Royal Canadian Navy - Aircraft Carrier
CVL 22 - HMCS Bonaventure ex R 95 - HMS Powerful
Type, Class:		Royal Navy Majestic-class Light Aircraft Carrier
Builder:		Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
STATUS:		Laid down: November 21, 1943 Launched: February 27, 1945 laid up in U.K. to Canada in 1952; modified and completed Commissioned: January 17, 1957 (Royal Canadian Navy) Decommissioned: July 1, 1970 Fate: sold for scrap in Taiwan; scrapped in 1971
Homeport:		-
Namesake:		-
Ship’s Motto:		-
Technical Data: (Measures, Propulsion, Armament, Aviation, etc.)		General characteristics: Lenght: 214,60 meters Beam: 24,40 meters Draft: 7,60 meters Displacement: 18000 tons (full load) Speed: 25 knots (46 km/h) max. Range: Crew: 1200 (1370 max. in wartime) Propulsion: 4 x Admiralty 3 drum type 350psi boilers 2 x Parsons single reduction geared steam turbines; 40000 shp 2 shafts / 2 propellers Armament (as built): 4 x 3”/50 twin AA guns 8 x 40mm AA guns Aviation: full flight deck with island; up to 35 aircraft
ship images
HMCS Bonaventure (CVL-22) and HMCS Fraser (DDH-233)
HMCS Bonaventure (CVL 22) (ex HMS Powerful / R 95): 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 HMS Powerful 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. History As HMS Powerful she was laid down at Harland and Wolff 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's 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 Navy and Canadian Forces Maritime Command. Bonaventure played various roles during its service including serving as a platform for anti-submarine warfare. 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 Tracker 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's relatively short flight deck was pushing the envelope; some American Pilots refused to land on the short flight deck. 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 (690 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's complement. (source: wikipedia 09/12)
patches
| seaforces.org | Royal Canadian Navy start page |