HMCS CC-2

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image= Subs HMCS CC-1 and HMCS CC-2 in harbour.jpg |image_caption= ''CC-1'' and ''CC-2'' }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header= |country=Chile |flag={{shipboxflag|Chile|naval}} |name=''Antofagasta'' |ordered= |awarded= |builder=Seattle Construction and Drydock Company, Seattle |original_cost= |yard_number= |way_number= |laid_down= |launched=31 December 1913 |fate=Not accepted, sold to Canada by builder |notes= }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header=title |country=Canada |flag={{shipboxflag|Canada|naval-1911}} |name=''CC-2'' |acquired=4 August 1914 |commissioned=6 August 1914 |decommissioned=1920 |in_service= |out_of_service= |struck= |homeport= |fate=Broken up 1925 |notes= }}

|section4={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption= |class={{sclass2|CC|submarine}} |displacement=*{{convert|310|LT|t|0|lk=in|abbr=on}} surfaced *{{convert|373|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} submerged |length= {{convert|157.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} |beam={{convert|15|ft|m|abbr=on}} |draught={{convert|11|ft|m|abbr=on}} |power= |propulsion=MAN 6-cylinder diesel engines |speed=*{{convert|13|kn|lk=in}} surfaced *{{convert|10|kn}} submerged |range= |endurance= |test_depth={{convert|200|ft|m|abbr=on}} |complement=18 |armament=3 × {{convert|18|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes |armour= |notes= }} }} '''HMCS ''CC-2''''' was a {{sclass2|CC|submarine}} used by the Royal Canadian Navy. The ship was launched in 1913 in Seattle, Washington as the submarine {{ship|Chilean submarine|Antofagasta||2}} for Chile. This deal fell through and the boat, along with {{HMCS|CC-1}}, was offered to British Columbia's premier Sir Richard McBride, just nine days before the United Kingdom's declaration of war in 1914. On 4 August 1914, the day war was declared, the boat departed at night (to maintain secrecy from the Chilean, German, and U.S. governments) for handover to British Columbia authorities near Victoria, British Columbia. The Dominion Government of Canada later ratified the sale although there was a Parliamentary investigation of the cost of both boats, over twice the annual budget for the entire Royal Canadian Navy in 1913–14. ''CC-2'' served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1914 to 1920, when the submarine was discarded and broken up in 1925.

==Design== The two submarines of the CC class were not identical, with the Electric Boat Company employed two separate designs with the same internal machinery for the submarines. ''CC-1'' was built to the design 19E and ''CC-2'' was built to design 19B. ''CC-2'' was armed with three torpedo tubes of the same size, two forward and one astern.<ref name=j1>Johnston et al. p. 312</ref><ref name=perkins33>Perkins, p. 33</ref> This gave ''CC-2'' a tapered bow.<ref name=perkins33/> Both submarines used Whitehead Mk IV {{convert|18|in|mm|adj=on}} torpedoes that had a range of {{convert|1000|yds|m|abbr=on}} at {{convert|25|kn|lk=in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=jf30>Ferguson, 2014. p. 30</ref> The only source for these torpedoes in Canada was {{HMCS|Niobe}}'s stock and it took some time before they were shipped to the submarines.<ref name=j1/>

''CC-2'' displaced {{convert|310|LT|t}} surfaced and {{convert|373|LT|t}} submerged and had a length of {{convert|157.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}, a beam of {{convert|15|ft|m|abbr=on}} and a draught of {{convert|11|ft|m|abbr=on}}.<ref name=c1>Colledge, p. 115</ref><ref name=mac15>Macpherson and Barrie, p. 15</ref> The boats could dive {{convert|200|ft|m|abbr=on}} and unlike modern submarines, the main ballast and trim tanks were located internally. The boats were powered by MAN 6-cylinder diesel engines constructed in the United States under licence.<ref>Perkins, p. 36</ref> The CC class could carry {{convert|5356|gal|L|abbr=on}} of diesel fuel.<ref name=jf28>Ferguson, 2014. p. 28</ref> The two submarines were designed to make {{convert|13|kn|lk=in}} surfaced and {{convert|10|kn}} submerged.<ref name=j1/> ''CC-2'' had a complement of two officers and sixteen ratings.<ref name=mac15/>

==Construction and acquisition== Ordered by the Chilean government from the Electric Boat Company, the submarine was constructed on the east coast, broken down into component parts and shipped across the country to Seattle to be reassembled by the Seattle Construction and Drydock Company.<ref name=j2>Johnston et al. pp. 307–308</ref><ref name=jf8>Ferguson, 2014. p. 8</ref> Named ''Antofagasta'', the submarine was launched on 31 December 1913.<ref name=mac15/> The deal with Chile fell through after the Chilean government grew unhappy with the submarine's capability. After meeting with Canadian officials in Victoria, British Columbia, a planned was hatched to sell the submarines to Canada. Sir Richard McBride, the Premier of British Columbia did not wait for approval of the deal from the national government in Ottawa and authorized the purchase of the submarines.<ref name=j2/>

On 3 August 1914, ''Antofagasta'' and sister boat ''Iquique'' left Seattle in secrecy and sailed for Canada. Meeting British Columbia officials outside Canadian waters, the transfer was made with British Columbia paying $1.15 million for the two submarines.<ref name=j2/> The two subs were taken to British Columbia to await federal approval of the deal. On 7 August, the Government of Canada passed an Order in Council assuming responsibility for and purchasing the two warships from British Columbia, the only province of Canada to have owned warships.<ref name=j3>Johnston et al. p. 310</ref> In keeping with an earlier Australian practice when two British E-class submarines had been renamed ''AE 1'' and ''AE 2'' by adding the "A" in front of the class to denote Australia, the two submarines purchased by Canada, resembling British C-class submarines, had two "C"s placed in front of their names to denote Canada and their apparent class.<ref name=mac15/><ref name=j3/>

