1920s: A Fledgling Navy Struggles to Survive

HMCS PATRIOT and HMCS PATRICIAN

On the 1st of November 1920, HMC Ships PATRIOT and PATRICIAN were commissioned into the RCN. They were members of the 96 ship Emergency War Program "M" Class of destroyers build by the RN in 1914 - 1916.

Both PATRIOT and PATRICIAN were built by Thornycroft and Co. Ltd. in Southampton. PATRICIAN was launched on June 5th 1916, and PATRIOT on April 20th 1916. Their details were identical. They weighed in at about 1,004 tons, had a length of 271', a beam of 27.5 feet and a draught of 10.75'. With their Brown Curtis turbines and Yarrow boilers with superheaters, they had a design speed of 35 knots, though one of their number reached 37.5 knots. They had 3 screws and carried 300 tons of oil. Their radius of action at 15 knots varied between 1,500 and 2,500 miles. They mounted 3-4" guns, 1-2 pounder and 4-21" torpedo tubes in 2-twin mounts.

During the war, PATRIOT is credited with sinking a U-boat in 1917, and both were part of the Grand Fleet Flotillas. After their transfer to the RCN, and after the naval budget cuts of 1922, PATRIOT and PATRICIAN were the only sea-going warships in the RCN. PATRICIAN was ordered to the west coast in 1922 where she spent nearly 5 years training officers and men of the naval reserve, a function fulfilled by PATRIOT on the east coast at the same time. By 1927 they were worn out, and needed to be replaced.

PATRIOT was paid of on Oct 21st 1927 and PATRICIAN followed shortly thereafter on Jan 1st 1928. Both were sold for scrap in 1929.