HMCS ONONDAGA (73)
HMCS ONONDAGA
The History of HMCS ONONDAGA
HMCS Onondaga (S73) is an Oberon-class submarine that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces.
Onondaga was laid down on 18 June 1964 at Chatham Dockyard, Chatham and launched on 25 September 1965. She was commissioned into the RCN on 22 June 1967 with pennant number 73. She was decommissioned by Maritime Command on 28 July 2000 as the last CF Oberon class submarine in operation.
Onondaga was assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) and served her entire career in the North Atlantic.
In 2001, it was planned to cut Onondaga into pieces and reassemble her inside the Canadian War Museum. This plan was cancelled before the end of the year, because of the excessive cost.
Later, in 2006, the submarine was purchased by the Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Pere, Rimouski in 2006. Onondaga was towed from Halifax to Rimouski by way of the Canso Canal in July 2008. As of June 2009 she is now open to the public for viewing, and is described as the only publicly accessible submarine in Canada.
HMCS ONONDAGA Statistical Data
- Pendant: 73
- Type: Submarine
- Class: Oberon
- Displacement: 1,610/2,410 tonnes
- Length: 295.25 ft
- Width: 26.5 ft
- Draught: 18 ft
- Speed: 17 Submerged/12 Surfaced kts
- Compliment: 6 Officers and 62 Crew
- Arms: 8 - 21" TT Mk 46 Torpedoes
- Builder: H.M. Dockyard, Chatham, UK
- Keel Laid: 18-Jun-64
- Date Launched: 25-Sep-65
- Date Commissioned: 22-Jun-67
- Paid off: 28-Jul-00
Remarks
Built in the UK on order by the RCN.