Characteristics:
Ship & Class:
|
UGANDA / QUEBEC (RN CEYLON class)
|
ONTARIO (RN SWIFTSURE class)
|
Time Period:
|
1945
|
1950
|
Final
|
1945
- 1950
|
1950 - 1954
|
1954
- Final
|
| Displacement: |
10,850
tons full load |
11,130
tons full load |
| Dimensions: |
169.3
x 18.9 x 5.3 meters
(555.5 x 62 x 17.5 feet) |
169.3
x 19.2 x 5.25 meters
(555.5 x 63 x 17.25 feet)
|
| Propulsion: |
4
shafts;
4 Admiralty 3-drum
boilers;
4 Parsons geared
turbines, 72,500 shp, 31.5 knots. |
| Crew: |
730 |
867 |
| Aviation: |
none
|
| Hangar: |
none
|
| Radar: |
|
Type 277P air / surface
search
|
1
|
|
|
Type 277Q height finder
|
|
1
|
|
|
Type 281 air warning
|
1
|
|
|
Type 293 surface / low
angle air seach
|
1
|
|
Sperry Mk.2
|
|
1
|
|
1
|
| Sonar: |
none |
| Ship & Class: |
UGANDA / QUEBEC (RN CEYLON class) |
ONTARIO (RN SWIFTSURE class) |
| Time Period: |
1945
|
1950
|
Final
|
1945
- 1950
|
1950 - 1954
|
1954
- Final
|
| Fire
Control: |
|
6" DCT w/ Type 284 gunnery
director
|
1
|
|
|
6" DCT w/ Type 274 gunnery
director
|
|
1
|
|
HADT Mk.IV w/ Type 285
tracker
|
3
|
|
|
HADT Mk.VI w/ Type 275
tracker
|
|
3
|
1
|
|
Type 282 close range AA
control
|
|
4
|
|
|
Type 283 AA barrage
directors
|
|
3
(Del.
1946-7) |
|
| EW: |
?
none ?
|
| Guns: |
|
6"/50 Mk.23 triple
|
3
|
|
4"/45 twin QF Mk.16 HA
|
4
|
5
|
1
|
|
2 Pdr quad AA
|
|
4
|
|
|
2 Pdr single AA
|
|
4
|
|
|
20mm twin AA
|
10
|
|
4
|
|
|
20mm single AA
|
|
2
|
|
|
40mm quad AA
|
2
|
|
|
4
|
1
|
|
40mm single (pedestal mount) AA
|
|
4
|
|
|
40mm single Bofors "Boffin"
AA
|
|
4
|
|
7
|
1
|
| ASW & Torpedoes: |
|
Triple 21" TT
|
2
|
|
Note: Though armament information is based partly on published
sources,
both armament and radar equipment fits are heavily based on unofficial
correspondence and photo analysis, and may not be completely correct.
Ships:
|
Name
|
Pendant
|
Commissioned (RCN)
|
Paid Off
|
Notes
|
UGANDA
|
66 / 31
|
21/10/44
|
13/6/56
|
Renamed QUEBEC in 1952
|
|
ONTARIO
|
53 / 32
|
26/4/45
|
15/10/58
|
Ex-MINOTAUR
|
Notes:
The CEYLON (improved FIJI or Colony 2 class) and SWIFTSURE
(improved CEYLON) classes were both built for the Royal Navy in World
War II.
HMS UGANDA was completed in January, 1943, and she served with
the
RN for a number of
years. Badly damaged in the Mediterranean by a German glider bomb, she
was sent to the US for repairs, and was afterward handed over to the
RCN
as HMCS UGANDA. Early in 1945, she joined the 4th Cruiser Squadron,
British
Pacific Fleet, and participated in operations against the Japanese
until
July. She spent the rest of her time with the RCN as a training ship,
and
was renamed QUEBEC in 1952. Paid off in 1956, she was ironically
scrapped
in Osaka in 1961.
Similar
to the earlier CEYLON class, the SWIFTSURE class incorporated several
improvements
learned from wartime service. Laid down as HMS MINOTAUR, she was
presented
to the RCN and renamed ONTARIO. She left Scotland in early July, 1945,
to join the 4th Cruiser Squadron, British Pacific Fleet. Arriving too
late
to see action, she carried out various duties (including the relief of
Hong Kong in September / October 1945) before arriving in
Canada
in November. The remainder of her years were spent as a training ship,
and she was paid off in 1958. She arrived in Osaka, Japan, for
scrapping
in 1960.
Photos:
(click on thumbnail for bigger image)
|
UGANDA / QUEBEC
|
|
Notes:
|
1. HMCS UGANDA was the
only RCN ship to fight the Japanese in the Pacific.
She was employed in screening aircraft carriers and the odd shore
bombardment
mission. DND photo.
