Diesel-electrics Doing the Job

Diesel-electric submarines have a long pedigree. In fact, Canada's first diesel-electrics were CC1 and CC2 (shown at left), purchased almost exactly 100 years ago to defend the west coast. And our current boats, HMCS Victoria, Chicoutimi, Corner Brook and Windsor are diesel-electrics. Needless to say, much has changed.

The world's major navies, and some of the less major ones, now have moved on to nuclear boats. The USN and Royal Navies no longer operate any diesels. But that doesn't mean diesel-electrics are outmoded or useless. At times, and in particular during the Cold War, they performed yeoman service. And no navy wants to ever send unprotected surface ships into waters where a hostile diesel-electric could be lurking. As Canada's ongoing use of them indicates, they are effective as deterrents, extensions of sovereignty, and intelligence-gatherers.

For an appreciation of the role of diesel-electrics in the Cold War and elsewhere, Iain Ballantyne, author of Hunter Killers, has written a very informative online article.

HMCS Victoria to headline RIMPAC

RIMPAC 2014, a major international naval exercise, will kick off on June 26th this year and run through August 1st. Once again the RCN will be represented by HMCS Victoria and surface ships. Two years ago, during RIMPAC 2012, Victoria sank a decommissioned American ship with a live and highly successful torpedo firing.

Increased tensions at sea are current challenges for western navies. In the far east, the Peoples Liberation Army Navy is only one part of Chinese aggression toward her neighbours in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, in the Black Sea, Russia has increased its naval grip on the area with its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

Submarines were a major part of intelligence-gathering during the Cold War. Details of those activities are slowly surfacing, with books (eg Hunter Killers, by Iain Ballantyne) and a recent newspaper article in The Australian about the Royal Australian Navy's "secret submarines".There is no reason to think that submarine intelligence-gathering is no longer taking place.

Here is a look at an earlier post about Victoria's torpedo firing in 2012. Video footage of the target vessel sinking is here. 

"Hunter Killers" and the Canadian Submarine Service

HMS Astute

On March 27th I wrote a brief item about Hunter Killers, Iain Ballantyne's book subtitled "The Dramatic Untold Story of the Royal Navy's Most Secret Service". Ballantyne devotes a section of the book to the A-class diesel-electric submarines of the 1950-60's. Those included HMS Alderney, Astute, Ambush and others who spent time with the Sixth Submarine Squadron (SM6) based in Halifax.

Of note were the activities of Alderney and Astute during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The two RN boats remained under Canadian operational control as they waited to detect Soviet submarines bound for aggressive locations off the American eastern seaboard. And Canadian admiral Ken Dyer sent his antisubmarine fleet to sea, in spite of a lack of direction from the "dithering" Canadian government.

The deal between the Canadian and British governments that kept SM6 in Halifax also involved 200 Canadian officers and men who would train and serve in the Royal Navy--a group that would later prove their value in a new Canadian submarine service.

Hunter Killers--A terrific book about submarines and submariners

I will shortly be publishing a review of  "Hunter Killers: The Dramatic Untold Story of the Royal Navy's Most Secret Service", by Iain Ballantyne. It tells the story of Royal Navy submarines and submariners during the Cold War. "Dramatic" is certainly the word for it, and secret, for sure.

More to follow.