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Photo: Contributed - Submariners Association of Canada The HMCS Okanagan off Georges Island Nova Scotia |
The HMCS Okanagan, an Oberon-class submarine that served in the Canadian Forces for 30 years, is making her final voyage. However, the Okanagan won't be taking that journey under her own power. Instead, the British-built sub is being carried into a scrapyard in Port Maitland, Ontario, while sitting on a floating drydock. The Okanagan was built at the dockyard in Chatham, England, and launched on September 17, 1966. She would be commissioned into the Canadian Forces on June 22, 1968, assigned the pennant number 74. Measuring just over 295 feet long and 26.5 feet wide, the Sub carried a compliment of six officers and 62 crew. The Okanagan survived a collision with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Grey Rover while exercising in British waters in July of 1973. Fortunately, there were no injuries to the submarine's crew. Seven years later she participated in the filming of a Japanese disaster film called "Fukkatsu no hi,"and one of her officers was given a small speaking role. Maritime Command (MARCOM) would decommission the Okanagan on September 14, 1998, after serving her entire career with Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) in the North Atlantic. After the sub had been sitting idle for seven years at CFB Halifax, in May of 2005 MARCOM announced it was looking to sell the Okanagan for scrap metal, along with three other Canadian Oberons laid up in Halifax. There were 27 Oberon class submarines built. The diesel-electric submarine was based on the successful British Porpoise-class. Thirteen were constructed for the British Royal Navy, while another fourteen were exported to other countries. Canada took three new with an additional two British submarines later transferred, six went to the Royal Australian Navy, three to the Brazilian Navy, and two to the Chilean Navy.
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