2. A head-on view of UGANDA. Courtesy of Corvus Publishing
Group./Canada's
Navy.
3. UGANDA alongside in Esquimalt in 1945. In the background at left can
be seen a destroyer, probably either HMCS ALGONQUIN or HMCS SIOUX.
Courtesy
of James Doiron.
4. UGANDA's company in the South Pacific, in 1945. Courtesy of James
Doiron.
5. UGANDA, in 1944/45. DND photo, Courtesy of Bill
Croshaw.
6. HMCS UGANDA. DND photo, Courtesy of Dave Shirlaw.
7. HMCS QUEBEC comes alongside HMCS MAGNIFICENT during the mid-1950s.
She was repainted in a lighter grey in 1956. Courtesy of Bill Dougherty.
8. QUEBEC shown at St.Lucia , Castries, on Feb.15th,1956. She is shown
moored away from the wharf, as she was too large to come alongside.
Courtesy
of Bill Dougherty.
9. The ship's crane and after starboard 4 inch guns. Courtesy of Bill
Dougherty.
10. Ship's Company whilst in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Courtesy of Bill
Dougherty.
11. QUEBEC was the review ship for the opening of the Canso Causeway,
which
connects mainland Nova Scotia with Cape Breton Island. Courtesy of Bill
Dougherty.
12. A night shot of QUEBEC in 1955 taken in Philadelphia. Courtesy of
Bill
Dougherty.
13. A&B turrets (6" guns) firing. Courtesy of Bill Dougherty.
|
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
|
8
|
 |
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9
|
10
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11
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12
|
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13
|
14
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15
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16
|
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|
ONTARIO
|
|
Notes:
|
1. HMCS ONTARIO can be
distinguished from QUEBEC by the raised platform
immediately in front of the bridge. DND photo, Courtesy of Dave Shirlaw.
2. Probably taken between 1946 and 1948. DND photo.
3. Probably taken between 1946 and 1948. DND photo.
4. "Inserting cordite". "Y" turret in 1945. Note "Yolanda" written at
top right. The three guns in Y turret were named Yvette, Yvonne, and
Yolanda. DND photo, courtesy of B. Lake.
5. "Waiting to fire. "Y" turret in 1945. DND photo, courtesy of B. Lake.
6. "Y" turret in 1945. DND photo, courtesy of B. Lake.
7. ONTARIO entering port at Malta in 1945. DND photo, courtesy of B.
Lake.
8. ONTARIO taking a wave over the bow in 1945. DND photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
9. ONTARIO circa 1956, shown in Portsmouth in her final configuration.
She retained only one 40mm single mount (seen immediately below the
bridge), and part of the quad 40mm can be seen aft. A Sperry navigation
radar was added to the top of the forward mast, and only one of the
Mk.6 director towers was retained aft. DND photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
10. ONTARIO in August 1945. The gun in the foreground is the single 2
pounder, with a single 40mm mount in the background on the boat deck.
The torpedo tubes can be seen in the top of the photo, trained
outboard. DND photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
11. ONTARIO replenishes an unidentified HUNT class destroyer in July
1945. Note the
single 20mm on the boat deck. DND photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
12. ONTARIO retrieves a practice torpedo, which is being lowered into
its cradle. DND photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
13. In Malta, July 1945.DND photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
14. At Pearl Harbour, November 1945. DND photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
15. Approaching Esquimalt in November, 1945. Note that since July in
Malta, ONTARIO has aquired a maple leaf on her after funnel, something
her skipper only allowed after she successfully completed workups. DND
photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
16. Entering Esqimalt, November 1945. DND photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
17. ONTARIO with her engines in reverse to avoid collision with HMCS
CRESCENT. Note UGANDA in the background, above ONTARIO's Y turret. DND
photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
18. ONTARIO arrives alongside in Esquimalt, in November 1945. DND
photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
19. At anchor on the Clyde, June 1945. DND
photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
20. A voluntary church service on the quarterdeck in 1945. DND
photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
21. Torpedo away! July 1945. DND
photo, courtesy of
B.
Lake.
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Sources:
Barrie, Ron and Macpherson, Ken. (2002). This Ships of
Canada's Naval Forces 1910-2002. Vanwell Publishing Ltd. St.
Catherines, Ont.
Macbeth, Jack. (1989). Ready, Aye, Ready - An Illustrated
History of the Royal Canadian Navy. Key Porter Books, Toronto,
ON.
Steed, Roger G. (1999). Canadian Warships Since 1956.
Vanwell Publishing Ltd. St. Catherines, ON.
Jane's Fighting Ships, various editions.
Alex's Royal Navy Page (
http://www.btinternet.com/~a.c.walton/navy/navy.html ) by Alex
Walton
Naval
Weapons of the World website
Correspondence with, and photos from, B. Lake.
|
