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HMCS Bonaventure (CVL 22)
Encyclopedia
HMCS Bonaventure (CVL-22) was a Majestic class aircraft carrier
. She served in the Royal Canadian Navy
and Canadian Forces Maritime Command
from 1957 to 1970 and was the third and the last aircraft carrier to serve Canada. The ship was laid down for the British Royal Navy
as in November 1943. At the end of World War II, work on the ship was suspended in 1946. At the time of purchase, it was decided to incorporate new aircraft carrier technologies into the design. Bonaventure never saw action during her career having only peripheral, non-combat roles. However, she was involved in major NATO fleet-at-sea patrol during the Cuban Missile Crisis
.
in Belfast
on 21 November 1943, and launched on 27 February 1945. Work was suspended after the end of World War II
, and was not resumed until the ship was bought by Canada
. She was acquired in the early 1950s by the Royal Canadian Navy, which was looking to replace its aging World War II–vintage light carriers
Magnificent (another Majestic class carrier) and Warrior, which were deemed unsuitable for the jet age. Several surplus US and UK ships were considered, and the then-incomplete HMS Powerful, a Majestic-class light fleet carrier, was purchased in 1952 from the Royal Navy
on the condition that it be refitted with an angled flight deck
and steam catapult. Bonaventure—named after Bonaventure Island
, a bird sanctuary in the Gulf of St. Lawrence—was commissioned into the Canadian Navy upon completion of its refit and modernization on 17 January 1957. In 1966 the carrier docked in Quebec for a mid-life refit. This second refit took 18 months and cost $11 million. After the 1968 unification of the Canadian armed services
, the Bonaventure was decommissioned in Halifax, on 3 July 1970, and was scrapped in Taiwan in 1971. Components from Bonaventure steam catapult were used to rebuild the catapult aboard Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne.
and Canadian Forces Maritime Command
. Bonaventure played various roles during its service including serving as a platform for anti-submarine warfare
.
anti-submarine warfare (ASW) were operated by VS 880 and VS 881 Squadron. The Bonaventure also carried HO4S helicopter
and were operated by HS 50 Squadron.
Even with the refit, landing a Banshee on the Bonaventure relatively short flight deck was pushing the envelope. The wide-winged CS2F Trackers were also a tight fit. Despite this, and because of the hard work and dedication of her crew, the Bonaventure was able by 1958 to conduct around-the-clock sustained operations, keeping four Trackers and two HO4Ss in the air at all times, saturating an area of 200 square nautical miles (686 km²) with anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The F2H-3 were retired in 1962. In 1964 new CHSS-2 Sea King helicopters were added to Bonaventure complement.
Dimensions: 192.02 by 24.38 by 7.47 m
Propulsion: Parsons
single-reduction geared steam turbine
s, four Admiralty 3-drum type 350 psi (2.4 MPa) boiler
s, two shafts; 40,000 shp (30 MW)
Speed Maximum: 24.5 knots (45 km/h)
Crew: 1200; 1370 war
Aviation: Around 34 aircraft, including:
Flight Deck: 214.58 by 34.29 m
Radar
: US AN/SPS-10 surface search, AN/SPS-12 air search, and SPS-8 height finder
Armament: 4 × 3 in (76 mm) 50 twin mounts, 3 × 6 pdr (3 kg) saluting guns
Dimensions: 192.02 by 24.38 by 7.47 m
Propulsion: Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines, four Admiralty 3-drum type 350 psi (2.4 MPa) boilers, two shafts; 40,000 shp (30 MW)
Speed Maximum: 24.5 knots (45 km/h)
Crew: 1200; 1370 war
Aviation: Around 21 aircraft, including:
Flight Deck: 214.58 by 34.29 m
Radar: US AN/SPS-10 surface search, and AN/SPS-501 air search
Armament: Two 3 in (76 mm) 50 twin mounts, three 6 pounder (3 kg) saluting guns ???
in Halifax where it serves as a monument to the men and women who died while serving the Canadian Navy during Peacetime. The ship's bell from Bonaventure is preserved at the Shearwater Aviation Museum in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
which also hosts a large model and exhibit about the carrier.
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
. She served in the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
and Canadian Forces Maritime Command
Canadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
from 1957 to 1970 and was the third and the last aircraft carrier to serve Canada. The ship was laid down for the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as in November 1943. At the end of World War II, work on the ship was suspended in 1946. At the time of purchase, it was decided to incorporate new aircraft carrier technologies into the design. Bonaventure never saw action during her career having only peripheral, non-combat roles. However, she was involved in major NATO fleet-at-sea patrol during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
.
History
As HMS Powerful she was laid down at Harland and WolffHarland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
on 21 November 1943, and launched on 27 February 1945. Work was suspended after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was not resumed until the ship was bought by Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She was acquired in the early 1950s by the Royal Canadian Navy, which was looking to replace its aging World War II–vintage light carriers
Light aircraft carrier
A light aircraft carrier is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only ½ to ⅔ the size of a full-sized or "fleet" carrier.-History:In World War II, the...
