.jpg) HMCSProtecteur inPearl Harbor after a port visit in 2009 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Canada | |
| Name | Protecteur |
| Operator | Royal Canadian Navy |
| Ordered | 16 December 1966 |
| Builder | Saint John Shipbuilding |
| Laid down | 17 October 1967 |
| Launched | 18 July 1968 |
| Commissioned | 30 August 1969 |
| Decommissioned | 14 May 2015 |
| Home port | CFB Esquimalt, British Columbia |
| Identification | |
| Motto | Soutien avec Courage ("Support with Courage") |
| Honours and awards |
|
| Fate | Sold forscrap 27 November 2015[1] atLiverpool, Nova Scotia[2] |
| Badge | Azure, a silver helmet with the five grills or, garnished of the last, and bearing a coronet "fleur-de-lis" also or.[3] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Protecteur-classreplenishment oiler |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 171.9 m (564 ft 0 in) |
| Beam | 23.2 m (76 ft 1 in) |
| Draught | 10.1 m (33 ft 2 in) |
| Ice class | 3 |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 20knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Range |
|
| Complement | 365 officers and crew (men and women) including 45 in air detachment |
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 3 ×CH-124 Sea King helicopters |
| Aviation facilities | aft deck hangar and flight deck |
HMCSProtecteur (AOR 509)[a] was thelead ship of theProtecteur-classreplenishment oilers in service with theRoyal Canadian Navy. She was part ofMaritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC),homeported atCFB Esquimalt, British Columbia. Built bySaint John Shipbuilding and Dry Docks inSaint John, New Brunswick, she was commissioned on 30 August 1969. She was the first Canadian naval unit to carry the nameProtecteur; however, there have been several units, including a base, namedHMCS Protector.
Mostly known for her humanitarian efforts,Protecteur had also served in times of war includingOperation Friction andOperation Apollo in the Persian Gulf region, multi-national naval exercises, and as part of theINTERFET inEast Timor. Operation Apollo was the largest deployment of the Royal Canadian Navy since theKorean War. In six monthsProtecteur logged over 50,000nautical miles (93,000 km; 58,000 mi), delivering over 150,000 barrels (~20,000 t) of fuel and 390 pallets of dry goods to deployed coalition ships.Protecteur, as well as hersister shipPreserver, were scheduled to bepaid off in 2017, however, damage due to an engine fire aboard the ship in 2014 forcedProtecteur to be paid off prematurely.Protecteur wasdecommissioned at a farewell ceremony on 14 May 2015.[4]
Protecteur was the first Canadian naval unit to carry the nameProtecteur, French for "Protector"; however, there have been twoAustralian and sevenBritish naval units namedProtector. The name was also used for a Canadian base, namedHMCS Protector.[5]
First authorized in 1959,[6]Protecteur was constructed bySaint John Shipbuilding and Dry Docks inSaint John, New Brunswick, starting on 17 October 1967,[7][8] was launched on 18 July 1968,[7] and wascommissioned by theCanadian Forces on 30 August 1969.[9]
Protecteur was one of two ships in theProtecteur class of replenishment oilers in service with the Royal Canadian Navy. The ship was 171.9 metres (564 ft 0 in) long and 23.2 metres (76 ft 1 in) wide, with adisplacement between 8,380 and 24,700 tonnes (8,248 and 24,310 long tons) depending on her load.[10]Protecteur'sdraught was 10.1 m (33 ft 2 in),[10] and she had been given anice rating of three.[11]
TwoBabcock & Wilcoxboilers fed a singleGeneral Electricsteam turbine rated at 21,000shaft horsepower (16,000 kW) that drove a single propeller,[7] allowing the ship to reach a maximum speed of 20knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).[10] At 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), the range ofProtecteur was limited to 4,100nautical miles (7,600 kilometres; 4,700 miles), but her range could be extended to 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km; 8,600 mi) when only travelling at 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph).[10]
Protecteur's primary role was to deliver supplies to deployed ships. Fully loaded,Protecteur could store up to 14,590 t (14,360 long tons) of fuel, 400 t (394 long tons) ofaviation fuel, 1,048 t (1,031 long tons) of dry cargo, and 1,250 t (1,230 long tons) of ammunition.[12] Fuel could be transferred at a rate of 1,500 t (1,476 long tons) per hour and 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) of dry cargo per hour could be transferred all while travelling at her top speed.[5]
FourBAE SystemsMark 36 SRBOCchaff launchers and anAN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed decoy were the ship's primary defences.[10] WhenProtecteur was originally launched, she was fitted with a twin3-inch/50-calibre gun mounted on her bow;[5] however, the 3-inch guns were replaced with two 20 mmPhalanx CIWS mounts, one at the bow and one astern in August 1990. The CIWS emplacements were part of the upgrades thatProtecteur received before deploying to the Persian Gulf region.[13][14] The CIWS was found above thebridge.
