Salvage of the Maplebranch

On August 13th 1934, the Royal Navy's Danae-class cruiser HMS DRAGON was entering the Market Basin in the Port of Montreal. While trying to avoid contact with a third vessel, the also-maneuvering Saguenay Trader, DRAGON came into contact with the oil bunkering tanker Maplebranch, causing the latter to sink. At least, that was the defence provided by DRAGON's commanding officer, Frederic Wake-Walker, when he was later sued (successfully) by Maplebranch's owners. 

A partially-sunken Maplebranch sitting alongside in the Market Basin, with the offending HMS DRAGON in the background.

Maplebranch viewed from aft. 

The salvage was contracted to Foundation Maritime. Already sitting on the bottom and completely full of water, the salvage was somewhat involved. As the wreck was taking up valuable space in the port, there would presumably have been considerable pressure to remove it quickly. 

Salvage crews went about building a cofferdam around the ship so that the wreck could be pumped out and re-floated. 

With a cofferdam constructed around the aft end of Maplebranch, pumping begins. 

A barge consisting of a platform constructed on two large pontoons supports what I assume is an air compressor used in the salvage.

Another view of the cofferdam around the aft end of the ship and ongoing pumping operations.

Maplebranch returning to the surface as pumping continues.

The view from the other side of the channel. The deep sea salvage tug Foundation Franklin can be seen to the right of the image, behind Maplebranch. 

Once refloated, Maplebranch was taken in tow by two smaller harbour tugs.

Maplebranch now afloat, and being moved by two tugs.

Unfortunately, I am unable to find any further online information on Maplebranch herself, neither photos of her from before the sinking, nor whether she returned to service after this incident or was subsequently scrapped. 

In searching, however, I did learn about HMS DRAGON's then-commander, Frederic Wake-Walker. (links go to Wikipedia). The collision with Maplebranch did not end his career; on the contrary, from 1938-39 he was in command of the battleship HMS REVENGE, and he achieved flag rank as rear-admiral commanding the 12th Cruiser Squadron. He was later appointed rear-admiral in command of all vessels off the Franco-Belgium coast during the evacuation of Dunkirk, and later still was appointed commander of the 1st Cruiser Squadron, during which time he was deeply involved in the hunt for the Bismarck. He was promoted to admiral in May 1945, but died unexpectedly in September of that same year. 

Unconnected to all of this, but of local interest, REVENGE was a frequent visitor to Halifax over the years, and in 1940 (under a subsequent commander) she managed to run down (and sink) the Battle-class trawler HMCS YPRES, then being used as a gate vessel for opening and closing the submarine nets across the mouth of the harbour. 

June's Naval Harbour Traffic

With an exercise in the North Atlantic, and visitors for Canada's 150th birthday, naval traffic has picked up over the past few weeks.

HNLMS ZEELEEUW (S803) departing HMC Dockyard.

Royal Netherlands Navy submarine ZEELEEUW spent a short time in port on June 19.

HNLMS ZEELEEUW (S803) departing for sea.

The next major visitor was USNS Robert E. Peary, on June 27.

USNS Robert. E. Peary.

Unlike ships bearing the "USS" prefix, USNS (United Stated Naval Ship) ships are unarmed auxiliary vessels that are not commissioned vessels, and are operated by Military Sealift Command. They are usually crewed by civilians, sometimes with small military contingents.

USNS Robert E. Peary.

She is a part of the USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER carrier battle group, and was followed in on June 28 by Ticonderoga class cruiser USS SAN JACINTO (CG 56) and USS WINSTON S. CHURCHILL (DDG 81).

USS SAN JACINTO (CG 56).

USS WINSTON S. CHURCHILL is an Arleigh Burke class destroyer.

USS WINSTON S. CHURCHILL (DDG 81).

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69), also known as "Ike", followed the two latter ships in later in the afternoon on June 28.

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69).

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69).

Ike is the second of the NIMITZ class nuclear aircraft carriers, and this makes her the second oldest aircraft carrier in the US fleet, now that ENTERPRISE has been decommissioned. She was commissioned in 1977.

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69).

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69).

"Ike" dressed overall with signal flags.

We typically go months between foreign naval visits, so it is always nice to see a few new faces in port. In particular, aircraft carriers are infrequent visitors, with the last visit being perhaps 20 years ago.

Vickers 3"/70 Twin A.A. Mark 6 mounting

Earlier today I saw a discussion around the guns used on the ST. LAURENT, RESTIGOUCHE, MACKENZIE, and ANNAPOLIS classes of destroyer escorts that served in the RCN starting in the 1950s, in particular the Vickers 3"/70 and the FMC 3"/50.

The latter was used on all four classes (originally both fore and aft on the ST. LAURENT class, forward on the ANNAPOLIS class, and aft on the RESTIGOUCHE and MACKENZIE classes), while the former was used only as the forward mounting on the RESTIGOUCHE and MACKENZIE classes. 

I have previously written a bit about both mountings on the Hazegray and Underway website, where I variously wrote:

About the 3"/50:

"Mountings started out open to the weather, and fibreglass and aluminum gun shields were added later. The shields were relatively fragile, and photos often show the forward mounting facing aft to protect it from storm damage.

Mounted on the foc'st'le and quarterdeck of ST. LAURENT derived destroyer escorts, forward of the bridge. Also mounted in X position on Tribal class DDEs, and A position on ALGONQUIN and aft on CRESCENT after the latter two's ASW conversions. BONAVENTURE carried four of these mountings when originally commissioned, but had the two forward mountings removed during her 1967 refit. Of the MACKENZIE class ships, QU'APPELLE carried a second of these mountings forward in place of the 3"/70 Mk.6 found on the rest of the class members.

The two PROTECTEUR class AOR's were originally fitted with this mounting on the foc'st'le, but its location exposed it to damage from heavy seas, and it was removed in 1984. The mountings were preserved ashore, and one was re-installed on PROTECTEUR for her deployment to the Persian Gulf in 1990-91.
The mounting was originally fitted with an SPG 34 tracking radar right on the mounting, which was later replaced with an SPG 48 tracker between the barrels (see photo 6). On NIPIGON and ANNAPOLIS, the SPG 48 and GUNAR fire control system was replaced with the Mk.69 GFCS and integral SPG 515 tracker during their DELEX refits."

and about the 3"/70:

"Mounted on the foc'st'le of destroyer escorts, forward of the bridge. This mount was originally developed for the RN for use in aircraft carriers, but was eventually installed in RN service only in the TIGER class cruisers, which mounted three mountings each (one forward, two amidships). This mounting experienced teething problems when entering service in RCN destroyer escorts, but these were eventually resolved. The ammunition handling system was apparently referred to as "the bottling plant" due to the high rate of fire achieved when working properly."

I came across some other information in my files on the 3"/70 that I thought I would post here. While originally marked CONFIDENTIAL and/or RESTRICTED, these documents were long ago declassified. I don't believe I have the entire document, but here is what I do have (hopefully they are legible) from either BRCN 1740 or CBCN 5902:

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

A different cut-away view from a different document.

Page 4

Page 5

The only other Navy to use this gun was the Royal Navy on their TIGER class cruisers, TIGER, LION and BLAKE.

The forward 3"/70 on TIGER. M.D. Thomas photo.

Two more of these mountings (for a total of 3 per ship) were mounted port and starboard farther aft, though these mountings were eventually removed in favour of a new helicopter hangar.

A note about copyright: The pages of the document on the Vickers gun is hosted on my Smugmug website, and therefore displays my copyright watermark, but this document would originally have been copyright of the Crown.