.jpg) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
  Canada | |
| Name | St. Julien |
| Namesake | Battle of St. Julien |
| Ordered | 2 February 1917 |
| Builder | Polson Iron Works Limited,Toronto,Ontario |
| Launched | 2 August 1917 |
| Commissioned | 13 November 1917 |
| Decommissioned | 1920 |
| Renamed | Re-designatedLightship No. 22 |
| Fate | Sold 1958 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Battle-classnaval trawler |
| Displacement | 320 long tons (330 t) |
| Length | 130 ft (40 m) |
| Beam | 23 ft 5 in (7.14 m) |
| Draught | 13 ft 5 in (4.09 m) |
| Propulsion | 1 xtriple expansion, 480 ihp (360 kW) |
| Speed | 10knots (12 mph; 19 km/h) |
| Armament | 1 ×QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun |
HMCSSt Julien was one of twelveBattle-classnaval trawlers constructed for and used by theRoyal Canadian Navy (RCN) during theFirst World War. Following the war the ship was transferred to the CanadianDepartment of Marine and Fisheries and converted into alightvessel. Re-designatedLightship No. 22, the ship remained as such until 1958. The ship was sold for commercial use and renamedCentennial and was in service until 1978.
The RCN's Battle-class trawlers formed part of the Canadian naval response toAdmiralty warnings to Canada about the growing GermanU-boatthreat to merchant shipping in the western Atlantic.[1] Intended to augment anti-submarine patrols off Canada's east coast, these ships were modelled on contemporary BritishNorth Sea trawlers, since the standard types of Canadian fishing vessels were considered unsuitable for patrol work.[2]
Twelve vessels were ordered on 2 February 1917 from two shipyards,Polson Iron Works ofToronto andCanadian Vickers ofMontreal.[3] Those vessels built at Polson Iron Worksdisplaced 320long tons (330 t) and were 130 feet (40 m)long overall with abeam of 23 feet 5 inches (7.14 m) and adraught of 13 feet 5 inches (4.09 m).[4] They were propelled by a steam-poweredtriple expansion engine driving one shaft creating 480indicated horsepower (360 kW) giving the vessels a maximum speed of 10knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[3][5]
All twelve trawlers were equipped with aQF12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun mounted forward.[4][a] This was considered to be the smallest gun that stood a chance of putting a surfaced U-boat out of action, and they also carried a small number ofdepth charges.[1][6] The trawlers were named after battles of theWestern Front during the First World War that Canadians had been involved in. They cost between $155,000 and $160,000 per vessel.[3][b][c]
Named after theBattle of St. Julien, the ship was built by Polson Iron Works at Toronto,Ontario, and waslaunched on 16 June 1917.[7] Intended for use during the 1917 shipping season, the construction of the vessels was delayed by the entry of the United States into the war. With higher wages found south of the border, a shortage of skilled labour developed in the shipyards, coupled with a shortage of construction material.[8]St. Julien wascommissioned on 13 November 1917.[7]St. Julien sailed to the east coast where for the 1918 shipping season, all the Battle-class trawlers were assigned to patrol and escort duties based out ofSydney, Nova Scotia. The Battle class was used for patrol and escort duties off the Atlantic coast of Canada until the end of the war.[9]
The ship remained in service with the RCN until beingpaid off in 1920.St. Julien was turned over to the Department of Marine and Fisheries, and likesister shipsMessines,St. Eloi, andVimy was converted to alightship.[7][10] This involved placing an electric light at theforemast head and installing afoghorn atop a latticework tower.[10] The ship was re-designatedLightship No. 22 and served as such until 1958.[7][11] The lightvessel was sold in 1958 and renamedCentennial, she was still in existence as of 1978.[7]