Her former 3-inch guns were temporarily fitted,[15] together with twoBofors 40 mm guns, six 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) machine guns, as well asBlowpipe andJavelinMANPADs during the Gulf War.[16] The CIWS mounts were retained after the war,[17] but the Bofors and 76 mm gun were removed fromProtecteur after returning from war.[18]
OriginallyProtecteur was to be fitted withMark 29 NATO Sea Sparrow. However, due to delays in procurement, the Sea Sparrow system was never installed.[19] TheSikorsky CH-124 Sea King helicopters on boardProtecteur also provided weapons support, carryingMark 46 torpedoes and a7.62 mm machine gun.[20]
Three hundred sixty-five men and women served onProtecteur. There were 27 officers aboard ship and a total of 45 crew members who were part of the air detachment that flew three CH-124 Sea King helicopters off the back of the ship.[10][21] In 1988 the crew ofProtecteur was officiallydesegregated, allowing both men and women to serve on board her.[22]Protecteur was equipped with a small dental clinic, which provided dental care for the Canadian Forces when deployed.[23]
In 1974 the Polish sailboatGedania embarked on an attempt to traverse theNorthwest Passage, as part of a journey to circumnavigate the North and South American continents.[24] Although the Canadian authorities refused to grant the necessary visa, the captain of the yacht persisted, andProtecteur was sent to intercept the yacht on 30 August 1975. The captain eventually turned back of his own accord, but the operation was estimated to have cost$400,000 (equivalent to $2.26 million in 2025)[25].[26]
In 1980, whileProtecteur was operating off the coast of Portugal, Commanding OfficerCaptain Larry Dzioba hoisted anEsso flag on the ship's mast, joking that they were the "biggest floating gas station in the neighbourhood".[27] In 1981,Protecteur served in CARIBOPS 81 off the coast of Puerto Rico, along with at least two Canadian destroyers.[28]Protecteur and her CH-124 helicopters performed a nighttime rescue of the crew of a disabled Norwegian chemical tanker in June 1982. The Norwegian crew was forced to abandon their ship after a fire had broken out.[29] For the 75th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy,Protecteur hosted a dinner with the captains of 35 ships, including ships from Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United States, as well as then Governor GeneralJeanne Sauvé andPrince Andrew.[30]
In 1991,Protecteur was part of the Canadian contingent sent to the Persian Gulf as part ofOperation Desert Shield and laterOperation Friction (the Canadian name for its operations during the Gulf War). The ship, part of a three-vessel force,[31] the other two being theIroquois-class destroyerAthabaskan and theRestigouche-class destroyerTerra Nova,[32] saw extensive service in the Central Gulf. The ship was honoured with theGulf and Kuwait Medal and the Arabian Sea award for her service in the war.[33][34] In 1992,Protecteur was sent to help afterHurricane Andrew in Florida,[35] with tasks including repairing schools, community centres, and hospitals in the region.[36] A small pool was built on the helipad ofProtecteur providing some relief to hurricane ravaged Floridians.[37] Homes, churches, and a senior centre were also repaired in the Bahamas.[38] The homeport ofProtecteur was changed fromCFB Halifax toCFB Esquimalt after the hurricane relief efforts.[37] The frigateVancouver andProtecteur participated in the multi-nationalRIMPAC 98 off the coast of Hawaii in June 1998.[39]
Protecteur was deployed toEast Timor as part of the Australian-ledINTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 23 October 1999 to 23 January 2000.[40] Crew fromProtecteur helped reconstruct a police academy inDili during their deployment in support of INTERFET. TheRoyal Canadian Mounted Police then used the newly reconstructed academy to set up a training school for theNational Police of East Timor.[41]Protecteur participated inOperation Apollo for six months, logging over 50,000 nautical miles (93,000 km; 58,000 mi) and delivering over 150,000 barrels (~20,000 t) of fuel and 390 pallets of dry goods,[42] returning to CFB Esquimalt in November 2002.[43] Operation Apollo was the largest Canadian deployment since theKorean War.[44]Protecteur participated in RIMPAC again in 2004, along with theAlgonquin andRegina.[45]
