|
HMCS Magnificent |
|
|
Class |
Majestic Class |
|
Builder |
Harland and Wolff, Belfast |
|
Laid down |
29. July 1943 |
|
Launched |
16. November 1944 |
|
Acquired by the RCN |
1. January 1945 |
|
Commissioned |
21. March 1948 |
|
1948 - 1 June 1948 |
|||
| Tri to Halifax | - | ||
| Capt: | CAG: - | ||
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| - | |||
| September 1948 - ? | |||
| Hudson Strait | - | ||
| Capt: | CAG: - | ||
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| HMCS Nootka, HMCS Haida | |||
| January 1949 - ? | |||
| Traip to the UK | - | ||
| Capt: | CAG: - | ||
| 825 Sqn | Firefly V and IV | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| 825 Squadron was disembarked at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia | |||
| March 1949 - June 1949 | |||
| Caribbean Sea | - | ||
| Capt: | CAG: - | ||
| 803 Sqn. | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| 826 Sqn. | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| 883 Sqn. | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| On 4. June 1949 she went aground off Port Mouton, Nova Scotia. Repairs done at Saint John, New Brunswick. | |||
| Yardtime |
| December 1951 - March 1952 |
| Refit at ? |
|
2. June 1952 - September 1952 - ? |
|||
| Mediterranean & North Sea | - | ||
| Capt: | CAG: - | ||
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
|
Port calls at: Plymouth, England
(14.-17. Jun. 1952); Portsmouth, England (26.-30. Jun. 1952); Malta (10.-13.
Jul. 1952; Navarino, Greece (14.-18. Jul. 1952); Athens, Greece (19.-22. Jul.
1952); Istanbul, Turkey (24.-27. Jul. 1952); Tobruk, Libya (28.-31. Jul 1952);
Malta (2.-11. Aug. and 15.-18. Aug. 1952); Belfast, Ireland (28. Aug. - 3. Sep.
1952); Rosyth, Scotland (11.-26. Sep. 1952); Greenock, Scotland (26. Sep - 1.
Oct. 1952) NATO Exercise Mainbrace 14. – 25. September 1952 |
|||
|
September 1953 - ? |
|||
| North Sea | - | ||
| Capt: | CAG: - | ||
| Squadron | Sea Fury | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| Squadron | Avenger | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| 15. June 1953, Coronation Fleet Review, NATO Exercise Mariner | |||
| Yardtime |
| March 1954 |
| Refit at HMNB Portsmouth |
| October 1954 - November 1954 | |||
| Pacifiic | - | ||
| Capt: | CAG: - | ||
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
|
HMCS
Stettler
Transit via Panama Canal Port calls at: San Diego, San Francisco CA., Esquimalt, Vancouver (British Columbia) |
|||
|
1955 - ? 4. April 1955 - 7. Juni 1955 |
|||
| Caribbean Sea | - | ||
| Capt: | CAG: - | ||
| VF-871 | Sea Fury | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
|
HMCS Micmac,
HMCS Haida Returning to HMNB Portsmouth then to Canada |
|||
|
4. September 1955 - 7. December 1955 |
|||
| Trip to Europe | - | ||
| Capt: | CAG: - | ||
| VF-871 | Sea Fury | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| HMCS Micmac, HMCS Haida, HMCS Huron | |||
|
27. February 1956 - 7. May 1956 |
|||
| Atlantic (Spring Cruise) | - | ||
| Capt: | CAG: - | ||
| Squadron | Aircraft | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
| Squadron | Avenger | (?) | Lt-Cdr |
|
HMCS Micmac,
HMCS Haida, HMCS Huron Port calls at: Chagauramus Bay, Trinidad (8.-13. March 1956), Bridgeton Barbados (16.-20. March 1956, Port-au-Prince Haiti (12.-15. April 1956), Havana, Cuba (19.-24. April 1956), Norfolk VA, USA (26. April - 1. May 1956) |
|||
|
December 1956 - March 1957 |
|||
| Suez Opeartion | - | ||
| Capt. Alexander B. Fraser-Harris, RCN | CAG: - | ||
| HU-21 | HO4S-1 | (1) | Lt-Cdr |
| - | DHC-3 Otter | (4) | - |
|
Port Said, 7. January 1957 |
|||
|
April 1957 - 1957 |
|
| Trip to the UK | - |
|
Capt. Alexander B. Fraser-Harris, RCN |
CAG: - |
|
to Plymouth |
|
|
Decommissioned |
14. June 1957 |
|
History (short) |
|
Operated on Russia convoys, and as a training carrier in 1943. Employed as a ferry carrier after August 1944. Decommissioned to reserve 20 October 1945. Sold into merchant service April 1946 as Breconshire. Scrapped at Mihara, Japan starting 24 April 1967.
|
|
Aircraft
In 1950,
the Canadian government purchased 75 Grumman TBF- Avengers from the
U.S. Navy for use on Magnificent. They were intended to replace the
Fireflies in 825 and 826 Squadrons. In May 1951, the squadrons were
renumbered with 18 Air Group becoming 30 Air Group with 883 Squadron
becoming 871 Squadron and 826 Squadron becoming 881 Squadron. 19 Air
Group became 31 (Support) Air Group with its squadrons being
renumbered from 803 and 825 becoming 870 and 880 respectively.
In 1955,
the RCN purchased Sikorsky H04S- helicopters and equipped them with
dunking sonars. The first squadron, HS-50, embarked aboard
Magnificent in July 1955. In September 1955, the Canadian navy began
using United States Navy-style designations for its air units.
VF-871 was composed of Sea Furies and VS-881 comprised Avengers. In
February 1956, Magnificent embarked a second helicopter unit, HU-21. |
| Commanding Officers HMCS Magnificent | ||
| Capt. ? | 21. Mar. 1948 | 7. Apr. 1948 |
| Com. Henry George DeWolf, CBE, DSO, DSC, RCN | 7. Apr. 1948 | 30. Aug. 1948 |
| Com. George Ralph Miles, RCN | 30. Aug. 1948 | 29. Jun. 1949 |
| Cdr. Angus George Boulton, RCN | 29. Jun. 1949 | 6. Sep. 1949 |
| Com. K.F. Adams, RCN | 6. Sep. 1949 | 29. Oct. 1951 |
| Capt. Kenneth Lloyd Dryer, RCN | 29. Oct. 1951 | 1. Mar. 1953 |
| Com Herbert Sharples Rayner, RCN | 1. Mar. 1953 | 30. Jan. 1955 |
| Capt. Anthony H.G. Storrs, RCN | 30. Jan. 1955 | 3. Aug. 1956 |
| Capt. Alexander B. Fraser-Harris, RCN | 3. Aug. 1956 | 14. Jun. 1957 |