Remember the Rainbow Redux: An Alternate Royal Canadian Navy

[Spencersj345.346]

Welp I get the feeling that the next flagship of the RCN will be named the Rainbow. Heck I've found a suitable candidate to be her. HMS Euphrates the third E-class crusier which in otl was canceled once the war ended. Heck its possible that in this timeline the Canadians might order 2 or 3 E-class cruisers in addition to the 3 the RN ordered and then pick up the Euphrates when the RN no longer wanted her. Alternatively they could get order a few Hawkins class cruiser or the 4 canceled Danae class cruisers(which again were canceled in the immediate aftermath of WWI) or if the Canadians hold off major unit purchases until the 20s the Counties or the Yorks. Heck for all we know the RCN might get some cruisers in the 30s addition to the ones they'll pick up in the 20s with the best candidates for this being the 2 cancelled Artheusas Minotaur and Polyphemus since it seems like in this timeline the RCN won't be the terribly underfunded force it was in otl. Not to mention the inevitable sloops(I'd say up to a dozen of them), submarines(probably around eight of them),destroyers(probably a couple flotillas worth), and the requisite auxiliary ships and craft and minor vessels such a force would require. Plus the RCN(and maybe a few other Commonwealth navies depending on how this timeline shapes out)being considerately larger a force than otl and thus able to expand more easily will have big impacts on WWII as will the Canadian shipbuilding industry already presumably building a small but decent number of warships in the interwar era.

 

[CV(N)-6]

Heck I've found a suitable candidate to be her. HMS Euphrates the third E-class crusier which in otl was canceled once the war ended. Heck its possible that in this timeline the Canadians might order 2 or 3 E-class cruisers in addition to the 3 the RN ordered and then pick up the Euphrates when the RN no longer wanted her.

The E class is EXPENSIVE, and for 150% the displacement of a D, you get 4 more torpedo tubes, some range, and some speed-the things were similar in displacement to the Leanders, yet had 2 less guns for a broadside, weren't hardly any faster, and weren't as well protected. I'd say complete a few D class(with turrets if possible), that's cheaper.

 

[RelativeGalaxy7]

Welp I get the feeling that the next flagship of the RCN will be named the Rainbow. Heck I've found a suitable candidate to be her. HMS Euphrates the third E-class crusier which in otl was canceled once the war ended. Heck its possible that in this timeline the Canadians might order 2 or 3 E-class cruisers in addition to the 3 the RN ordered and then pick up the Euphrates when the RN no longer wanted her. Alternatively they could get order a few Hawkins class cruiser or the 4 canceled Danae class cruisers(which again were canceled in the immediate aftermath of WWI) or if the Canadians hold off major unit purchases until the 20s the Counties or the Yorks. Heck for all we know the RCN might get some cruisers in the 30s addition to the ones they'll pick up in the 20s with the best candidates for this being the 2 cancelled Artheusas Minotaur and Polyphemus since it seems like in this timeline the RCN won't be the terribly underfunded force it was in otl. Not to mention the inevitable sloops(I'd say up to a dozen of them), submarines(probably around eight of them),destroyers(probably a couple flotillas worth), and the requisite auxiliary ships and craft and minor vessels such a force would require. Plus the RCN(and maybe a few other Commonwealth navies depending on how this timeline shapes out)being considerately larger a force than otl and thus able to expand more easily will have big impacts on WWII as will the Canadian shipbuilding industry already presumably building a small but decent number of warships in the interwar era.

While I won’t directly spoil my plans for the WWI, interwar and WWII era RCN, I will address your points somewhat. I actually did consider the E class for Canada however, there is a few issues. As CV(N)-6 stated, I would imagine the new construction E class are kind of expensive for the period although I don’t have an exact number right now. My main issue was the fact that due to the period both ships were laid down in, both ships got caught in the post WWI cruiser flood. The RN was left with construction of new ships being toned drastically down and they had a rather extreme bloat of surplus cruisers in the fleet. It would be much more likely Canada would snap up wartime surplus as it did IRL or they wouldn’t wait and would move to acquire ships during the war itself. In regards to other ships such as destroyers, sloops, submarines and so on, I have plans as well in place to have a force to go forward with after the war but perhaps not to the levels you stated right off the bat.

That’s just previous plans though, my timeline behind the scenes is constantly evolving as I acquire more and more information. Depending on who gets into power and what events happen, certain types of ship might be focused on, for better or for worse.

 

[GrahamB]

The combination of Rainbow's fighting finish and the threat of U-Boats in the St. Lawrence is really going to shatter the old idea that Canada's shores are safe.
It was easy for Canada to consider itself in a privileged position of being surrounded by friends so they really tried to get as much out of the Empire while contributing as little as possible (I've run across multiple accounts of British officials from the pre-war era deriding Canadians as freeloaders on Britain's dime) which contrasts greatly with Auz/NZ's position as isolated and surrounded by The Yellow Peril (scare chord and stock footage of screaming women courtesy of the Kaiser, thanks Willy).

