HMCS Annapolis
1963 Annapolis-class destroyer
Vessel Wikidata
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HMCS Annapolis was an Annapolis-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy from her commissioning in 1964 until her decommissioning in 1998. As the last of the St. Laurent-class design, she measured 366 feet (112 meters) in length, with a beam of 42 feet (13 meters) and a draught of 13 feet 2 inches (4.01 meters). Her displacement was approximately 2,400 tonnes, and she had a crew complement of 228 personnel. Propelled by two Babcock & Wilcox boilers driving two English-Electric geared steam turbines, Annapolis could achieve a maximum speed of 28 knots (52 km/h). Her initial armament included two 3-inch/50 caliber dual-purpose guns mounted in a single turret forward, later replaced by American Mk 33 3-inch guns to accommodate helicopter operations. She was equipped with anti-submarine weaponry such as the Mk 10 Limbo mortar and a Mk.4 homing torpedo thrower, along with sophisticated radar and sonar systems including SPS-12 and SPS-10B air and surface search radars, and multiple active and passive sonar arrays. Built by Halifax Shipyards and laid down on 2 September 1961, Annapolis was launched on 27 April 1963 and commissioned on 19 December 1964. She served initially with Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT), later transferring to Pacific Forces (MARPAC) in 1989. Her operational history included deployments to the Dominican Republic in 1965, participation in Manitoba's centennial celebrations in 1970, and serving as flagship of STANAVFORLANT in 1974. Notably, she rescued a crew member from a ditched helicopter in 1974 and boarded Soviet fishing vessels in 1974, exemplifying her varied roles. During the 1980s, Annapolis underwent the DELEX refit to modernize her sensors and combat systems, including the installation of the Canadian Tactical Towed Array Sensor (CANTASS). She also participated in NATO exercises and escorted the royal yacht HMY Britannia. In 1994, she was involved in Operation Forward Action in Haiti, experiencing an onboard boiler explosion but continuing her mission. Decommissioned on 1 July 1998, Annapolis was stripped of weapons and sensors and eventually sold for use as an artificial reef. After legal disputes, she was scuttled in April 2015 in Howe Sound, British Columbia, where she now rests upright at 32 meters depth, serving as a long-term marine habitat and diving site.
This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.