The weapons featured below were originally fitted on HAIDA in 1943 but  nearly all were removed during the ship's mid-life modernization of 1949-1952. Most specifications were referenced from the book "Battle Ensign Flying" . Although  the Iillumination Rockets and Very pistols are not weapons, they are shown here because its convenient.

Uses:  Against surface targets and aircraft flying at low altitude.
Description: Six, quick firing, 4.7 inch Mk XII guns mounted on a Mk XIX power mount. These guns were mounted at the A, B and Y positions.

Maximum elevation and depression: +40 to -10 degrees.  The long ammunition tray limited the elevation of the barrels so this gun was not suitable for bringing down high flying aircraft.
Maximum training arc: 320 degrees.
Rate of fire per minute per gun: 12 rounds maximum with power ramming.
Projectile weight: 50 pounds
Cartridge weight: Normally 32 pounds, 10 oz.
Maximum surface range: 16,900 yards.
Maximum vertical height: 15,000 feet.
Projectile types: Semi armor piercing and starshell.
Fuse types: Base percussion, direct action, time mechanical or variable time for A/A  barrage.
Comment: The 4.7 inch guns at 'A' and 'B' positions were replaced with a 4 inch gun,  At  X position, a 3 in 50 was the replacement.Nothing replaced the gun at 'Y' position.

4.7 inch guns at A, B and Y positions. (Photo by Allan C. Green)

Rear view of the 4.7 inch Mk XII gun . (Photo #A291 by Coote, R G G (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer)

4.7 inch gun pictorial. Click on image to enlarge. (Battle Ensign Flying)

Use: Close range armament.
Description:  Four, quick firing, (1 x 4), 2 pounder, Mk VIII guns fitted to a Mk VII (P) platform. above and forward of the 'X" gun position.
Maximum elevation and depression: +80 and -10 degrees.
Rate of fire per minute  per gun: 115 rounds
Ammunition feed: Continuous - belt
Shell weight: 2 pounds
Maximum surface range: 5,000 yards.
Maximum vertical height: 10,000 feet
Comment: Replaced with 40 mm Bofors.

2 pounder about to fire.  (Photo by George Silk)

2 pounder pictorial from BR 224/45.

HAIDA carried six, twin, Mk IV, Oerlikons (6 x2) on Mk VC power mounts for use as an anti aircraft weapon . That's a total of 12 barrels. Two mounts were on the flag deck, both port and starboard sides. The two  others were amidships (port and starboard) on the after superstructure.

(Maximum elevation and depression: +70 to -10 degrees.
Maximum training rate: Continuous, all around.
Rate of fire per gun: 480 rounds/minute
Total rounds available: 7,200 between the 12 barrels. (120 magazine's worth)
Magazine capacity: 60 rounds per gun
Maximum surface range: 6,000 yards
Maximum vertical height: 6,000 feet.
Shell type: H.E. incendiary
Comment: Replaced by 40 mm Bofors.
 
 

This digital image of an Oerlikon on a Mark VC power mount closely resembles  the Mk IV Oerlikoms fitted to HAIDA. This version of the Oerlikon did not have shoulder rests because the aimer sat beside the guns.   (Shapeways.com web site )

Rear view of the Oerlikon . (Image via Shipways.com)

Fourty six Mk VII   depth charges were carried in total and launched by either of two MK IV depth charge launchers. The launchers were situated on the port and starboard sides of the aft superstructure. There was also a single, six charge rail on the stern. In the  Royal Navy,  the Mk VII  launcher was also known as the 'D' type.

Quantity  carried: 22 on deck; 24 between decks.
Weight for Mk VII: 410 pounds
High explosive charge: 396 pounds
Sink rate: 16.5 feet per second
Fuse settings:  Depths of 50 to 600 feet.
Fuse type: Hydrostatic.
Comment: Replaced by Squid bombs.

Depth charge thrower. This example is similar to the Mark IV thrower  which was fitted to HAIDA on-build.   (Photo by Jerry Proc)

It took several crew to load a depth charge. Here, a Mk VII depth charge is being loaded unto a Mk IV depth charge thrower aboard the Flower class corvette HMS Dianthus. (Photo via <rebellionresearch.com>

The K-gun, standardized in 1942, replaced the Y-gun as the primary depth charge projector (launcher). A WWII era launcher, using a propellant charge,  could hurl a depth charge out to 45 yards. The K-guns fired one depth charge at a time and could be mounted on the periphery of a ship's deck, thus freeing valuable centerline space.