Magnificent (another Majestic class carrier) and Warrior, which were deemed unsuitable for the jet age. Several surplus US and UK ships were considered, and the then-incomplete HMS Powerful, a Majestic-class light fleet carrier, was purchased in 1952 from the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
on the condition that it be refitted with an angled flight deck
Flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...
and steam catapult. Bonaventure—named after Bonaventure Island
Bonaventure Island
Bonaventure Island is a Canadian island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence located off the southern coast of Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula, southeast of the village of Percé...
, a bird sanctuary in the Gulf of St. Lawrence—was commissioned into the Canadian Navy upon completion of its refit and modernization on 17 January 1957. In 1966 the carrier docked in Quebec for a mid-life refit. This second refit took 18 months and cost $11 million. After the 1968 unification of the Canadian armed services
Unification of the Canadian Forces
Unification of the Canadian Forces took place in 1968 when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces....
, the Bonaventure was decommissioned in Halifax, on 3 July 1970, and was scrapped in Taiwan in 1971. Components from Bonaventure steam catapult were used to rebuild the catapult aboard Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne.
Role
Bonaventure was the third and final aircraft carrier to be operated by the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
and Canadian Forces Maritime Command
Canadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
. Bonaventure played various roles during its service including serving as a platform for anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
.
Aircraft
Bonaventure carried five squadrons. Initially, she had up to 34 planes and helicopters embarked at any time. The number of aircraft gradually reduced until the refit in 1967, when the air group peaked at 21 aircraft. Initially, two types of fixed-wing aircraft were operated from Bonaventure. The McDonnell F2H-3 Banshee were flown by VF 870 and VF 871 Squadron, while Grumman CS2F TrackerS-2 Tracker
The Grumman S-2 Tracker was the first purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare aircraft to enter service with the US Navy. The Tracker was of conventional design with twin engines, a high wing and tricycle undercarriage. The type was exported to a number of navies around the world...
anti-submarine warfare (ASW) were operated by VS 880 and VS 881 Squadron. The Bonaventure also carried HO4S helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
and were operated by HS 50 Squadron.
Even with the refit, landing a Banshee on the Bonaventure relatively short flight deck was pushing the envelope. The wide-winged CS2F Trackers were also a tight fit. Despite this, and because of the hard work and dedication of her crew, the Bonaventure was able by 1958 to conduct around-the-clock sustained operations, keeping four Trackers and two HO4Ss in the air at all times, saturating an area of 200 square nautical miles (686 km²) with anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The F2H-3 were retired in 1962. In 1964 new CHSS-2 Sea King helicopters were added to Bonaventure complement.
Before 1967 refit
Displacement: 16,000 t, 19,920 t full loadDimensions: 192.02 by 24.38 by 7.47 m
Propulsion: Parsons
Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company
Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company was a British engineering company based in Wallsend, North England, on the River Tyne.-History:The company was founded by Charles Algernon Parsons in 1897 with £500,000 of capital, and specialised in building the steam turbine engines that he had invented for...
single-reduction geared steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
s, four Admiralty 3-drum type 350 psi (2.4 MPa) boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s, two shafts; 40,000 shp (30 MW)
Speed Maximum: 24.5 knots (45 km/h)
Crew: 1200; 1370 war
Aviation: Around 34 aircraft, including:
- HS 50 Squadron: Sikorsky HO4S
- VF 870 and VF 871 Squadron: McDonnell F2H-3 Banshee
- VS 880 and VS 881 Squadron: Grumman CS2F Tracker
Flight Deck: 214.58 by 34.29 m
Radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
: US AN/SPS-10 surface search, AN/SPS-12 air search, and SPS-8 height finder
Armament: 4 × 3 in (76 mm) 50 twin mounts, 3 × 6 pdr (3 kg) saluting guns
After 1967 refit (alterations in bold)
Displacement: 16,000 tons, and 19,920 tons full loadDimensions: 192.02 by 24.38 by 7.47 m
Propulsion: Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines, four Admiralty 3-drum type 350 psi (2.4 MPa) boilers, two shafts; 40,000 shp (30 MW)
Speed Maximum: 24.5 knots (45 km/h)
Crew: 1200; 1370 war
Aviation: Around 21 aircraft, including:
- HS 50 Squadron: Sikorsky HO4S
- HS 50, HU 21, and VX 10 Squadron: Sikorsky CHSS-2 Sea King
- VS 880 and VS 881 Squadron: Grumman CS2F Tracker
Flight Deck: 214.58 by 34.29 m
Radar: US AN/SPS-10 surface search, and AN/SPS-501 air search
Armament: Two 3 in (76 mm) 50 twin mounts, three 6 pounder (3 kg) saluting guns ???
Commemoration
The ship's anchor from Bonaventure is preserved at Point Pleasant ParkPoint Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park is a large, partially forested municipal park at the southern tip of the Halifax peninsula. It once hosted several artillery batteries, and a well-preserved 18th century Martello tower can be found there...
in Halifax where it serves as a monument to the men and women who died while serving the Canadian Navy during Peacetime. The ship's bell from Bonaventure is preserved at the Shearwater Aviation Museum in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
which also hosts a large model and exhibit about the carrier.