Royal Canadian Navy - Destroyer

R 79 / DDE 219  -  HMCS Athabaskan

 

 

DDE-219 R-79 HMCS Athabaskan crest badge patch insignia

DDE-219 R-79 HMCS Athabaskan UK Tribal class destroyer Royal Canadian Navy

Type, Class:

 

Destroyer - DD / UK Tribal - class

later converted to a Destroyer Escort - DDE

Builder:

 

Halifax Shipyards, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

STATUS:

 

Ordered:

Laid down: May 15, 1943

Launched: May 4, 1946

Commissioned: January 20, 1948 (as R 79)

refitted and converted to a Destroyer Escort

recommissioned as DDE 219

Decommissioned: April 21, 1966

Fate: sold for scrap; scrapped in La Spezia, Italy in 1969

Homeport:

 

-

Namesake:

 

Athabaskan or Athabascan (also Dene, Athapascan, Athapaskan)

is a large group of indigenous peoples of North America

Ship’s Motto:

 

WE FIGHT AS ONE

Technical Data:

(Measures, Propulsion,

Armament, Aviation, etc.)

 

see: INFO > UK Tribal - class Destroyer

 

ship images

 

R-79 DDE-219 HMCS Athabaskan Tribal class destroyer Royal Canadian Navy

 

HMCS Athabaskan R-79 DDE-219 UK Tribal class destroyer Royal Canadian Navy

 

DDE-219 HMCS Athabaskan R-79 Tribal class destroyer RCN

 

DDE-219 R-79 HMCS Athabaskan Tribal class destroyer Halifax shipyards

 

HMCS Athabaskan DDE-219 R-79 Tribal class destroyer Canadian Navy

 

DDE-219 R-79 HMCS Athabaskan UK Tribal class destroyer Royal Canadian Navy

 

 

HMCS Athabaskan (R 79 / DDE 219):

 

... was the second ship to bear this name, after the loss of HMCS Athabaskan (G 07).

 

Within three weeks of sinking, another Athabaskan was laid down in Halifax. She was christened on May 4th, 1946 and commissioned on January 20th, 1948. On July 5th, 1950, in company with HMCS Cayuga and HMCS Sioux, she sailed to join the United Nations forces fighting to contain the Communist invasion of South Korea. Within 20 hours of arriving in Sasebo, Japan, Athabaskan sailed on her first patrol.

 

For the next ten months she operated in support of UN forces, mainly in a Naval Gunfire Support role.On the 2nd of August, 1951, following a short docking and leave period in Esquimalt, B.C., she left home for a second tour in Korea. After serving with distinction in the Korean War, Athabaskan continued to exercise and operate from Esquimalt until 1959 when she was transferred to Halifax.

 

On March 1st, 1964, she gained public attention when she went to the aid of the Liberian tanker Amphialos that had broken in two during a storm. In a rescue operation which required daring and a high standard of seamanship, 34 of a crew of 36 were rescued.

Athabaskan was placed in reserve in January, 1965 and sold in June 1969.

 

- history wanted -

 

patches

 

HMCS Athabaskan DDE-219 R-79 patch insignia badge crest

 

 

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