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THE COMMISSIONING OF HMCS ALGONQUIN 3 NOVEMBER 1973 AT DAVIE SHIPBUILDING LTD. LAUZON, QUEBEC Photo by Jon Joosten HMCS ALGONQUIN, the fourth of Canada's new DDH 280 Class destroyers, today joins her three sister ships, and the Fleet. Shortly she will begin her duties in the surveillance and control of our shores. The role to which this ship has been committed is both demanding and important. To fulfil the role she has the most modern equipment available. Even more important, this impressive ship and her advanced equipment will be manned by some of the best-trained and most capable sailors in the world. To the skilled men who designed and built HMCS ALGONQUIN I express my gratitude. The Captain, officers and men who will sail in this ship now face the challenge of honoring the name and example of the first Algonquin. I have every confidence that they will fulfil this challenge in the best tradition of the Fleet in which they serve. Good sailing. 44s -/-yL As~*sJ James Richardson MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCE La mise en service du HMCS ALGONQUIN est importante a double titre. Tout d'abord elle couronne de succes un programme au cours duquel la competence des Canadians en matiere de conception et de construction navales s'est encore une fois revelee egale a ce qu'il y a de mieux au monde. Elle signifie, en outre, une capacite accrue pour le Canada, alors que les quatre puissants navires de guerre de la classe DDH 280 se preparent a rallier laFlottepour assurer la protection et la surveillance des secteurs maritimes canadiens d'interet national. Lr'ALGONQUIN et son equipage doivent maintenant relever un formidable defi. Trois oceans limitrophes non seulement donnent au Canada 1'une des zones littorales les plus etendues du monde, mais ils lui conferent egalement les responsabilites d'une puissance maritime de premier ordre. Les superbes perfectionnements technologiques dont est dote I'ALGONQUIN, joints a ceux des trois autres navires de sa classe et des autres unites de la Flotte, lui permettront de servir le Canada avec honneur et distinction. En derniere analyse, cependant, ce ne sont pas ses perfectionnements ni la grandeur de sa tache qui feront la renommee de VALGONQUIN, mais bien la valeur de son equipage. Et c'est la, peut-etre, que reside le plus grand defi. Je ne doute nullement que les hommes qui permettent au fier ALGONQUIN de reprendre sa juste place au sein de la Flotte, de meme que ceux qui navigueront a son bord dans 1'avenir, sauront relever ce defi. Au nom de tous vos compagnons d'arme qui servent dans la Flotte, ainsi que tous les membres des Forces canadiennes, je suis heureux de souhaiter la bienvenue au HMCS ALGONQUIN et a son equipage. Que Dieu vous garde et que la mer vous soit clemente. J.A. Dextraze General CHEF DE L'ETAT-MAJOR DE LA DEFENSE La mise en service du HMCS ALGONQUIN marque la fin du programme de construction des destroyers de la classe DDH 280 des Forces canadiennes. Ce qu'il y avait de meilleur sur le plan conception, travail, equipement et armements a etc mis en oeuvre pour la construction de VALGONQUIN et des trois autres navires de la meme lignee. Ces quatre destroyers se classent parmi les plus modernes et les plus polyvalents du genre au monde. Leurs capacites accrues et leur souplesse d'emploi sont un atout majeur pour le Commandement maritime et lui permettent de remplir un vaste eventail de missions a 1'appui des engagements de defense du Canada. ALGONQUIN est a la fois le nom d'une tribu de fiers Indiens et d'un navire qui s'est galamment distingue lors de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. II est interessant de noter que c'est lors de la modernisation du premier HMCS ALGONQUIN, au debut des annees 1950, que furent mises a Fepreuve plusieurs des idees nouvelles ulterieurement incorporees dans les escorteurs d'escadre des classes 205 et 257. Les navires de ces classes ont ete, au cours des annees passees, les batiments cles de la Flotte canadienne. Maintenant qu'une nouvelle generation de navires a vu le jour, il est tout a fait approprie que VALGONQUIN soit du nombre. Malgre 1'excellence du navire et le perfectionnement de ses systemes, son efficacite n'en continue pas moins de dependre des officiers et des hommes a son bord. Les progres techniques et tactiques ont renforce leur role plutot que de le diminuer. C'est avec plaisir que nous souhaitons la bienvenue au HMCS ALGONQUIN au sein du Commandement maritime. A son Commandant, ses officiers et ses hommes, je souhaite bon succes et des vents favorables. Que Dieu vous garde. D.S. Boyle Contre-amiral CHEF DU COMMANDEMENT MARITIME SHIP'S BADGE BLAZON: Sable, a base barry wavy Argent and Azure of four, from which issues an Indian's arm embowed proper, wearing