WesWorld

1941 Summary

Naval Matters

HMCS Prince Edward Island has completed her refit at Esquimalt, sporting new 7.5" guns of automatic design forward, a revised fantail and hangar aft, and comprehensive electronics masts for evaluation of several new technologies. Upon completing her post yard availability period, the PEI resumed station at Hong Kong, announcing her return in March with a pre-dawn firing excersize on the Soko rocks, before dropping anchor at Johor shortly before noon.

The five elderly Hawkins class ships of the 5th Cruiser Squadron have been reduced to reserve status at Halifax, pending eventual disposal. Four new cruisers of the Ontario class have been laid down to replace them, expected to complete within two years.

Joining the two large submarines laid down late last year, ten more submarines of a more conventional size have been laid down to replace the RCN's aging Great War era RN hand-me-downs.

HMCS Furious has returned to service after a lengthy overhaul and modernization. Meeting the standards of her two half-sisters, Furious boasts several improvements, including increased stores and the fitting of replenishment gear capable of supporting shorter-legged escorts. Furious has been assigned to the Home Fleet in Halifax, while Courageous and Glorious remain at Esquimalt.

An agreement has been reached with the Colonial Office, permitting the establishment of Canadian Naval and Air facilities on the Somers Isles. Seperate of the existing Royal Navy Dockyard on Ireland Island, HMCS Somers Isle is being established near St. George, inclduing Ordanance Island. More ambitiously, Longbird island will be leveled and made contiguous with St. David's Island to allow for a 1200 acre facility with a 9500 foot runway, intended for use by the RAF, RCAF, and civilian airlines. Lastly, existing flying boat facilities will be expanded and modernized on Morgan's Island [1]. Reports have leaked from Parliment that this is not the first such undertaking Canada has been involved with, but no confirmed details are available; experts speculate that Canada has cooperated with other Commonwealth powers in establishing forward bases in more remote areas.



Aeronautics
Orenda Engines continues it's steady expansion and diversification with several projects underway, and steady production of the tweaked Orenda Merlin, and a derivative ground vehicle based engine known as the Orenda Ursa. With a more standardized production and assembly process, there has been interest for export of both products from friendly powers.

Avro Canada feels confident in learning from the performance of it's XCF-9 "Ascender" testbed, and the smaller but similar-in-concept CF-12 "Pit Viper", and has begun design work on a larger, more capable fighter.

Burnelli Aviation continues to produce the CF-38 "Skipray" heavy fighter and the newer CB-16 "Broad Skate" bomber, both based on the firm's characteristic lifting body principles. Design work is also being conducted on a new design, described only as "large".

CC&F continues work on the Zimmerman-derived Low Aspect Ratio design, with plans for a larger and more capable successor to the CF-175 "Skimmer", while it's Noorduyn Norseman product remains popular with Bush pilots, as well as export clients.

DeHaviland Canada continues to produce CF-8 series aircraft for Airship use, but has had more promising sucesses in it's new DHC-1 "Chipmunk" trainer with several export orders, and preliminary investigation has begun into a rugged Bush plane suited for operating throughout Canada.


ShinRa-Goodyear currently has three airships under construction at St. Hubert, in addition to producing several smaller patrol blimps.

Vehicular Manslaughter, She Wrote
Development has started on a replacement for the TC-2 Ram tank, based on the British Centaur and in cooperation with Leyland. The TC-3 Moose will boast several improvements, including the new 17-pdr gun, 600hp Orenda Ursa engine, and a 76mm sloped glacias plate. CC&F is investigating several variants of the design, including a more heavily gunned Tank Destroyer, engineering vehicles, and an open-topped infantry carrier.

General Motors Canada has begun production of the Fox Armoured Car, based in part on the Canadian Military Pattern truck, a four-person scouting vehicle armed with two machine guns and capable of 45mph




[size=1]Note 1: This is, more or less, the historical work done by the United States in this time frame. With no Destroyers-for-Bases agreement, Canada has chosen to take the lead on these projects, viewing it as a worthwhile investment; Canada historically made extensive use of Bermuda postwar as a training ground and staging area.[/size]

The Royal Gazette
June 12th, 1941
HAMILTON, BERMUDA
Negotiations have concluded between the Governor, the Colonial Office in London, and the Dominion of Canada, allowing for the construction of a new fleet submarine for the Royal Canadian Navy at the Royal Navy Dockyard on Ireland Isle. This is the first major shipbuilding project to be undertaken in Bermuda since the rise of steel-hulled ship construction, and hopefully serves as a prelude for further contracts and employment opportunity in Bermuda.

Ship's Log
June 24th, 1941
HMCS Minerva, Somewhere off Chebucto Head
"I'm not a fan of having those boffins and their freight cluttering up the mid-deck"
"Could be worse, sir. At least they brought their own generators."
"Hmph. At least it's a bit more interesting than another training cruise. Set course for the Rendevous point, and bring us up to 10 knots."