Royal Canadian Navy: de Havilland Hydrofoil R-200 asw

[nova10]

A combined Anglo-Canadian study (RCN and Admiralty) into the use of hydrofoils for anti-submarine work and coastal patrol craft began post war. This resulted in the de Havilland Hydrofoil R-200. A prototype, HMCS Bras d'Or (FHE 400) was completed in 1968 and was tested until she was decommissioned in 1971. By all accounts she was fairly successful and exceeded 63 knots during trials. My question is, if she was an to be a asw vessel what was to be her intended armament? My guess would be two triple Mark 32 launchers with Mark 46 asw torpedoes. There is plenty of information on the internet about the Bras d'Or but nothing about her intended armament. After all she had a mission and was not a super fast pleasure craft for jollies!

 

[Bill Walker]

Re: Royal Canadian Navy: de Havilland Hydrofoil R-200

I believe the mission was primarily proof of concept, and development of technology. The ASW role would have been for follow on vessels. The Bras D'Or never carried armament, as far as I know.

The hull was still stored at Dartmouth, and was clearly visible from the Dartmouth-Halifax bridge, up into the late 1970s (at least).

 

[nova10]

Re: Royal Canadian Navy: de Havilland Hydrofoil R-200

I realise the Bras d'Or was a proof of concept to see if an ocean going hydrofoil was feasible. If the programme had not have been cancelled due to naval policy change and budget cuts her sister ships would have had sonar and asw armament. Does anyone know what armament they would have carried?
HNCS Bras d'Or was saved and donated to the Musée Maritime du Québec at L'Islet-sur-Mer, Quebec where it remains on display to this day.

 

[Apophenia]

A De Havilland drawing of the Bras d'Or shows Canadian Westinghouse's SQS 507 'Helen' variable-depth sonar (a lightweight version of the in-service SQS 505 less the hull component) through the transom and twin torpedo launchers on the afterdeck.

The planned armament was four Mk.32 triple tubes firing Mk46 torpedoes. These were never fitted. Instead, the two single 12.75-inch tubes mentioned above were to be used. These tubes may have ordered but it seems they were never fitted either.

http://www.foils.org/FHE400%20Plan%20&%20Profile2.jpg

 

[nova10]

Thank you for the update Apophenia!

I have two questions. You mention that "The planned armament was four Mk.32 triple tubes firing Mk46 torpedoes." 12 torpedo tubes? This seems too much for a relatively small craft. Surely you meant two dual Mk 32 tubes, ie a total of four torpedo tubes, two port and two starboard? Also, where did you find the diagram of the armed FHE 400 on the www.foil.org website? I can't seem too find it anywhere.

nova10

 

[thebig C]

I think part of the original concept was to use the Bras D'Or Class in conjunction with Tenacity Class FACs and Yarrow corvettes. This was part of Trudeaus change in emphasis away from North Atlantic deep sea ASW patrols to home defence.

 

[Madurai]

I would assume the four triples meant no reloads, which might be a reasonable solution if volume was at more of a premium than weight.

 

[fortrena]

Some info on the Bras d'Or can be found in a chatty text located at https://ingeniumcanada.org/channel/...-different-a-flying-ship-from-toronto-ontario

 

[Pioneer]

Stumbled across this:

View: https://youtu.be/8bXx3VymMwA


Regards
Pioneer

 

[TomS]

Thank you for the update Apophenia!

I have two questions. You mention that "The planned armament was four Mk.32 triple tubes firing Mk46 torpedoes." 12 torpedo tubes? This seems too much for a relatively small craft. Surely you meant two dual Mk 32 tubes, ie a total of four torpedo tubes, two port and two starboard? Also, where did you find the diagram of the armed FHE 400 on the www.foil.org website? I can't seem too find it anywhere.

nova10

This is horribly late but hopefully nova10 will still see it.

On the foils.org website, there is a blog entry for Bras d'Or that contains what appears to be a Transactions of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects article about the ship.

HMCS-Bras-DOr-An-Open-Ocean-Hydrofoil-Ship - THE INTERNATIONAL HYDROFOIL SOCIETY - ESTABLISHED 1970

foils.org

Buried in the article is an internal arrangement drawing that shows the torpedo tubes -- two sets of triple tubes apparently fixed sideways and slightly angled downward. It only shows the starboard side, but it seems likely to be mirrored to port for a total of four triple launchers.


Edit: A better version of the same drawing can be seen here: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme..../V001T01A069/2390892/v001t01a069-72-gt-70.pdf