Porte-class gate vessel
| {{Infobox ship begin |sclass=2}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Name=Porte class |Builders= |Operators={{navy|Canada|1911}} ⁄ Canadian Maritime Command |Class before={{sclass2|Battle|trawler|4}} |Class after= |Subclasses= |Cost= |Built range= |In service range= |In commission range=5 December 1951 – 19 December 1996 |Total ships building= |Total ships planned= |Total ships completed=5 |Total ships cancelled= |Total ships active= |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships scrapped=5 |Total ships preserved= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Ship type=Boom defence vessel |Ship displacement=429 tons |Ship length={{convert|125|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on|1}} |Ship beam={{convert|26|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on|1}} |Ship draught={{convert|13|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} |Ship propulsion=1 diesel engine, 1 shaft {{convert|600|bhp|abbr=on}} |Ship speed={{convert|11|kn|km/h|abbr=on}} |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship complement=originally 3 officers, 20 ratings; later expanded to 5 officers, 3 officers under training, 30 ratings |Ship sensors=*Mechanical minesweeping equipment (later removed)
|Ship EW= |Ship armament=1 × 40 mm Bofors single mount (later removed) |Ship armour= |Ship notes= }} |
The Porte-class gate vessels were a class of five boom defence vessels built in the early 1950s and operated by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Forces (CF) during the Cold War. The class derived its name from the gates of the French fortifications of Québec and Louisbourg and was designed by the RCN as a replacement for World War I-era {{sclass2|Battle|trawler|1}}s used to operate anti-submarine booms during World War II. The Porte class were used primarily as training vessels during the Cold War.
Design and description
The Porte class were designed with the possibility of commercial adoption of the design by the Canadian fishing industry. The gate vessels were planned for use as auxiliary vessels during peacetime.{{cite magazine|title=Four Minesweepers, Gate Vessel Ordered |magazine=The Crowsnest |publisher=King's Printer |location=Ottawa |date=October 1949 |volume=1 |number=12 |pages=2}} The Porte class was of a trawler design, and were designed to operate the anti-submarine booms for harbour defence. They were also capable of being fitted for minelaying.{{sfn|Blackman|1953|p=101}}
The Porte class were {{convert|125|ft|6|in|m|1}} long with a beam of {{convert|26|ft|4|in|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|13|ft|0|in|m|1}}. They displaced {{convert|429|LT|t}} fully loaded and had an initial complement of 3 officers and 20 ratings.{{sfn|Blackman|1953|p=101}}{{sfn|Macpherson|Barrie|2002|p=284}} The Porte class were powered one Fairbanks-Morse 6-cylinder diesel engine driving one shaft creating {{convert|600|bhp|lk=in}}. This gave the vessels a maximum speed of {{convert|11|kn|lk=in}}.{{sfn|Blackman|1953|p=101}}{{sfn|Sharpe|1990|p=84}} The vessels had a range of {{convert|4000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. They were equipped with one Racal Decca navigation radar operating on the I band.{{sfn|Sharpe|1990|p=84}} The ships were armed with one 40 mm gun placed forward.{{sfn|Gimblett|Hadley|2010|p=103}}
Ships
| class="wikitable" |
| + Porte class construction data |
| scope="col"| Ship
! scope="col" width = "60"| Original pennant number ! scope="col" width = "60"| Final pennant number ! scope="col" width = "80"| Builder ! scope="col" width = "80"| Laid down ! scope="col" width = "80"| Launched ! scope="col" width = "80"| Commissioned ! scope="col" width = "80"| Paid off ! scope="col"| Fate |
|---|
| scope="row"| {{HMCS|Porte Dauphine|YMG 186|2}}
|YMG 186 |YNG 186 |15 May 1951 |4 March 1952 |10 December 1952 |December 1995 | |
| scope="row"| {{HMCS|Porte de la Reine|YMG 184|2}}
|YMG 184 |YNG 184 |Victoria Machinery Depot, Victoria |5 March 1951 |28 December 1951 |7 October 1952 |19 December 1996 |Broken up Seattle 2015{{csr|register=MSI|id=6122917|shipname=Porte de la Reine|accessdate=11 February 2018}} |
| scope="row"| {{HMCS|Porte Québec|YMG 185|2}}
|YMG 185 |YNG 185 |15 February 1951 |28 August 1951 |19 September 1952 |19 December 1996 |Broken up Seattle 2015{{csr|register=MSI|id=6122918|shipname=Porte Quebec|accessdate=11 February 2018}} |
| scope="row"| {{HMCS|Porte St. Jean|YMG 180|2}}
|YMG 180 |YNG 180 |George T. Davie & Sons, Lauzon |16 May 1950 |22 November 1950 |5 December 1951 |31 March 1996 | |
| scope="row"| {{HMCS|Porte St. Louis|YMG 183|2}}
|YMG 183 |YNG 183 |George T. Davie & Sons, Lauzon |21 March 1951 |23 July 1952 |29 August 1952 |31 March 1996 | |
Service history
The first Porte-class vessel was ordered September 1949. Porte Saint Jean and Porte Saint Louis were based at Halifax, Nova Scotia and Porte Dauphine, Porte Québec and Porte de la Reine at Esquimalt, British Columbia. From 1958 to 1974, Porte Dauphine was loaned to the Department of Transport (DOT) as an environmental research ship on the Great Lakes, before transferring to the West Coast via the Panama Canal.{{sfn|Macpherson|Barrie|2002|p=284}}{{sfn|Gimblett|Hadley|2010|pp=103, 114}} Porte Dauphine was modified for DOT use, which involved the installation of a widened wheelhouse and a cafeteria.{{sfn|Gimblett|Hadley|2010|p=114}} The vessels were used to train naval reserve crews in key trades such as navigation, diesel mechanics, communications and logistics.{{sfn|Sharpe|1990|p=84}}{{sfn|Gimblett|Hadley|2010|p=103}} Porte Saint Jean and Porte Saint Louis began training on the Great Lakes in 1953, working with {{HMCS|Star}} in Hamilton, Ontario. They sometimes travelled to Bermuda for training.{{sfn|Gimblett|Hadley|2010|pp=104, 114}} In 1973, Porte Saint Jean and Porte Saint Louis sailed into the eastern Arctic.{{sfn|Gimblett|Hadley|2010|p=116}} With the arrival of the {{sclass|Kingston|coastal defence vessel|1}}s in the mid-1990s, the Porte class was retired. Porte Dauphine was the first, discarded in December 1995, followed by Porte Saint Jean and Porte Saint Louis in March 1996 and Porte Québec and Porte de la Reine in December 1996.{{sfn|Gimblett|Hadley|2010|p=127}}
Citations
{{reflist|30em}}
Sources
- {{cite book |editor-last=Blackman |editor-first=Raymond V. B. |date=1953 |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1953–54 |location=London |publisher=Sampson, Low and Marston |oclc=913556389 }}
- {{cite book |editor-last=Gimblett |editor-first=Richard H. |editor-last2=Hadley |editor-first2=Michael L. |name-list-style=amp |date=2010 |title=Citizen Sailors: Chronicles of Canada's Naval Reserve |publisher=Dundurn Press |location=Toronto |isbn=978-1-55488-867-2 }}
- {{cite book |last1=Macpherson |first1=Ken |last2=Barrie |first2=Ron |name-list-style=amp |date=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 }}
- {{cite book |editor-last=Sharpe |editor-first=Richard |date=1990 |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1990–91 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |edition=93 |location=Surrey, United Kingdom |isbn=0-7106-0904-3 }}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Porte class gate vessel}}
Category:Cold War naval ships of Canada