arm and wrist bands Argent and holding a fish-spear in bent Argent transfixing an eel Or. SIGNIFICANCE: The badge depicts the arm of an Indian holding up an eel that has been caught on the end of a fish spear. This interprets the meaning of the word "ALGONQUIN", at the place of spearing fish and eels". In a war-time letter requesting approval of the ship's badge, the Commanding Officer of the first HMCS ALGONQUIN commented on the design as follows: "The strong arm rising from the sea represents offensive power upon great waters, the impaled eel, the vanquished foe. The design is also symbolic of success against the underwater evil, the U-Boat". SHIP'S COLOURS: Gold and Azure Blue. MOTTO: A Coup Sur (with sure stroke) THE NAME The ALGONQUINS or ALGONKIANS were a tribe of Indians who ranged through a vast territory, from Georgian Bay in the West to the St. Maurice River in the East, and who gained a living by hunting and fishing. The name ALGONQUIN which means "at the place of spearing fish and eels", was first recorded in connection with this particular tribe of Indians by Champlain and his contemporaries. They met up with these Indians by the banks of the Ottawa River which flowed through the heart of the ALGONQUIN territory. In time the Ottawa River became, for the French, a highway to the West, and the Indians who lived along its banks joined them as allies. Since the ALGONQUIN had been at odds with the Iroquois even before the arrival of the white man, it was hardly surprising that they joined with their neighbours, the French, in alliance against the Five Nation Confederacy. During the series of wars that followed, the Iroquois were able to obtain from the European allies a far larger supply of fire-arms than the ALGONQUIN, and they drove the latter North and East away from the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers. Later, when the power of the Iroquois declined, the ALGONQUIN gradually drifted back to their old lands. Today, many of their descendants live upon a few reserves in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. Others still support themselves in the old Nomadic fashion, hunting and trapping along the upper reaches of the St. Maurice River. These then were the people from whom the first and second ALGONQUINS were to take their name. Their heritage is a proud one and this will be maintained during the career of the second ALGONQUIN as it was with the first. THE HERITAGE The first HMCS ALGONQUIN was launched in September, 1943 as the British "V" Class Fleet Destroyer, HMS VALENTINE. After negotiations between the British and Canadian governments, HMS VALENTINE was obtained by the latter and commissioned HMCS ALGONQUIN m February, 1944. With a displacement of 1710 tons and a full speed of over 30 knots, she could steam 5300 nautical miles at a 15 knot cruising speed without refuelling. Her armament consisted of four 4.7" guns, eight torpedo tubes, and twin 40 mm. bofors, as well as four twin 20 mm. oerlikons. Built to operate with capital ships, ALGONQUIN'S long operational range made her particularly valuable for duty with cruisers and carriers on independent missions, as well as in the more traditional convoy escort duty. Shortly after commissioning, sea trials, and work-ups, ALGONQUIN participated with other units of the Home Fleet in the successful attack on the German battleship TIRPITZ in Alten Fjord, Norway. ALGONQUIN, in this operation, was part of the carrier screen; and distinguished herself by the rescue of a downed Hellcat fighter pilot. Upon her return to Scapa Flow, ALGONQUIN joined the 26th Destroyer Flotilla, and with this group participated in further operations against the TIRPITZ and enemy shipping off Norway. Subsequent to these operations, ALGONQUIN was inspected by King George VI during the King's visit to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. The end of the Royal Inspection saw the beginning of an extensive training period which was in preparation for the long-awaited invasion of the continent. Finally, in June, 1944, ALGONQUIN participated in Operation Neptune (the naval phase of the Normandy invasion), by escorting the command ship of the Canadian Third Division and by carrying out shore bombardment and anti-submarine patrols in the invasion area. Rejoining the 26th Destroyer Flotilla in July, 1944, ALGONQUIN participated in further attacks against the TIRPITZ and enemy shipping in Norway. She also escorted two convoys to Murmansk, Russia, in September and December of 1944, as a unit of the 23rd Destroyer Flotilla. February of 1945 saw HMCS ALGONQUIN in Halifax for a much-needed refit. Having returned to Halifax August 9, 1945, the ship spent the next few days preparing to sail to join the British Pacific Fleet.
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