HMCS Provider (AOR 508)

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300px
HMCS Provider at Pearl Harbor for RIMPAC 86
History
Canada
Name: Provider
Ordered: 15 April 1958
Builder: Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Company Limited, Lauzon, Quebec[1]
Laid down: 1 May 1961
Launched: 5 July 1962
Commissioned: 28 September 1963[1]
Decommissioned: 24 June 1998[2]
Homeport:
Motto: Ready to Serve
Fate: Scrapped in Turkey in 2003
General characteristics
Class & type: Provider-class replenishment oiler
Displacement:
  • 7,300 long tons (7,400 t) light
  • 22,000 long tons (22,000 t) full
Length: 168 metres (551 ft)[1]
Beam: 23.2 metres (76 ft)[1]
Draught: 9.1 metres (30 ft)[1]
Propulsion:
  • Double reduction geared turbines
  • 2 water boilers
  • single shaft
  • 21,000 shp (16 MW)
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Complement: 142 (11 officers, 131 enlisted) - 166
Armament: Helicopter-launched Mark 46 Mod 5 torpedoes
Aircraft carried: 2 × Sikorsky CH124A Sea King helicopters[3]
Aviation facilities: Aft deck hangar

Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Provider was the sole ship of the Canadian Provider-class replenishment oiler. She was the first dedicated auxiliary oiler replenishment ship commissioned for the Royal Canadian Navy in 1963. She was built by Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Company Limited of Lauzon, Quebec.

Originally assigned to the East coast, her open deck made her vulnerable and she was reassigned to the West coast.

Construction

First authorized in 1959, Provider was built by Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Company Limited of Lauzon, Quebec and was commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy in 1963.[4] Provider was considered a prototype for the Protecteur-class replenishment oiler.[5]

The hoses and wire system that the Canadians had designed for Provider's replenishment at sea operations became standard for all NATO replenishment oilers.[1]

A refit was completed on Provider at Burrard Dry Dock in 1982.[6] Another refit was scheduled for Provider in 1987 to accommodate the desegregation of the Navy.[7] Nineteen women joined a crew of then 210 on board Provider in 1987 after her refit.[8]

Service

Provider was stationed in the Mediterranean Sea, along with two destroyers, in May 1967 to help support Canadian troops who were part of the United Nations Emergency Force in Gaza.[9]

Provider was first stationed at CFB Halifax but was moved to CFB Esquimalt in 1969.[2]

Along with Mackenzie and Yukon, Provider attended Canada Week at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan.[10]

Provider helped in the rescue of a USNR S3 Sea King helicopter which then landed on the New Zealand frigate HMNZS Waikato during Rimpac78 when the aircraft was lost and low on fuel. Waikato's Captain decided to take the aircraft on the frigate's small flight deck rather than ditch the aircraft at sea. This was not widely reported due to the United States Navy being rather embarrassed.[citation needed]

Provider, along with Huron, Annapolis, and Kootenay, were the first western warships to visit the former Soviet base of Vladivostok since 1937. Over a four-day period in June 1990, over 30,000 Russians toured the four ships, and their crews were welcomed into the town with open arms. Over 50,000 lapel pins, stickers, and flags were given by the crews of the Canadian ships, as well as showing the locals what a screwdriver was.[11] After leaving Vladivostok, Provider rescued 88 Vietnamese who were adrift in the South China Sea before making a port call in Manila.[12]

Provider escorted Huron to the Panama Canal in January 1991. Huron was on her way to CFB Halifax for refitting before heading into the Gulf War.[13] Had the Gulf War continued, Provider and Restigouche would have either joined or relieved other Canadian ships in the war zone.[14]

Relieving ships from CFB Halifax, Provider joined the United Nations embargo against Haiti in late 1993.[15]

In 1996, the home port of Provider was once again changed back to CFB Halifax.[2]

Fate

The ship was paid off 24 June 1998,[2] two years later than originally planned,[16] and remained in Halifax Harbour until 2002 while she awaited auction.[17]

Provider arrived in Aliağa, Turkey for scrapping on 28 August 2002.[18]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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