HMCS Kootenay (DDE 258)

HMCS "Kootenay" (DDE 258) was a sclass|Restigouche|destroyer|1 that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1959-1996.

She was the fifth ship in her class and the second vessel to carry the designation HMCS|Kootenay.

"Kootenay" was laid down on 21 August 1952 at Burrard Dry Dock, North Vancouver and launched on 15 June 1954. She was officially commissioned into the RCN on 7 March 1959 and carried the pennant number 258 as a destroyer escort.

On 23 October 1969 "Kootenay" suffered the worst peacetime accident in the history of Maritime Command (MARCOM) or the RCN when one of her gearboxes exploded. The explosion and the ensuing fire killed 9 crew members and injured at least 8 others. [The captain reported 7 killed, 9 medically evacuated, and 1 missing. However the final death toll was 9 killed. It has been assumed that the other two men killed were the 1 man missing and 1 of the 9 medically evacuated. See [http://www.forposterityssake.ca/Kootenay1.htm 10 page account of explosion aboard HMCS Kootenay] ]

"Kootenay" was selected by the Canadian Forces for the Improved Restigouche (IRE) project and completed this refit on 7 January 1972. She was also selected as one of 10 destroyers in the Destroyer Life Extension (DELEX) project and completed this refit on 21 October 1983.

In 1989 "Kootenay" collided with a merchant ship and suffered damage to her bow which was repaired using the bow from her sister ship warship|HMCS|Chaudiere|DDE 235.

She was decommissioned from active service in the CF on 18 November 1995 [ [http://www.dawndreamer.ca/My_Former_Ships.htm Ships Served on by Owner of Dawn Dreamer] ] .

She was reportedly sunk as an artificial reef off Mexico in 2001. [http://www.stokers.ca/steamerswheredidtheyendup.htm www.stokers.ca The Steamers Where did they end up?] ] [There is a very small picture of HMCS "Kootenay" on [http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/blog.php?b=1084 www.trainboard.com World Travel - Mexico (Guerrero) 2001 - Part I] with the following comment:
"Let's talk about this ship a bit more since this is part of "ReefGate" and was big news here from 1999 to 2001. This Canadian Naval ship (and "Restigouche" - DDE 257) was towed from Canada to here to become an artificial reef on Navy Day, June 1, 2000. Well, there was a question on how they were purchased and here they sat until it was cleared up in 2001. Shortly after I took this photo the "Kootenay" was sunk near the "Restigouche" that was sunk just before our arrival."
There is also a thread about "Kootenay's" fate on [http://www.benthic.ca/thread.cfm?thread=279&login=N Benthic Canada] The thread contains the claim that "Kootenay" is believed to be tied up at the Jardin Alvaro Obregon, Manzanillo's "central" plaza. It is right on the harbour front opposite the main outer dock." However a later posting states that this was a false alarm: "looks like some people cannot tell the difference between a Canadian warship and a Mexican navy refueling ship". There is a larger copy of the [http://www.benthic.ca/data/forums/15/30/279/916/1.jpgphotograph of "Kootenay"] , which is entitled: "HMCS "Kootenay" (DDE 258), Acapulco, Mexico May 11 2001, by Darren E Hadley. The photograph shows at least five holes cut in the starboard hull to facilitate access for divers.
The above two sources are not , but are quoted because they demonstrate that the assertion that "Kootenay" was scuttled as a reef is disputable.]

Commanding officers

References

* [http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/canada/postwar/restigou/ Canadian Navy of Yesterday & Today: "Restigouche"-class destroyer escort]
*Chumbley, Stephen and Gardner, Robert (Ed.) "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1947-1995". Conway Maritime Press, 1995. ISBN 0-85177-605-1.
* [http://www.dawndreamer.ca/kootenay.jpgPhoto of HMCS "Kootenay" (DDE 258)]
* [http://www.dawndreamer.ca/My_Former_Ships.htm Ships served on by owner of dawndreamer.ca]
* [http://www.forposterityssake.ca/Kootenay1.htm 10 page account of explosion aboard HMCS "Kootenay" (DDE 258)]
*Couhat, Jean Labayle, "Combat Fleets of the World 1978-79" Arms and Armour Press, 1978.
* Janes Fighting Ships 1963-64
* Friedman, Norman, "The Postwar Naval Revolution", Naval Institute Press, 1986. ISBN 0-87021-952-9.