Royal Canadian Navy Destroyers (Annapolis Class): HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265) (II); HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266) (II)

Annapolis-class helicopter destroyers

HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265) (II); HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266) (II)

HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265) (II)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265).  Built at Halifax Shipyards Ltd., HMCS Annapolis was commissioned on 19 Dec 1964.  She was the twentieth and last of the Cadillacs.  HMCS Annapolis served most of her career with the RCN on the east coast.  On 27 Jul 1970, along with HMCS Skeena and HMCS Protecteur, she departed Halifax to celebrate Manitoba's Centennial with visits to Fort Churchill, Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet and Wakeham Bay.  In June 1974, while flagship of SNFL, HMCS Annapolis went to the aid of a Sea King helicopter which had lost an engine and ditched.  After rescuing its crew, HMCS Annapolis recovered the helicopter and loaded it onto a barge and towed it to Den Helder, there bringing it onboard for return to Halifax.  On 14 Aug 1989, HMCS Annapolis left Halifax for Esquimalt where she served primarily as a training ship.  From 3 Jun to 7 Jun 1990, HMCS Kootenay, HMCS Annapolis, HMCS Huron had a port visit at Vladivostok, Russia.  On 10 Mar 1994, HMCS Annapolis departed Esquimalt to participate in Operation Forward Action, Haiti.  Arriving on station on 25 Mar 1994; she departed the Op Area on 23 Apr 1994.  HMCS Annapolis was decommissioned from the RCN on 15 Nov 1996 and placed in reserve.  She was paid off in 1998 and stripped of all weapons and sensors before being laid up at CFB Esquimalt.  HMCS Annapolis was sold to the Artificial Reef Society of BC in 2008 and was sunk as an artificial reef near Gambier Island, BC, on 4 Apr 2015.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265) with Sea King.

( Serge Joncas Photo)

HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265) with the Standing Naval Force Atlantic, Funchal, Madeira, 1977.

(USN Photo)

HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265)

(Bbaumgardner Photo)

HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265) (II).

HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266) (II)

(National Archives and Records Administration Photo, 6409100)

HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266) (II), underway during NATO Exercise "Ocean Safari '85".

HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266) (II).  Built by Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel, HMCS Nipigon was commissioned on 30 May 1964 with the wife of the then Governor-General Georges P Vanier DSO MC & Bar CD, Madame Pauline Vanier, as her sponsor.  She arrived in Halifax for the first time on 7 Jun 1964 serving most of her career with the Atlantic Fleet.  On 18 Oct 1965, a fire broke out aboard the ship, causing the death of three crew; no official cause for the explosion and subsequent fire has ever been given.

At approximately 2030 hours on 18th October 1965, while at sea, two explosions occurred in 12 Mess on HMCS. Nipigon.  The force of these explosions blew the locked cover off a tank containing JP 5 helicopter fuel causing a flash fire in the Mess.  The compartment directly above the Mess contained ammunition.  At the time of the explosions there were eleven men in 12 Mess, one of which was Leading Seaman White.  Although burned about the face and hands when escaping from the Mess, Leading Seaman White rushed to the Quartermaster's lobby to inform the lifebuoy sentry of the explosions in order that Command could be informed.  He then returned to the area of the Mess to assist where needed but when advised that one man who appeared to be unconscious had not escaped from the Mess, immediately donned a set of breathing equipment and re-entered the Mess.  The Mess at this time was filled with fumes from the JP 5 fuel and heavy black smoke.  Freeing the unconscious man Leading Seaman White, with the assistance of Able Seaman Gray who had just entered, carried the man to the foot of the hatch and then searched all bunks to ensure no one else was trapped.  Then,  with the assistance of the Able Seaman and other crew members, brought the man up to the mortar well on the deck above.  Leading Seaman White then assisted the damage control parties in flooding the JP 5 fuel tank with sea water and the removal of smouldering material.  Although burned by the initial flash fire, Leading Seaman White alerted Command, re-entered the fume and smoke filled Mess to rescue a comrade, and did excellent work in a dangerous area which contained an open JP 5 fuel tank adjacent to stored ammunition before obtaining medical attention for himself.  This fine display of courage in the face of serious injury or possible death, is a credit not only to Leading Seaman White, but also his ship and the Canadian Forces.  LS White was awarded the British Empire Medal for Gallantry for his actions.

During her service she was primarily used as a training ship.  On 7 Nov 1971, while operating off Bermuda, HMCS Nipigon's Sea King lost power on her engines and crashed into the sea at about 2200 hrs.  There was a loss of three crew who were never recovered.  Only the navigator was found by rescue crew.  Seas were heavy with no moon and a strong wind.

On 10 September 1979 while underway at sea, a gasket from a steam line heated at 850o ruptured in the boiler room of the destroyer.  PO Marsh ordered all personnel to evacuate the immediate area and remained at the boiler room console to carry out the emergency shut-down procedures.  Outside, the main power had failed, semi-darkness made any action most difficult, while confusion and a sense of danger were evident.  CWO McIntosh proceeded without hesitation through the escape hatch, although the heat was intolerable.  He reached the console with difficulty and both he and PO Marsh with only ventilation fans keeping the steam from smothering them, calmly and correctly took appropriate action to minimize machinery damage and restore safety.  CWO John McIntosh and PO Patrick Marsh voluntarily exposed themselves to grave danger to ensure the safety of the ship and prevent possible loss of life on board . Both CPO McIntosh and PO Marsh were awarded the Star of Courage for their actions.

On 27 Jun 1983, she was paid off for her DELEX refit at Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co., Ltd., Lauzon, Quebec.  She was re-commissioned on 22 Aug 1984.  On 28 Apr 1985 HMCS Nipigon provided SAR assistance to fishing vessel Lady Marjorie.  The crew was rescued and the vessel was sunk by gunfire from HMCS Nipigon.  The Crown was subsequently sued by vessel owners.  An out of court settlement was reached.  On 22 Feb 1987 HMCS Nipigon's helicopter assisted in the rescue of the crew from the burning tug Gulf Gale off Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.  On 19 May 1993 HMCS Nipigon departed Halifax with HMNZS Endeavour and HMNZS Canterbury for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic ceremonies off the coast of Wales and Liverpool.  On 14 Jun 1995 HMCS Nipigon's crew members along with DFO enforcement officers boarded the Spanish trawler Patricia Nores and found 11 tonnes of turbot in excess of amounts recorded in the ship's log.

She was paid off on 2 Jul 1998 and sold for use as an artificial reef.  She was sunk in the St. Lawrence River north-east of Rimouski, Quebec on 22 Jul 2003.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Nipigon (266).

(DND Photo)

HMCS Nipigon (266)

(US National Archives Photo)

HMCS Nipigon (266).

(Paul Harrison Photo)

HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266), Halifax harbour, 1990.