, and exhaust stacks. Below 60 feet, divers can explore 5 decks with access portals cut into the ship at various levels. The sea floor meets the bow at {{convert|90|–|100|ft|m}} and the stern at {{convert|95|–|105|ft|m}}.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}

The ship's bell is currently held by the CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum in Esquimalt, British Columbia.{{cite web |url=http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org/resource_pages/bells/bells.asp |title=The Christening Bells Project |publisher=CFB Esquimalt Military and Naval Museum |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091230223824/http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org/resource_pages/bells/bells.asp |archive-date=December 30, 2009 }} During her active life, Mackenzie was affiliated with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, a primary reserve regiment in Vancouver.

{{Portal|Canada}}

{{Reflist|group=note}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |last=Arbuckle |first=J. Graeme |date=1987 |title=Badges of the Canadian Navy |publisher=Nimbus Publishing |location=Halifax, Nova Scotia |isbn=0-920852-49-1}}
• {{cite book |last1=Barrie |first1=Ron |last2=Macpherson |first2=Ken |date=1996 |title=Cadillac of Destroyers: HMCS St. Laurent and Her Successors |publisher=Vanwell Publishing Limited |location=St. Catharines, Ontario |isbn=1-55125-036-5}}
• {{cite book|editor-last=Gardiner |editor-first=Robert |editor-last2=Chumbley |editor-first2=Stephen |editor-last3=Budzbon |editor-first3=Przemysław |date=1995 |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. |location=Annapolis, Maryland |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=1-55750-132-7}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Gimblett |editor-first=Richard H. |date=2009 |title=The Naval Service of Canada 1910–2010: The Centennial Story |publisher=Dundurn Press |location=Toronto |isbn=978-1-4597-1322-2}}
• {{cite book|title=The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 |last1=Macpherson |first1=Ken |last2=Barrie |first2=Ron |edition=Third |publisher=Vanwell Publishing Limited |location=St. Catharines, Ontario |date=2002 |isbn=1-55125-072-1}}
• {{cite book|title=Canada's Navy: The First Century |last=Milner |first=Marc |edition=Second |publisher=University of Toronto Press |date=2010 |location=Toronto |isbn=978-0-8020-9604-3}}
• {{cite book |last=Orrick |first=Bob |date=2010 |title=RCN Reefs |publisher=Xlibris |isbn=978-1-4535-1880-9}}

{{Commons category|HMCS Mackenzie (DDE 261)}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305160922/http://www.artificialreef.bc.ca/index.php/mackenzie HMCS Mackenzie (DDE 261) – Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia]

{{Mackenzie class destroyer}}

{{Recreational dive sites|wresit}}

{{Coord|48|40.094|N|123|17.17|W|source:enwiki-plaintext-parser|display=title}}

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Category:Mackenzie-class destroyers

Category:Cold War destroyers of Canada

Category:Shipwrecks of the British Columbia coast

Category:1961 ships

Category:Ships built in Montreal