- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMCS Annapolis in game.
HMCS Annapolis soon after commissioning, ~1940
Description:
First known as the USS MacKenzie (DD-175), HMCS Annapolis was one of 50 US built destroyers given to the Royal Navy in exchange for Strategic bases off the North American coastline, as part of the Destroyers for bases agreement. She would be given to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) from the Royal Navy (RN), as to boost that forces escort numbers.
Although originally built as a Wickes-class destroyer for the United States Navy (USN) in 1918, she would be known as a Town-class Destroyer during her RCN/RN service. This suggestion is for her fit as she appeared in 1942.
HMCS Annapolis as part of the Western Local Escort Force, ~1944
History:
USN service:
Laid down as the USS MacKenzie on the 4th of July 1918 by Union Iron Works, at San Francisco, California, she would launch on the 29th of September the same year, and finally commissioning into the USN on the 25th of July 1919, being given the pennant DD-175 on the 17th of July 1920.
Upon commissioning she would join the Pacific Fleet, serving with Destroyer Squadrons 2&4. This would not last long, as on the 27th of May 1922 she would be placed in reserve at Mare Island due to the large amount of excess destroyers in the USN built for the First World War that never saw war service.
She would recommission at San Deigo on the 6th of November 1939 due to the rising tensions in Europe and Pacific regions. This would again not last very long, as she was selected for exchange to the RN under the Destroyers for Bases act. She would arrive at Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 20th of September 1940, where she would decommission from the USN on the 24th. On the same day she would recommission as the HMCS Annapolis and given the pennant I04, with the Royal Navy allocating her to the RCN before she was actually turned over to them.
HMCS Annapolis after 1941 refit, note the removed funnel and revised armament amidships.
RCN Service:
Early use of the now Annapolis came to an end quickly, as a fire in the No.4 Boiler during working up trails in late 1940 necessitated large repairs, which only concluded in February 1941. Due to the damaged sustained her No.4 Boiler and its funnel were removed without replacement, during this repair period her armament was also revised into the standard escort fit for a Town-class destroyer in service with the RN.
This refit included removing the amidships 4-inch gun positions, being replaced by 20mm Oerlikon mounts, the 3-inch gun in the X position replaced by depth charge equipment, and the 4-inch gun in the Y position was replaced by a QF 12pdr 12cwt (HA) for AA duties. Her torpedo armament was also altered, reducing it to a single triple mount. Later a Hedgehog ASW mortar will be fitted aft of the 4-inch gun.
Upon exiting refit in 1941 she would join the Western Local Escort Force out of Halifax, in this service she would escort coastal convoys east of St.Johns, Newfoundland, to New York. During her time here she would escort the convoys, HX 132, BX 35B, and SC 145, in which she would encounter no U-boats.
By April 1944 she would be attached to the base HMCS Cornwallis, at Nova Scotia, for training duties. She would remain here until the end of the war. On the 4th of June 1945 she would be sold for scrapping to Frankel Brothers Ltd due to the combination of hull and engine wear, severely limiting the usefulness of her to the postwar RCN, which was inundated with old war worn escort vessels.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMCS Annapolis | |||||
| Country: Canada | |||||
| Type: Destroyer | |||||
| Class name: Town | |||||
| Year of commission: 1940 | |||||
| Refit: 1942 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 314ft 4.5in (95.8m) | |||||
| Beam: 30ft 11.25in (9.43m) | |||||
| Draught: 9ft (2.7m) | |||||
| Displacement: 1,200t full | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 3x Oil Fired boilers, driving geared turbines @ 25,000shp (18,387kW) across two shafts | |||||
| Speed: 30kt | |||||
| Endurance: 2,500nmi @ 20kt | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 145 | |||||
| Primary armament: 1x1 BL 4-inch Mk.IX | |||||
| Secondary armament: 1x1 QF 12pdr 12cwt, 6x1 20mm Oerlikon | |||||
| Tertiary armament:1x24 Hedgehog ASW mortar 1x3 21" Torpedo tubes, 4x DCT, 2x DC rails | |||||
| Radar: -nil | |||||
| Sonar: -nil |
HMCS Annapolis soon after delivery. 1940
Sources:
Macpherson, K., & Burgess, J. (1982). The Ships of Canada’s Naval Forces 1910-1981 (p.39)
USS MacKenzie (DD-175) - Wikipedia
HMCS ANNAPOLIS I04 - For Posterity's Sake
HMCS Annapolis (I 04) of the Royal Canadian Navy - Canadian Destroyer of the Town class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net
https://www.canada.ca/en/navy/services/history/ships-histories/annapolis.html
HMCS ANNAPOLIS (1st) | Ships of the Royal Canadian Navy