[Canadaka]

Yes Canada had aircraft carriers!
I didn't know this until maybe 5 years ago, and was somewhat shocked.

I still think most people don't know this and will just joke, that if we did they would have looked like this:

$1:

I know some North American heads are shaking, "Huh? Canada had an aircraft carrier?" Yes, they actually had several during WWII and beyond, until Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Bonaventure was paid off in 1970 and subsequently scrapped in Taiwan in 1971.

Light carriers:
HMCS Warrior: Colossus class light carrier in service from 1946 to 1948
HMCS Magnificent: Majestic class carrier in service from 1946 to 1956
HMCS Bonaventure: Majestic class carrier in service from 1957 to 1970
Escort carriers of the Royal Navy crewed by Royal Canadian Navy personnel:
HMS Puncher: Bogue class escort carrier in service from 1944 to 1946
HMS Nabob: Bogue class escort carrier in service from 1943 to 1944

HMCS Bonaventure
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMCS_Bonaventure_(CVL_22)

[bootlegga]

Here's another picture of the Bonnie and an honest to God RCN battlegroup...

http://www.canadaka.net/pic-11029.html

Not a lot of people know it, but we also used the Magnificent as a troop carrier to carry our troops to the Suez in 1956 to help defuse that crisis (that also won Pearson his Nobel Peace Prize).

[PJB]

Isn't it amazing that at one time Canada had the fourth largest navy in the world! I honestly wonder how much the United States had of an influence on the gradual downsizing of Canada's navy.

[GreatBriton]

During WWII Canada had the third largest navy in the world, after Britain and the USA.

Today Canada doesn't need a large military as it can rely on the US for its defence, much like the Republic of Ireland relies on Britain.

[-Mario-]

GreatBriton GreatBriton:

During WWII Canada had the third largest navy in the world, after Britain and the USA.

Today Canada doesn't need a large military as it can rely on the US for its defence, much like the Republic of Ireland relies on Britain.

Are you trying to start some flaming here..... We all know that Canada does not rely on the US to defend its borders.... Do you really want to go on that road??

[bootlegga]

Canada might have had the world's 3rd largest navy (in numbers), but it was a fleet of frigates and corvettes, not battleships and carriers like other major nations. Most other nation's fleets had far more combat power than we did. Mostly this was due to our role in the Battle of the Atlantic (with convoy escort duties). In WW2, we had only 2 cruisers and 2 escort carriers as our major combatants, but most of the rest of the fleet were small ships like Flower-class corvettes. Major fleets like the USN and RN had far more and far bigger capital ships than we ever did.

Canada still had plans for a 60 ship navy as late at the 1950s, but Trudeau and successive governments down-sized ship orders (we should have had 18 Halifaxes, but Mulroney cut it by 1/3), scrapped ships (like the Bonnie), and slowed replacement purchases. Even today, with the Iroquois DDHs running on almost 40 years in service, we don't even have a program in place to look at replacements, never mind ships being built...

Without a major adversary ala the USSR (or someone else), Canada simply lacks the political will to build a major navy. Canada may be wealthy and can afford more, but the populace in general isn't willing to spend massive amounts on defence in peacetime.


As for GB's BS about us relying on the the USA for defence, my question is "Who's going to attack us?"

The only nations capable of attacking us are NATO allies (USA, UK, France, maybe the Netherlands). None else has the power projection ability to even get a task group off our coast, never mind attack us. We aren't even likely to see the equivalent of the shelling of Estevan Point in WW2. It's not that our defences are that powerful, but simply that possible foes (China, North Korea, Iran) are that weak.

[-Mario-]

I could swear that Canada had 4 aircraft carriers.... But I can't find any info on it.

Warrier, Magnificient, and Bonnie.

[Scape]

Escort carriers perhaps? We had 2, HMS Puncher and Nabob both Bogue class. My step-dad served as Chief Petty Officer on the Bonnie.

[twister]

-Mario- -Mario-:

GreatBriton GreatBriton:

During WWII Canada had the third largest navy in the world, after Britain and the USA.

Today Canada doesn't need a large military as it can rely on the US for its defence, much like the Republic of Ireland relies on Britain.

Are you trying to start some flaming here..... We all know that Canada does not rely on the US to defend its borders.... Do you really want to go on that road??

Mario nice flaming devil emoticon... nice..

[-Mario-]

Thanks Twister, I use it for special occasions.

I had the chance to work for a few guys who were on the Bonaventure. I loved to here their stories. The best ones were always the ones which started with, "Back on the Bonnie". Its supprizing to hear that nobody lost their lives . Anyway, my .02

[GreatBriton]

-Mario- -Mario-:

GreatBriton GreatBriton:

During WWII Canada had the third largest navy in the world, after Britain and the USA.

Today Canada doesn't need a large military as it can rely on the US for its defence, much like the Republic of Ireland relies on Britain.

Are you trying to start some flaming here..... We all know that Canada does not rely on the US to defend its borders.... Do you really want to go on that road??

Oh, so you still rely on the British, do you?

[BartSimpson]

bootlegga bootlegga:

Without a major adversary ala the USSR (or someone else), Canada simply lacks the political will to build a major navy. Canada may be wealthy and can afford more, but the populace in general isn't willing to spend massive amounts on defence in peacetime.

Then Canada had better be prepared to be caught with her knickers about her ankles.

No country was ever attacked because it was too strong.

A Canada without a decent Navy (and Army and Air Force) will one day in this century be a Canada without a Northwest Passage and perhaps a few other things.

Relying on the USA for Canada's principle defense is a foolish thing to do because with a change of the political winds it may well be the USA you need protection from.

[BartSimpson]

twister twister:

-Mario- -Mario-:

GreatBriton GreatBriton:

During WWII Canada had the third largest navy in the world, after Britain and the USA.

Today Canada doesn't need a large military as it can rely on the US for its defence, much like the Republic of Ireland relies on Britain.

Are you trying to start some flaming here..... We all know that Canada does not rely on the US to defend its borders.... Do you really want to go on that road??

Mario nice flaming devil emoticon... nice..

Yeah, can we get that added to the emoticons list for CKA?

[Regina]

GreatBriton GreatBriton:

-Mario- -Mario-:

GreatBriton GreatBriton:

During WWII Canada had the third largest navy in the world, after Britain and the USA.

Today Canada doesn't need a large military as it can rely on the US for its defence, much like the Republic of Ireland relies on Britain.

Are you trying to start some flaming here..... We all know that Canada does not rely on the US to defend its borders.... Do you really want to go on that road??

Oh, so you still rely on the British, do you?

Only for tea bags.........

[BartSimpson]

Regina Regina:

GreatBriton GreatBriton:

-Mario- -Mario-:

GreatBriton GreatBriton:

During WWII Canada had the third largest navy in the world, after Britain and the USA.

Today Canada doesn't need a large military as it can rely on the US for its defence, much like the Republic of Ireland relies on Britain.

Are you trying to start some flaming here..... We all know that Canada does not rely on the US to defend its borders.... Do you really want to go on that road??

Oh, so you still rely on the British, do you?

Only for tea bags.........

Been tea bagging the Brits again?