Mackenzie class destroyer escorts - Making good with what you got

de_Radio_Demon · August 7, 2023, 4:45pm

Would you like to see the Mackenzie class destroyer escorts added to war thunder?

Yes
Maybe
Unsure
No

0 voters

What versions of the class would you like to see added to the game?

As built (not including HMCS Qu’Appelle in this poll option)
HMCS Qu’Appelle as built
DELEX modernization (not including HMCS Qu’Appelle in this poll option)
DELEX modernization (HMCS Qu’Appelle)
Unsure
I said no to the first question

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Mackenzie class destroyer escorts - Making good with what you got

Background & History

The Mackenzie class destroyer escorts were a class of 4 destroyer escorts built by Canada in the 1950’s and were the successors of the Restigouche class destroyer escorts, these ships were the 3rd iteration of the St. Laurent class destroyer escorts which were the first major warship designed by and built in Canada, the St. Laurent brought many elements which made them good vessels however within a decade the class would rapidly evolve as half of the St. Laurent class were cut and reordered to an improved version which was the Restigouche class and following that class was the Mackenzie class which was to be a more advanced design however in the end the Mackenzie class remained in its close ties to the St. Laurent class as what started out as a class meant to be one of Canada’s answer to fill the role of ASW in NATO turned out 4 new classes total.

The Mackenzie class was originally planned to be a new design which included stronger machinery which produced greater power as well as be larger than the previous ships while retaining the same abilities, however despite the class originally supposed to be the next major design which improved on the previous ships but due to problems with the budget of the program the Mackenzie class was instead had to be built as repeats of the Restigouche class though affording to make some improvements. Even the total of ships came out to have problems as a total of 6 ships were ordered but in the end only 4 were completed as Mackenzie class vessels, the last 2 were instead reordered to similar specifications of a modernization which was in the works for the St. Laurent class which installed a helicopter and accompanying hanger and this class was the Annapolis class, even the last ship of Mackenzie class was completed differently as HMCS Qu’Appelle used only American 3 inch guns rather than the mix of British and American guns, granted due to the guns finally being unavailable at that point. The class itself entered service in the 1960’s however in service they would receive minimal modernizations beyond the DELEX modernization of the 1970’s which extended the service lives of the St. Laurent, Restigouche, Mackenzie, and Annapolis class as they received more modern systems to allow them to deal with modern soviet submarines as they were some of the last steam powered vessels in Canadian service and were extended in their service lives while awaiting their replacements, however in the case of this class they were at that point the least capable of the 4 classes as they had originally Limbo mortars and torpedo tubes which could be used for ASW, however all the other classes had some element which was included to allow them to be capable of effective ASW against modern submarines such as the helicopters of the St. Laurent and Annapolis class, and the ASROC on the Restigouche class however the Mackenzie class at best received better torpedos in service but in the end the Limbo mortars were removed due to how old they were, due to their lack of major modernization they were primarily used as training vessels rather than the other classes but remained in service until the 1990’s.

The ships themselves were armed with 4 3 inch guns in 2 twin turrets, normally this would be in the form of 2 3 inch/70 Mark 6 British built guns and 2 3 inch/50 Mark 22 guns in a Mark 33 turret however in the case of Qu’Appelle she only had the 3 inch/50 guns (as seen in the second image), the ships also had 2 Mark 4 Limbo anti submarine mortars located at the rear of the ship, they also had the provisions for 2 single Mk.2 “K-gun” launchers whited used homing torpedoes however they may not have been used in service as the other classes also at points had provision for these but never used them so it’s uncertain if these were used ever, later on however the K gun launchers were replaced with 6 12.75 inch (324mm) Mark 32 torpedo tubes in 2 triple mounts and by the 1990’s the Limbo mortars were removed however retained their original gun armament.

Specifications

Displacement:

2,880 tons full load

Length:

371 ft (113.1 m) wide load

366 ft (111.6 m) oa

Beam: 42 ft (12.8 m)

Draft: 13 ft 6 in (4.1 m)

Installed power:

2 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers

30,000 shp (22,000 kW)

Propulsion:

2 shafts

2 × English-Electric geared steam turbines

Speed: 28 knots (51.9 km/h; 32.2 mph)

Complement: 228

Sensors and processing systems:

As built

1 × SPS-12 air search radar

1 × SPS-10B surface search radar

1 × Sperry Mk.2 navigation radar

1 × SQS-501 high frequency bottom profiler sonar

1 × SQS-502 high frequency mortar control sonar

1 × SQS-503 hull mounted active search sonar

1 × SQS-11 hull mounted active search sonar

DELEX modernization

1 x Marconi SPS 502 air search radar
1 x Raytheon SPS 10D surface search radar
1 x Sperry Mk.127 E navigation radar

1 × SQS-501 high frequency bottom profiler sonar

1 × SQS-502 high frequency mortar control sonar

1 × SQS-503 hull mounted active search sonar

1 × SQS-11 hull mounted active search sonar

Electronic warfare & decoys:

As built

1 × DAU (replaced by SRD 501) high frequency direction finder

1 × WLR 1C radar analyzer

1 × UPD 501 radar detector

Armament:

As built (All but HMCS Qu’Appelle)

Main armament:

2 × 3-inch/70 Mark 6 Vickers guns (1 x 2)

2,000 rounds total; 1,000 rounds per gun

2 × 3 inch/50 (76mm) Mark 22 guns; Mk.33 FMC mount (1 x 2)

ASW mortars:

2 × Mk NC 10 Limbo ASW mortars (2 x 3)

Torpedos:

2 × single Mk.2 “K-gun” launchers with homing torpedoes (Wasn’t ever used on the St. Laurent class, so I have doubts this was used on this and the other classes)

HMCS Qu’Appelle as built

Main armament:

4 × 3 inch/50 (76mm) Mark 22 guns; Mk.33 FMC mount (2 x 2)

ASW mortars:

2 × Mk NC 10 Limbo ASW mortars (2 x 3)

Torpedos:

2 × single Mk.2 “K-gun” launchers with homing torpedoes (Wasn’t ever used on the St. Laurent class, so I have doubts this was used on this and the other classes)

DELEX modernization (All but HMCS Qu’Appelle)

Main armament:

2 × 3-inch/70 Mark 6 Vickers guns (1 x 2)

2,000 rounds total; 1,000 rounds per gun

2 × 3 inch/50 (76mm) Mark 22 guns; Mk.33 FMC mount (1 x 2)

ASW mortars:

2 × Mk NC 10 Limbo ASW mortars (2 x 3) (Removed by 1991)

Torpedo tubes:

6 x 12.75 inch (324mm) Mark 32 torpedo tubes; Mark 46 mod 5 torpedos (2 x 3)

DELEX modernization (HMCS Qu’Appelle)

Main armament:

4 × 3 inch/50 (76mm) Mark 22 guns; Mk.33 FMC mount (2 x 2)