HMCS HAIDA (G63)
HMCS HAIDA
The History of HMCS HAIDA
Commissioned on August 30, 1943, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Haida was assigned to the British Home Fleet and during the first three months of her career made two trips to North Russia as a convoy escort. In January, 1944, she joined the 10th Flotilla at Plymouth, and for the next eight months was engaged in sweeps and patrols in the Channel and the Bay of Biscay. She was present on D-Day. During this period she took part in the sinking of several enemy vessels, including torpedo boat T29, on April 26 off Ushant; T27, on April 29 off Ushant; destroyer Z 32, on June 9 off Ile de Bas; U 971, on June 24 off Land's End; and minesweeper M486, on August 6 off Ile d'Yeu. In September she sailed for Canada to refit at Halifax, returning to Plymouth in January, 1945. In March she returned to Scapa Flow and escorted another convoy to Murmansk, as well as carrying out strikes against German shipping off the Norwegian coast. She returned to Halifax on June 10 to begin tropicalization refit, but with the surrender of Japan this was cancelled and she was paid off on March 20, 1946.
She was re-commissioned at Halifax in 1947 and for the next three years took part in training and NATO exercises, then in July, 1950, began extensive modernization. Haida was re-commissioned on March 11, 1952, to prepare for service in Korean waters. Between 1952 and 1954 she did two tours of duty in that theatre, then resumed her training role until she was paid off for the last time on October 11, 1963, at Sydney.
Purchased by a private group of citizens, she arrived at Toronto in tow on August 25, 1964, to become a floating memorial, and in 1970 was accorded a berth at Ontario Place. In 2002 she was moved and she now serves as a museum ship on the waterfront of Hamilton, Ontario. Haida was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984.
HMCS HAIDA Statistical Data
- Pendant: G63
- Type: Destroyer
- Class: TRIBAL 1940s
- Displacement: 1927 tonnes
- Length: 377 ft
- Width: 37.5 ft
- Draught: 11.2 ft
- Speed: 36 kts
- Compliment: 14 Officers and 245 Crew
- Arms: 6-4.7" (3 x II), 2-4" (1 xII), 4-21" Torpedo Tube (1 x IV), 4-2 pdrs., 6-20mm.
- Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd., Newcastle-on-Tyne. U.K.
- Keel Laid: 29-Sep-41
- Date Launched: 25-Aug-42
- Date Commissioned: 30-Aug-43
- Paid off: 22-Feb-46
Remarks
Later recommissioned with pendant 215. Finally Paid off 11 Oct 63. HMCS Haida's tours in Korea - 1st Tour: 06 Nov 52 - 12 Jun 53 2nd Tour: 2nd Tour: 05 Feb 54 - 12 Sep 54
More Images
Post War HMCS HAIDA