Roger Litwiller -Canadian Naval Author/Historian

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Celebrate the many contributions of generations of Canadian women that have served & sacrificed in our #RCNavy! Beginning in 1914 serving at sea during #WWI to commanding an international Task Force. #InternationalWomensDay

Discover their legacy! zurl.co/9Vn9J

#OTD 8/3/2001 #RememberRCN -Serving in RCN submarines opened to women. Under Vice Admiral Greg Maddison, Commander RCN recommendation, women can serve in the Victoria class submarines.

Roger Litwiller is Writing Canada's Naval heritage, please support my work with a coffee! As a freelance author and researcher of Canadian Naval History, I take great joy in telling the stories of Canada's sailors.  Research, writing and posting these incredible stories daily on my we

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#OTD 7/3/1945 #RememberRCN -Frigates of Canadian 25th Escort Group, HMCShips LA HULLOISE, STRATHADAM & THETFORD MINES attack with Depth Charges & Hedgehog sinking U1302, near St. George’s Channel, UK.

#OTD 7/3/1943 #RememberRCN -HMCS ROSTHERN rescues three survivors from SS Egyptian’s (British) crew of 49 merchant sailors, torpedoed by U-230 while in convoy SC-121 in mid-Atlantic.

#OTD 6/3/1957 #RememberRCN - First Trans-Atlantic flight by RCN aircraft. 2 Trackers & 2 Banshees from VX10 Squadron departed from St. Hubert, QC for NAS Ford in the UK to begin Trails in the newly commissioned HMCS BONAVENTURE. Discover this story www.rogerlitwiller.com/2026/...

#OTD 6/3/1945 #RememberRCN -SS Green Hill Park (Park Steamship Company) caught fire & exploded, burning for several days in Vancouver Harbour, 8 killed 19 wounded. Fire result of sailors siphoning over-proof whiskey from cargo. City of Vancouver Archives CVA 586-3564

#OTD 6/3/1944 #RememberRCN -HMCShips CHAURDIÈRE, GATINEAU, ST. CATHARINES, CHILLIWACK & FENNEL from CDN EG-C2 while escorting convoy HX-280, share in sinking German U-744. During the 32 hr battle, 291 DC's were dropped forcing sub to surface. 39 submariners rescued & taken POW.

#OTD 6/3/1943 #RememberRCN -While escorting #OpTORCH Convoy KMS-10, HMCS SHEDIAC attacks U-410 after it had torpedoed two merchant ships in the convoy west of Gibraltar, forcing the U-boat to withdraw due to damage.

#OTD 6/3/1940 #RememberRCN -HMCS ASSINIBOINE assists the British light cruiser HMS Dunedin with capture of German merchantman Hanover off the Dominican Republic. Hanover set afire by its crew was rebuilt, becoming the 1st escort aircraft carrier HMS AUDACITY.

#OTD 6/3/1928 #RememberRCN -The title of the Canadian Navy’s Commanding Officer changes from Director of the Naval Service (DNS) to Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS). Commodore Walter Hose is in command at the time and the first to hold this title.

Unfortunately history in the US has a narrow focus. I am impressed the display shows the BOA starting in 1939. For many Americans WWII started 7 December 1941.

#OTD 5/3/1958 #RememberRCN & #CCG -Former HMCS LABRADOR, Icebreaker and Arctic Patrol Ship handed over to the Department of Transport and becomes CGS Labrador, later transferred to Canadian Coast Guard in 1962 as CCGS Labrador.

#OTD 5/3/1940 #RememberRCN -HMCS SANS PEUR commissioned & is the first of 16 Armed yachts to enter service with the RCN. Each of the ships were privately owned yachts purchased for the RCN, converted for wartime service & renamed after a Canadian animal.

Did you see my post on torpedo attack on St. John’s in 1942?

U-boat Skipper taking the initiative. Would have been a glorious victory if successful. Trapping many escorts/merchant ships, robbing a vital allied port for months/years. Unfortunately he took his possibility of success for “granite!”

#OTD 4/3/1943 #RememberRCN -HMCShips ST. CROIX & SHEDIAC following a 2 hour attack with Depth Charges, sink German submarine U-87, off Portugal while escorting Convoy KMS-10 from the UK to Algiers as part of #OpTORCH.

#OTD 3/3/2018 #RememberRCN -In a ceremony at Halifax, MV Asterix accepted by the RCN as an Interim Naval Replenishment Ship. Asterix is leased for the Royal Canadian Navy and has a mixed crew of RCN and Federal Fleet Services sailors.

#OTD 3/3/1942 #RememberRCN -U587 fired 3 torpedoes into cliff at the harbour entrance to St. John’s NF, in a failed attempt to cause the cliff to collapse & block the harbour. Fortunately for the ships in harbour, the solid granite rock was unaffected by the explosions.

#OTD 2/3/2011 #RememberRCN -HMCS CHARLOTTETOWN (3rd) departs Halifax, one day after receiving orders to deploy on OpMOBLIE. In support of a popular uprising in Libya against the regime of Moammar Gadhafi.

#OTD 2/3/1943 #RememberRCN -HMCS ASSINIBOINE (1st) damages it's stern, while attacking U-119 in mid-Atlantic, when depth charges are set to shallow requiring four months of repairs. U-119 received minor damage in the attack.

Russia & Japan. This will be the 1st Trans-Pacific deployment & the 1st RCN ship to visit Russia & Japan.  2/2

#OTD 2/3/1924 #RememberRCN -HMCS THIEPVAL departs Vancouver loaded with supplies, fuel & rations to support the 1st attempted RAF “Round the World” flight. The trawler establishes fuel & supply depots from BC to Alaska, 1/2

Not apply to illegal orders. This precedent was cited throughout the Nuremberg trials following the Second World War and is still applicable today. 2/2

This defence was first used during the First World War. After the machine gunning of survivors from the torpedoed Canadian hospital ship Llandovery Castle. The u-boat sailors stated they were following the orders of their captain. The German tribunal found them guilty and cited the defence does 1/2

#OTD 1/3/1986 #RememberRCN & #CCG -HMCS ALGONQUIN assisted CCGS CAPE ROGER in overtaking Peonia 7, the fishing trawler's Captain ignored orders, heading to sea with two officers on board from the Fisheries Patrol Vessel. The trawler was then escorted to St. John’s, NF.

#OTD 1/3/1974 #RememberRCN -HMCS PRESERVER transports needed supplies to underprivileged areas of Haiti.

#OTD 1/3/1964 #RCNHistory -HMCS ATHABASKAN (2nd) rescues 34 sailors from stern section of SS Amphialos in mid Atlantic. The tanker broke in two in a storm & the bow sank immediately.

#OTD 1/3/1928 #RememberRCN -HMCS CHAMPLAIN (ex-HMS TORBAY) and HMCS VANCOUVER (ex-HMS TOREADOR), “S” class destroyers commissioned into the RCN. (RCN Photos)

#OTD 29 February 1944 #RCNRemember -HMCS MULGRAVE grounds entering Horta, Azores & towed to Greenock, Scotland, repairs last until April. #LeapYear