If a ship was in imminent danger of sinking as a result of enemy fire, it was a crewmember's job to disarm all the pistols on the ready-use depth charges so they wouldn't explode when the sinking ship passed through the minimum depth setting on the pistol. The percussion wave generated by a nearby exploding depth charge could crush  a sailor's chest  if they were in the water.  Later in the war, sailor's were issued a different style of lifejacket that would protect them from this danger.

By 1947, HAIDA only carried 10 depth charges on deck, Four were positioned in the stern launching rail and three for each thrower. No depth charges were stored between decks.

This pictorial shows the launching of a depth charge. Click on image to enlarge. The gas produced by the propellant pushed on and ejects the carrier which is not retrieved.  propellant charge is inserted into the chamber by opening the breech. (Sketch by Latham Jenson)

Principal parts of a depth charge. Click on image to enlarge. (Sketch by Latham Jenson)

This extract from HAIDA's 1943 deck plans, show how the on-deck depth charges were stored and  rolled off the rails on the stern of the ship. Note the depth charge hoist on the right side of the rails. (Provided by  Darren Scannell)

All the Triibals were fitted  with the type U2 illumination rocket prior to Korea . It is believed that the rocket launchers were removed after the Korean conflict was over.There were no replacements for these.

This extract from a Tribal plan shows the placement of the rocket launcher on the starboard side of 'B' gun. Click on image to enlarge. (Provided by Darren Scannell )

The rocket launchers fitted aboard the Tribals were nearly identical to this example fitted to HMCS Sackville. On the Tribal launchers, an additional stiffener strip  was  added to the outside vertical centre.  (Photo by Jerry Proc)

HAIDA in either January or July, 1953. The arrow points to the rocket launcher. Click on image to enlarge. (Photo  80-G1078441)

The date ranges for small arms are not all known at this time.

1) One, Vickers .303 caliber , gas operated machine gun. (1943 to ?)
Magazine capacity: 96 rounds
Weight: 21 pounds
Rate of fire: 1,000 rounds per minute
Maximum effective range: 440 yards

Vickers .303 machine gun. The weapon carried aboard HAIDA would likely have been grey in colour.   (Via Canadiansoldiers.com)

2)  Two BREN light machine guns .303 caliber. (1943 to ?)
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds.
Weight: 22 pounds
Rate of fire: 500 rounds per minute.
Effective range 880 yards.
Maximum range: 3,300 yards.

BREN gun .  (Photo  by Robert DuHame)

 
3) Twenty six  Lamchester  submachine guns . The Lanchester is classed as an SMG which means SubMachine Gun. It employs automatically fed,  handgun calibre cartridges. (1943 to ?)

Calibre:  9mm
Rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute
Effective range: 492 feet

Lanchester machine gun. (Photo by Fab-pe at Portuguese Wikipedia)

4)   Thirty two,  LEE ENFIELD  No.1 Mk III rifles 303. calibre. (1943 to 1963)

There were several racks of these (6 to a rack) .

HAIDA's 1943 drawing shows one rack of rifles located on the flats against the Officers Galley bulkhead and another rack in the Reg Office flatsnext to the Egineers Office. Pat  Barnhouse, who served aboard HAIDA in the late 1950s, indicates that the 303 rifles were stored in a lock up rack just aft of the Officers showers in the after canopy.  Pat seems to remember that the space for these firearms was created during the 1959 refit.  From other ships of HAIDA's era, Pat  recalls rifles being stored on racks in passageways. The quantity of rifles issued to HAIDA were enough to outfit  a decent sized shore party. It was indicated by a fomer crew member on HMCS Cayuga  that the Lee Enfield .303 would "split  your lip if you didn’t hold it in tight! "

Effective firing range: 550 yards
Magazine capacity: 5-rounds
Comment: Often referred to as SMLE  which is a Short Magazine Lee Enfield. The acronym also refers to any of a series of bolt action rifles used by British and Commonwealth Forces during the first half of the 20th century. It was normally made in .303 calibre..

