HMCS ATHABASKAN R79 / 219 1956. Tribal Class Destroyer

 

HMCS ATHABASKAN R79 / 219 1956.

Laid down: 15 May 1944

Launched: 04 May 1945

Commissioned: 20 Jan 1948

Paid off: 1954

Re-commissioned: Oct 1954

Paid off: 21 Apr 1966

Fate: Broken up in 1970

The last of her class to be completed, "Athabee" was commissioned at Halifax on 20 Jan 1948, and sailed in mid-May 1948 for the west coast, where she trained new entries and officer cadets until the outbreak of the Korean War. She sailed from Esquimalt on 05 Jul 1950, for the first of three tours of duty in Korean waters, returning 11 Dec 1953, from the last of them.HMCS ATHABASKAN's tours in Korea:

 

1st Tour: Departed Esquimalt: 05 Jul 1950  //  Arrived in Op Area: 30 Jul 50  //  Departed Op Area: 03 May 51  //  Arrived in Esquimalt: 17 May 51

2nd Tour: Departed Esquimalt: 02 Aug 1951  //  Arrived in Op Area: 01 Sep 51  //  Departed Op Area: 21 Jun 52  //  Arrived Esquimalt: 09 Jul 1952

3rd Tour: Departed Esquimalt: 29 Oct 1952  //  Arrived in Op Area: 26 Nov 52  //  Departed Op Area: 18 Nov 53  //  Arrived in Esquimalt: 11 Dec 1953

 

In Oct 1954, she emerged from an extensive conversion classed as a destroyer escort, and resumed her training role.  On 07 Aug 1955, while on a Pacific Training Cruise with HMCS CAYUGA, HMCS ATHABASKAN docked at Long Beach, California, with a stowaway on board. Joycelyn Joan Pilapil, a 16 year old Hawaiian girl, had hid in the after awning stores and was discovered there the day after the ship sailed from Hilo. She was turned over to authorities in Long Beach and was eventually returned to Hilo.

In Jan 1959, HMCS ATHABASKAN left for the east coast to become part of a homogeneous Tribal class squadron. On 16 Feb 1959, HMCS ATHABASKAN and HMCS CAYUGA arrived in Halifax. Their west coast crews returned to BC with HMCS ST LAURENT and HMCS SAGUENAY. In Dec 1959, during a 6-week deployment that included a NATO Exercise, HMCS BONAVENTURE, in company with HMCS ALGONQUIN, HMCS IROQUOIS, HMCS SIOUX and, HMCS ATHABASKAN encounter a major storm that battered the squadron. In the summer of 1963, after completing a refit at Marine Industries, Sorel, Que, ATHABASKAN was acting a plane guard for HMCS BONAVENTURE, exercising in the North Atlantic. On completion of this exercise she was to proceed to Portsmouth for radar calibration. While so employed, she was fueling from the BONAVENTURE when the two ships collided. The BONAVENTURE received some minor damage, while ATHABASKAN's was more serious. ATHABASKAN proceed to Belfast, Northern Ireland for temporary repairs before proceeding to Portsmouth for radar calibration and permanent repairs. On 01 Mar 1964, ATHABASKAN rescued 34 of 36 crew members from the Liberian tanker Amphialos which broke up and sank approx 250 nautical miles south of Liverpool, NS. After 2 more years of service she was placed in reserve at Halifax and, on 21 Apr 1966, paid off for disposal. She was broken up at La Spezia, Italy, in 1970.