home
Explore History

The Early Cold War
Anti-Submarine Warfare

The Canadian navy's main Cold War mission was anti-submarine warfare against the naval forces of the Soviet Union and its allies. Canada's navy operated within a framework of alliances, especially the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), created in 1949.

Model, HMCS Gatineau
Model, HMCS Gatineau

HMCS Gatineau was one of seven new Restigouche class destroyers built by Canadian shipyards to a Canadian design in the 1950s.

Visually similar to the earlier St. Laurent class destroyers, ships like Gatineau incorporated guns for use against aircraft and surface targets (left and centre right), as well as Limbo anti-submarine mortars mounted in wells with retractable covers (right) and anti-submarine homing torpedoes. Later upgrades included better anti-submarine weapons and sensors. Davie Shipbuilding Limited of Lauzon, Quebec, built Gatineau and gave this model of the ship to Vice Admiral Henry George DeWolf.

Model Ship, Restigouche Class Destroyer
CWM 19890002-097





Soviet Submarine Crew
HMCS Swansea, July 1959
Limbo Anti-Submarine Mortar, HMCS Kootenay
HMCS Margaree
Homing Torpedo Model
Homing Torpedo Mk 43 Mod 3
Sikorsky H04S Helicopter
Model, HMCS Gatineau
Model, HMCS Assiniboine
Plotting Room, Halifax
Grumman Tracker Launch
Practice Depth Charge
Uniform, Rear-Admiral Kenneth L. Dyer