Lee Enfield .303 caliber, bolt action  rifle. (Courtesy Week Magazine)

The circled item is the 303 rifle rack in the vicinity of the Officer's shower. Up to around 2005,  this rack had a full complement of rifles but they were removed and placed into  storage. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

A closer view of the riffle rack.

The Royal Canadian Navy  used a  converted Canadian-made Lee-Enfield rifle to pass lines to other vessels at sea. The rifle fired a special cartridge to launch a rod with a loop at its end. The rod carried with it a lightweight line. Sailors on the receiving ship used this to haul over a heavier line that could then be used to refuel at sea or perform a jackstay transfer using a special harness. Line throwing rifles could also be used to establish lines for rescue or salvage work. At this time it is not known how may of these rifles were carried aboard HAIDA.

A Line Throwing Lee-Enfield .303 rifle. Click on image to enlarge. Note that the rod with the loop at the end has already been inserted into the barrel.  When the trigger was pulled, the rod would be propelled out of the barrel by the gas produced by a blank 303 cartridge. What is missing is the basket which hold the supply of rope. It would be mounted on the forward , underneath part of the stock.(Canadian War Museum photo 19700162 001 )

PISTOLS -  A pistol is a short firearm intended to be held and fired with one hand.

5) Four  .22 caliber rim fire rifles. These were Lee Enfields, same as the .303  but  fitted with a .22 caliber barrel.

6)  Twelve revolvers  (1943 to ? ) . Make and model unknown at this time.

7) Five   No 1 Mk II Very Pistols (not a weapon)

A Very pistol or signal pistol, is a large-bore handgun that discharges flares. The flare is used to create illumination for improved vision or as a distress signal. A flare gun can be used as a deadly weapon; however, that is not its intended function.
 
 

Very pistol No 1 Mk II. (Catawiki web page)

 
8)  BROWNING  9 mm  ( 1950s to 1963)

 In one of the cabinets in the Wardroom, there is evidence that two rows of 9 mm Browning pistols were stored there since the security lockup chain is still visible. .  Browning's were standard issue in the Canadian Forces for years. Pat Barnhouse, who served in HAIDA, recalls that one Browning had Chinese script on it, part of an order that was initially destined for Nationalist China, but never got there.

Quantity carried: not known at this time.
Maximum clip capacity: 13 rounds
Effective range: 50 meters
Caliber: 9 mm
 

Browning 9 mm pistol. This  is the old style with a small safety only on the left side.  When the Browning first came out, there were no Mark numbers. The Mk II model introduced in the 1980s,  came with an ambidextrous safety.  (Photo by  Neil Bell)

Contributors: or Credits

1) Battle Ensign Flying . Barry  Gough. Vanwell Publishing 2001
2) Vickers 303  https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/weapons/lightweapons/machineguns/vickersmachinegun.htm
3) Two  pounder image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_2-pounder_naval_gun#/media/File:HMAS_Nizam_AWM-009496.jpg
4) Twin 4.7 inch mounts. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:QF_4.7_inch_Mk_IX_Mk_XII_naval_gun#/media/
     File:HMAS_Napier_guns_SLV_Green_1945.jpg
5) OERLIKON sketch    https://www.shapeways.com/product/JYPATWUSY/1-25-royal-navy-twin-20mm-oerlikon-mkix-x1
6) Darren Scannell
7) BREN Gun By I, Robert DuHamel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2253988)89) Lanchester photo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanchester_submachine_gun#/media/File:Lanchester5.jpg
8) Very Pistol  https://www.catawiki.com/l/20426025-ww-ii-era-british-webley-scott-no-1-mk2-flare-gun-26-mm
9) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_charge#Delivery_mechanisms
10) Very pistol. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flare_gun
11) Oerlikon rear view   https://www.shapeways.com/product/BS7CHALQ9/1-48-twin-20mm-oerlikon-powered-mkv-mount
12) Oerlikon front view  https://www.shapeways.com/product/KKDB36UEX/1-48-twin-20mm-oerlikon-mkv-mount-not-in-use
13) Depth charge thrower pictorial from "Tin Hats, Oilskins and Seaboots by LAtham Jenson.Robin Brass Studio NY.NY. 2000
14) Line Throwing Gun 19700162 001 https://www.warmuseum.ca/collections/artifact/1046831/?media_irn=5397611
 
 

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Nov 6/20