I expect to see some panic buys of British and American destroyers during the war, followed by post-war cruiser purchases and some serious looks into indigenous shipbuilding. "Aren't we strong enough to defend ourselves?" might be the one question that gets Quebec on board: the desire to build a navy so Canada is no longer dependent on British intervention removes the Imperialist obstacle to funding and if the RN snobs demand the Canadians remain subordinate then the easy response is "fine, we'll just train with the Americans then".
I doubt that latter point would happen though, what with how tight Britain's purse strings are going to be in the post-war economic crunch. Being able to offset expenses to Canada for Canada's own needs would probably be quite welcome

 

[Wet Coast]

A lot of Canadian procurement decisions are driven by industrial/economic considerations rather than considerations of military usefulness. A "B" class item built in Canada is preferred to an "A" class item built offshore (see LSVW, CF-5). If an item is to be produced offshore then the one that offers the greatest industrial offsets (sub-contracts to Canadian firms, component purchase from Canada, etc.) will be preferred regardless of other considerations.

I also expect some immediate panic buying but the post war arguments over building expensive locally or buying much cheaper surplus should be entertaining.

 

[RelativeGalaxy7]

(I've run across multiple accounts of British officials from the pre-war era deriding Canadians as freeloaders on Britain's dime)

And to be completely fair to them, Canada was essentially being freeloaders. One can argue there was many factors that caused that neglect but it did happen nonetheless. Admiral Fisher put it best in the previous chapter Battlecruisers, Corruption and Frenchmen.

Fisher went on record with his new director, confiding that “I know the Canadian people and that they are an unpatriotic grasping people who only stick us for the good that they can get out of us, and we ought to do nothing whatsoever for them.”

 

[VANRIDERFAN]

If you could somehow work in the lessons learned from the aircraft that was able to scout the Germans in Vancouver into Canada getting into carrier borne aircraft I'd be very pleased!

 

[VANRIDERFAN]

And to be completely fair to them, Canada was essentially being freeloaders. One can argue there was many factors that caused that neglect but it did happen nonetheless. Admiral Fisher put it best in the previous chapter Battlecruisers, Corruption and Frenchmen.

Fisher went on record with his new director, confiding that “I know the Canadian people and that they are an unpatriotic grasping people who only stick us for the good that they can get out of us, and we ought to do nothing whatsoever for them.”

The only thing that has changed is that Canada has moved from the British Empire teat to the US Empire teat.

 

[YYJ]

If you could somehow work in the lessons learned from the aircraft that was able to scout the Germans in Vancouver into Canada getting into carrier borne aircraft I'd be very pleased!

I am afraid it is happening.

 

[RelativeGalaxy7]

If you could somehow work in the lessons learned from the aircraft that was able to scout the Germans in Vancouver into Canada getting into carrier borne aircraft I'd be very pleased!

I think you might have the incorrect timeline atleast for the moment, there's no Germans in Vancouver yet

 

[Wet Coast]

The only thing that has changed is that Canada has moved from the British Empire teat to the US Empire teat.

If you're going to be inevitably dependant upon a larger, more powerful country that will use economic muscle to keep you In line and dictate to you then you might as well soak them for all you can.

 

[VANRIDERFAN]

I think you might have the incorrect timeline atleast for the moment, there's no Germans in Vancouver yet

Whoops!!! Loving both stories!

 

[RelativeGalaxy7]

Even before the submarine acquisition was completed, the Navy was busy attempting to make the best of its situation. With Rainbow making her way down the coast to protect commerce and the US declaration of neutrality soon after, NSHQ came to the conclusion that Rainbow would require a tender to operate effectively. Returning to Esquimalt constantly or relying on American ports to refuel would both be extremely inefficient and completely untenable. With Ottawa confirming the drastic need for a tender, Lieutenant Lifton sent out on the Fisheries Patrol vessel CGS Galiano in order to requisition a vessel, by force if needed. As commerce scattered into the open sea or ran for the protection of coastal ports, a target was not hard to find. SS Protesilaus of the Blue Funnel line was found at sea off Victoria on August 4 and after an armed party from Galiano boarded her, she departed to Seattle to offload her cargo with plans to move to Victoria following that. Unloading her cargo of silks, freight and passengers from Asia, the preliminary investigation of the ship came back rather negative. Protesilaus was found to be unsuited for carrying coal as a tender, she was too slow for navy liking at only 14 knots and most of all, she was found to be too large. At over 180ft longer than Rainbow herself and with a projected refit completion of August 18, she was quickly released and the search continued. The Canadian Pacific Railway passenger liner SS Princess Sophia was under consideration for the role when the Vancouver Sun newspaper posted a very interesting article on August 7. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) passenger liner SS Prince George was being withdrawn from service due to the upcoming conflict and would therefore be interned at Seattle until further notice.

