Mackenzie-class Destroyer Escort

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HMCS Mackenzie (DDH-261) passing along San Diego on its way to Exercise RIMPAC '92.

The Mackenzie-class destroyer escort was a class of warship used by the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces from the 1960s-1990s. Six such ships were envisioned, of which four were completed to this specification. The last two hulls were completed to the post DDH conversion St. Laurent-class destroyer design (which included helicopter hangars); they were designated as Annapolis-class destroyers instead.

The four Mackenzie-class destroyers spent most of their service in the Pacific arena, used primarily in the training role. Their only significant update was the DELEX (destroyer life extension) program and thus were largely obsolete in their intended role by the late 1970s.

The Mackenzie class was similar to the previous Restigouche-class, which was a follow-on to the St. Laurent-class. The most noticeable change for Mackenzie was the replacement of the forward 3"/50 gun with a 3"/70 and the presence of a fire-control director atop the bridge superstructure. The bridge was raised one full deck higher than on previous classes in order to see over the new gun mount.

HMCS Mackenzie was used in an episode of The X-Files before being scuttled off Sidney, British Columbia. HMCS Saskatchewan was scuttled off Nanaimo, BC and HMCS Yukon was scuttled off San Diego, California. HMCS Qu'Appelle was renamed Terry Fox in 1981 and became a museum ship at New Westminster, British Columbia in 1994.

Specifications[edit | edit source]

  • Type: Destroyer Escort
  • Service Period: 1962-1994
    • Length: 366 feet (111.56 meters)
    • Beam: 42 feet (12.8 meters)
    • Draught: 14 feet (4.27 meters)
    • Displacement: 2,880 tons
  • Crew: 228
  • Propulsion: 2 shafts, 2 x English-Electric geared steam turbines, 2 x Babcock and Wilcox boilers; 30,000 shp
  • Speed: 28 knots (51.86 km/h)
  • Sensor Suite:
    • 1 x AN/SPS-12 air search radar
    • 1 x AN/SPS-10B surface search radar
    • 1 x Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar
    • 1 x AN/SQS-501 high frequency bottom profiler sonar
    • 1 x AN/SQS-502 high frequency mortar control sonar
    • 1 x AN/SQS-503 hull mounted active search sonar
    • 1 x AN/SQS-11 hull mounted active search sonar
  • Countermeasures
    • 1 x DAU (replaced by SRD 501) high frequency direction finder
    • 1 x WLR 1C radar analyzer
    • 1 x UPD 501 radar detector
  • Armament
    • 1 x 3"/70-caliber Mk.6 Vickers twin mount naval gun
    • 1 x 3"/50-caliber Mk.33 FMC twin mount naval gun
    • 2 x Mk NC 10 Limbo ASW mortars
    • 2 x single Mk.2 "K-gun" launchers with homing torpedoes
    • 1 x 103mm Bofors illumination rocket launcher

Unit Run[edit | edit source]

  • HMCS Mackenzie (DDE-261)
  • HMCS Saskatchewan (DDE-262)
  • HMCS Yukon (DDE-263)
  • HMCS Qu'Appelle (DDE-264) - renamed HMCS Terry Fox (DDE-264) in 1981.