The acquisition of the submarines faced serious scrutiny, undergoing a Royal Commission and investigation.<ref name=j4>Johnston et al. p. 311</ref> The submarines faced criticism from Royal Navy experts and even the Electric Boat Company.<ref>Ferguson 2014, pp. 35–36</ref> However, the Royal Commission later found in favour of the decision to acquire the submarines.<ref name=j4/>

==Service history== Commissioned on 6 August 1914 as ''CC-2'', the submarine was assigned to the west coast in the home port of Esquimalt, British Columbia, and conducted training operations and patrols for three years. Together with the cruiser {{HMCS|Rainbow|1891|6}}, ''CC-1'' and ''CC-2'' were the only Canadian or British ships defending the west coast of Canada between 1914 and 1917. Under the Anglo-Japanese alliance Britain left the defence of British Columbia to the Imperial Japanese Navy's North American Task Force.<ref name="navalandmilitarymuseum">{{cite web|year = 2009|url = http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org/resource_pages/coastal_defence/subs.html|title = CC1 and CC2 — British Columbia's Submarine Fleet|work = navalandmilitarymuseum|publisher = CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum|accessdate = August 14, 2009|last = Starr J. Sinton|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090626052021/http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org/resource_pages/coastal_defence/subs.html|archivedate = June 26, 2009}}</ref>

In 1917 the submarine was transferred to the east coast with ''CC-1'' and the submarine tender {{HMCS|Shearwater|K02|2}}.<ref name=mac15/> On 21 June 1917 the three vessels left Esquimalt. Off Cape Blanco, the fleet ran into a gale and ''CC-2'' rolled heavily in the seas, seawater contaminating the sub's batteries. Half the crew was incapacitated by chlorine gas. The high seas also caused the propellers on both the submarines to be tossed out of the water, in turn causing the engines to over-rev. The stabilisation of this problem later caused the battery cells to start to break down and eventually short-circuit and start electrical fires.<ref name=jf75>Ferguson, 2014. pp. 75–77</ref> The electrical fires led the crews to only operate one diesel engine at a time, as the other was usually under repair. ''CC-2'' worked until San Francisco and then both submarines were towed to San Diego. Confined to port-hopping down the coast and passing through the Canal Zone, the fleet had to stop at Kingston, Jamaica to make repairs.<ref name=jf77>Ferguson, 2014. pp. 77–80</ref> The group's transit through the Panama Canal was the first time a warship transited the Panama Canal under the White Ensign.<ref name=mac15/>

Moving on from Kingston, the three ships spent five days at Charleston, South Carolina making more repairs. The fleet attempted to set out, but returned to Charleston for more repairs. They left again and hit a storm, the fleet limping into Norfolk, Virginia, where the submarines spent two weeks in the US Navy dockyard. The group arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 17 October 1917 for preparation to send the two subs to the Mediterranean and Europe.<ref name=mac15/><ref name=jf77/>

Following their arrival at Halifax, it was found that the two submarines both need an engine overhaul and that neither would be available until mid-August 1918.<ref name=j6>Johnston et al. p. 780</ref> Only after the Admiralty was informed of their dire condition did they rescind that order and then ordered them for use as coastal defence on the east coast.<ref>Ferguson, 2014. p. 81</ref> ''CC-2'' was then held in Halifax as a Training Assistance Boat, training surface vessels in anti-submarine warfare.<ref name=j6/><ref>Ferguson, 2014. pp. 94–95</ref> The sub finished the war as a training vessel, not going on patrol again before the Armistice.<ref>Ferguson, 2014. p. 95</ref>

Following the war, the Royal Navy transferred the H-class submarines ''H14'' and ''H15'' to Canada. The Royal Canadian Navy could not operate both the H class and the CC class, so the decision was made to place the CC class in reserve.<ref>Ferguson, 2014. p. 105</ref> The two submarines were put up for sale in 1920 and were packaged with ''Niobe'' for disposal.<ref name=j7>Johnston et al., p. 853</ref> The three vessels were sold for scrap in 1925 and broken up.<ref name=mac15/><ref name=c1/>

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

===Sources=== * {{Colledge: Ships RN|year=2006}} * {{cite book |last=Ferguson |first=Julie H. |date=2014 |title=Through a Canadian Periscope: The Story of the Canadian Submarine Service |url=https://archive.org/details/throughcanadianp0000ferg |url-access=registration |publisher=Dundurn Press |location=Toronto |isbn=978-1-55002-217-9}} * {{cite book |last1=Johnston |first1=William |last2=Rawling |first2=William G.P. |last3=Gimblett |first3=Richard H. |last4=MacFarlane |first4=John |date=2010 |title=The Seabound Coast: The Official History of the Royal Canadian Navy, 1867–1939 |volume=1 |publisher=Dundurn Press |location=Toronto |isbn=978-1-55488-908-2}} * {{cite book |last1=Macpherson |first1=Ken |last2=Barrie |first2=Ron |date=2002 |title=The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 |edition=Third |publisher=Vanwell Publishing |location=St. Catharines, Ontario |isbn=1-55125-072-1}} * {{cite book |last=Perkins |first=Dave |date=1989 |title=Canada's Submariners 1914–1923 |publisher=Boston Mills Press |location=Erin, Ontario |isbn=1-55046-014-5}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090626052021/http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org/resource_pages/coastal_defence/subs.html Sinton, Starr J. ''CC1 and CC2 – British Columbia's Submarine Fleet''].

{{CC-class submarine}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cc-2, Hmcs}} Category:CC-class submarines Category:World War I submarines of Canada Category:1913 ships