I’ll admit it, I didn’t have “sailing on an active Canadian warship” on my bingo card of cool things I’d get to do this year.
But nevertheless, on a crisp October morning I found myself walking past the Manadarin, a massive freighter unloading raw sugar from somewhere near the Caribbean to the foot of Lower Jarvis Street in downtown Toronto and the Redpath Sugar refinery. And, partially concealed behind the trees of Sugar Beach was the massive HMCS Harry DeWolf -- the latest of Royal Canadian Naval vessels in the new DeWolf-class of ships. It was in Toronto as part of it’s Great Lakes Deployment/Public Relations tour, as well as recruitment tool, taking part in the Marine Careers Expo.
Naturally, I took the chance to get on board the country’s latest line of naval defense.
This ship is more than Canada’s latest and greatest vessel, so I’m going to break it into three short stories: 1 – Who was Harry DeWolf? 2 – Whoa, tell me more about the HMCS Haida!, and 3 – So what’s the point of these new boats?
1 – There actually was a Harry DeWolf
And his name was Harry DeWolf (I learned in Journalism School it’s important to start strong). His family is kind of a big deal. As in the 'name-a-town-after-your-family' kind of a big deal. Wolfville, Nova Scotia, on the north shore of the province was renamed from Mud Creek to Wolfville in 1830 to honour the town’s postmaster: Elisha DeWolf.
Fast forward a century and his descendant Harry has now risen the ranks of the Royal Canadian Navy. Starting as a 15 year old cadet in Bedford, Nova Scotia – approximately 75 kilometers from old Elisha’s aforementioned town -- by the time war broke out in 1939 DeWolf was given command of HMCS St. Laurent. He led her through Atlantic convoys and helped with the evacuation of troops from France the following year. With his leadership and gallantry noted with his being mentioned in dispatches twice, now-Commander DeWolf was given command of the brand-new Tribal-class destroyer HMCS Haida in 1943.
This is a point in the movie that a good director would highlight. It’s THE pivotal moment in our protagonist’s life story! Only, they don’t know it yet. Bonus marks for those who correctly identified “dramatic irony” as the term we were looking for. Under DeWolf’s command, Haida would be vital in sinking more than a dozen enemy craft, including three destroyers and a submarine. To say his achievements were noted outside the ranks of the Canadian political and military machine would be an understatement. His myriad of medals and accolades culminated with appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Norway's King Haakon VII Liberty Cross and France's Croix de Guerre amongst many others.
After the war he commanded the Canadian light aircraft carriers HMCS Warrior and HMCS Magnificent and would ultimately be appointed Chief of the Naval Staff and Vice-Admiral. That’s a big family legacy to live up to, let alone raise the bar.
2 – Whoa, tell me more about the HMCS Haida!
For starters, she still floats! That is even more remarkable when you learn that of the 27 Tribal-class destroyers built by the navies of Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. Haida is the only one that has survived at all. Half were scrapped immediately after the war and, as technology advances, the use of a 20-year old ship in a rapidly modernizing world of tech-based warfare wanes to nil.
For it to survive beyond that, you need a perfect storm including the lack of urgency to recycle its materials (Canada was joining the world in the early stages of the Cold War but as a nation we lived in relative peace and prosperity), room to store it (Ontario alone has one-fifth of the world’s freshwater, not to mention the dual coasts!), and then – if you get over those first two hurdles – you need a passionate group that can push preservation past the point of an idea and into action (Luckily there’s a group called Friends of HMCS Haida. That all worked to preserve “Canada’s most fightingest ship” which, for many years, was moored in Toronto at Ontario Place. In 2003, she moved to her current home in Hamilton Harbour where she is perhaps the most unique “Park” in Canada. I say that because Parks Canada has taken custody of her and operates tours and events on the old girl, which is largely in her original state.
If you’re interested in the historical highlights – as they’re far too numerous to mention – I recommend reading up on her Parks Canada profile. In short, this is the kind of ship everyone would have heard of in its heyday. The exploits of Haida were legendary. She earned five battle honours (one or two would be “a lot” for a normal warship of that era), and sunk more enemy tonnage than any other warship in the Royal Canadian Navy.
But even the most innovative things move from revolutionary to relic eventually. What was on the cutting edge of naval technology in the late 1930s when the Tribal-class ships were designed was obsolete in the space age. As per Parks Canada: “In October 1963, HMCS Haida was decommissioned from the Navy; the ship was considered obsolete. The years and the miles had caught up to the ship – in 20 years HMCS Haida steamed 688,534.25 nautical miles, the equivalent of 27 times around the world.”
You can set foot on the decks that Harry DeWolf and his crew walked. They were, by all accounts, the terror of the Kriegsmarine (the Nazi navy). If you’re in Hamilton and have even an inkling of interest in history, do not miss this opportunity. It’s the only place in the world you can even see one of these ships, let alone touch it. You can learn of Harry DeWolf’s exploits, and you’ll cine to understand why his name is one deserving of the honour of representing a class of naval warships.
3 - So what’s the point of these new boats? I’m glad you asked. In short, it’s because like it or not the world isn’t a peaceful paradise. And if you have major coastlines facing international waters you need to ensure your coast is protected. In 2024, that takes many forms. One it does not is having battleships patrol like sentinels. But that doesn’t mean a naval presence isn’t vital. Nor does it mean this isn’t armed. This has guns and a cannon and a flight deck for helicopters that can be heavily armed, not to mention the small arms and dozens of trained military personnel onboard.
It can be protecting fishing grounds, enforcing international treaties (such as anti-whaling laws), or even just having a constant and visible presence.
While these are warships they are not battleships nor frigates. Officially, the Harry DeWolf-class are “Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels” or AOPVs. They are 103-metres (338 feet) long, with a beam of 19 metres (62 feet) and a maximum displacement of 6,600 tonnes (7,275 US tons). It’s powered by two 4.5-megawatt main propulsion engines and four 3.6-megavolt ampere generators. There’s bow thrusters and retractable stabilizer fins. Top speed is a healthy 17 knots (31 km/h) and the 65-85 person crew (depending on deployment) could travel a maximum range of 6,800 nautical miles (12,594km) which is about the distance from Halifax to Vancouver via the Northwest Passage through the Arctic. Though this is perfectly capable in Caribbean waters as well and has sailed through the Panama Canal already.
The Navy describes their purpose as “enhance the Royal Canadian Navy’s ability to assert Canadian sovereignty in Arctic and coastal Canadian waters, and support international operations.” In reality, that means regular northern patrols, assisting in search-and-rescue, and supporting northern communities. To that end, these new ships – which are the first to be named after prominent Canadian Naval figures – each have an official “Northern Affiliation."
Harry DeWolf left a legacy that is still renowned in military history circles and is a fitting name for not just a new ship, but the whole line of vessels. If you get a chance, check out his old office or his namesake. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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