_towing_HMCS_Protecteur_(AOR_509)_in_2014.JPG)
On 19 September 2011,Protecteur departed from CFB Esquimalt for a two-month deployment off southern California as part of theUSS Abraham Lincolncarrier strike group.Protecteur joined the destroyerAlgonquin and the frigateOttawa inFleet Week activities inSan Diego, California, between 26 and 30 September 2011.[46] On 30 August 2013, the ship was involved in a collision withAlgonquin during towing exercises. There were no injuries to personnel, althoughProtecteur sustained damage to her bow.[47] The damage was repaired in time forProtecteur to participate in a Task Group Exercise with the United States Navy in mid-October 2013.[48]
On 27 February 2014,Protecteur suffered an engine room fire and breakdown 340 nautical miles (630 km; 390 mi) northeast ofPearl Harbor, Hawaii. She was moving at limited speeds and theUnited States NavyArleigh Burke-class destroyerMichael Murphy,Ticonderoga-class cruiserChosin, and theMilitary Sealift Command-operatedPowhatan-class tugboatSioux were dispatched to assist.Chosin attempted to towProtecteur, but the towing line broke.[49] About 20 members of the ship's crew were injured as a result of the fire,[50] and her engines were badly damaged.[51][52] After a preliminary assessment, it was decided that the vessel could not be repaired in Pearl Harbor.[53] On 16 May,Protecteur left Pearl Harbor under tow from the United States Military Sealift Command-operatedSafeguard-classrescue and salvage shipSalvor for an expected three week journey to her home port of CFB Esquimalt.[54][55]Protecteur was delivered to Esquimalt on 31 May 2014.[56]
Protecteur was decommissioned at a farewell ceremony on 14 May 2015.[4] Plans for replacingProtecteur and her sister ship,Preserver, were first brought up in 2004.[57] Lack of spare parts for the ship's boiler and the fact that she is a single-skinned tanker were the main driving points to replacingProtecteur andPreserver.[58][59]
It had been planned that the ship would have continued to operate until 2015;[60] however, theJoint Support Ship Project would not have been completed until two years later,[61] leaving a gap in the ability of the RCN to refuel and resupply her own ships while deployed. Following extensive damage as a result of a fire in February 2014,Protecteur's decommissioning was brought forward as repairs would have been "...too expensive for the navy to consider" given that she was due to be retired in 2017.[54]
On 19 September 2014, Vice-AdmiralMark Norman announced the retirement ofProtecteur, along with her sister shipHMCS Preserver and theIroquois-class destroyersHMCS Iroquois andAlgonquin.Protecteur, along withAlgonquin, was sold forscrapping on 27 November 2015 to R.J. MacIsaac Ltd. ofAntigonish, Nova Scotia. They were towed to Nova Scotia where the work was done[1] atLiverpool.[2]
In October 2015,MS Asterix, a container ship, was acquired by Davie Shipyards to be converted into an auxiliary vessel, to be leased to the RCN as a temporary bridge between theProtecteur class until the new AOR class becomes available. That ship was converted and was delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy as MVAsterix on 6 December 2017.[62] On 10 March 2017, ex-Protecteur caught fire while being dismantled in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. Residual fuel caught fire during demolition of the vessel.[63]
On 12 September 2017 Vice AdmiralRon Lloyd, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, announced that the new Joint Support Ships would no longer be named for battles of the War of 1812. Originally to be namedQueenston andChateauguay, the Joint Support Ships will instead be namedProtecteur andPreserver, perpetuating the names of the formerProtecteur class.[64]
Media related toIMO 6900678 at Wikimedia CommonsShipwrecks and maritime incidents in 2014 | |
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