Casgliadau Arlein

Port bow view of an unidentified Canadian submarine entering Cardiff Docks.

This unidentified Canadian submarine is one of three sister vessels of the Oberon class built for the Canadian Navy at Chatham in 1962-4. The three 2,200 ton sisters were all named after native Canadian tribes. The protuberence above the bow carries the vessel's sonar equipment. (Source: Shipping at Cardiff: Photographs from the Hansen Collection 1920-1975 by David Jenkins, 1993).

This is one of three Oberon class subs built at Chatham Dockyard for the Canadian Navy. These were : OJIBWA (S72) : Laid down as HMS ONYX but transferred to the Canadian Navy before completion. Commissioned 1965. De-commissioned 1998. Now preserved at a Naval History Museum at Port Burwell, Ontario. ONONDAGA (S73) laid down 1964 : commissioned 1967 and served entirely in N.Atlantic. De-commissioned 2000 : Site Historique Maritime de la Pointe-au-Père in Rimouski, Quebec, purchased the boat in 2004 for preservation as a museum vessel and the submarine and has been open to the public since 2008. OKANAGAN (S74) laid down ’65 : commissioned 1968 and served in the North Atlantic. She was towed to the Internatioal Marine Salvage yard at Port Maitland, Ontario in August 2011 and subsequently broken up. OLYMPUS (built 1960/61 by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow), was also bought from British Navy in 1989 and served as a Canadian Naval Training vessel. She never carried a pennant number and was never commissioned as a naval vessel. As the civilian flag is being flown from the gaff, and not the naval ensign as expected, it is probable that THIS is the vessel portrayed here. She made her final voyage to International Marine Salvage, Port Maitland, Ontario in July 2011 to be broken up. OSIRIS was bought from the British Navy in 1989 by the Canada for spares, and was broken up in the UK by 1992. She never sailed under Canadian colours.