The Canadian officials jumped on this development as Prince George was one of the best suited vessels on the coast. Prince George was only 4 years old and alongside her extensive passenger accommodations, she could also carry cargo. Atop speed of around 18 knots would allow for a much faster tender. The GTP was initially not especially keen on this arrangement but a $500 daily payment for the duration of her employment in the RCN was seen as fair compensation. A telegram arrived at Esquimalt 4 hours before Prince George herself and threw a wrench into any pre-set plans.

The trio of vessels under consideration as tenders for HMCS Rainbow. From top to bottom, SS Protesilaus, SS Princess Sophia and SS Prince George.​

“Absolutely necessary tender be ready as hospital ship immediately. Expect action near Flattery [125km west of Victoria] within 48 hours. You must do all you can. If no stores ammunition on board can hoist red cross.”

The logic behind the NSHQ’s decision was solid, a hospital ship flying a Red Cross flag was exempt from attack which is not the case for a tender. Ottawa’s requirements for the tender was that she have good hospital accommodation which would imply something more than a basic sick bay found on naval ships. If Prince George was outfitted as a convincing hospital ship and conducted herself appropriately, the recently signed Geneva Convention pertaining to hospital ships protected them from any hostile actions. Pulling into Victoria at 8 am, Prince George was declared ready for sea at 8 pm that night. Passengers and cargo was unloaded down the aft gangway while naval personnel buzzed back the forth from the forward gangway. Fire hazards were removed wherever possible inside the ship while items which could impede sanitary medical work such as carpets, curtains and trimmings were stripped out. Cots were placed in the wide hallways; the internal elevators were enlarged to carry stretchers and an operating room was built in the forward lower deck. The extensive passenger capacity of the ship was paying dividends and in the end, she was rated with at minimum, a 200 bed capacity. She was moved to Vancouver in order to load on provisions and crew members.

Interestingly, Prince George would acquire a large number of firsts for her efforts. Her prompt August 11 commissioning meant that she was the first hospital ship to be active during the First World War as the trio of HMHS St. Andrew, St. David and St. Patrick were operational over a week later. She was also the first Canadian hospital ship and she carried the first women to serve in the RCN. Due to an administrative mistake, Prince George was given a commission into the RCN instead of simply as an auxiliary, receiving the jumbled prefix of HMCHS. Dr. Charles Barron Wainwright would be employed as the head surgeon with Elizabeth Pierce appointed Acting Sister seeing over nurses Mabel Lindsay, Penelope Mellen, Annie Dover, Bessie Irving and Emma Black. Dr. Wainwright notified the local naval officials at Esquimalt that the nurses should be given rank as officers due to the fact that they have had sufficient training and deserved a rating above Sick Berth Steward. This was granted when on August 8, Admiral Kingsmill sent a letter of commission to each of the women aboard. Medical supplies was quickly rounded up from local hospitals and in line with regulations, she was painted as a hospital ship. The hull was painted white with a broad green horizontal stripe, a red cross that had to be prominently displayed on the hull was mistakenly put on the central funnel. A Red Cross flag was to be flown from the forward mast as well however due to the lack of time and miserable weather, only the port side of the ship was painted in hospital colors. When she was commissioned on August 11, her starboard side still sported the original Grand Trunk livery.

Letter of appointment sent to Bessie Irving Watson by Vice Admiral Kingsmill.​

Hospital ships required a notice to be sent to belligerent nations advising of their existence and location was sent however, Prince George received emergency orders on August 11 to immediately put to sea and find Rainbow before such a notice could be posted. Reports of wreckage bearing her name washing up in the San Francisco area came in on August 9 but just that day, there was credible reports of a naval battle off the coast as well. Lieutenant Saul was the ranking RCN official, joined by 30 Canadian reservist seamen but due to a total lack of qualified seamen, Prince George’s original Captain Dan Donald and his own crew stayed aboard to operate her. Over 15% of the total crew was on shore leave in Vancouver but with the required urgency, the ship left without them. A copy of the Geneva Convention as it related to hospital ships was issued to the officers as they departed. With all luck, they would find Rainbow battered but still afloat and render assistance. In the worst-case scenario, they could retrieve the dead and the treat the survivors in complete safety from any remaining Germans in the area. In this way, atleast some useful intelligence could be gathered.

A very rare but sadly rather low quality image of HMCHS Prince George departing in search of HMCS Rainbow, August 11. The usual hospital ship white is seen to be lacking on this side, only the funnel indicates her status from this angle.​

 

[GrahamB]

That rush paint job leaves the door open for a tragic misidentification by Leipzig if they ever encounter each other.
Does the commissioning of the HMCHS Prince George's nurses mean the RCN also has the highest proportion of female staff in active duty at the time? I've no idea how you'd determine that but it seems an interesting bit of trivia.

 

[Wobbly Whirlwind]

all of this rushing seems like a recipe for disaster. although it does seem like a smart idea to send a hospital ship since it cannot be attacked, although is it illegal to purposefully use a hospital ship like that? i would think its kind of difficult to tell the difference though as an enemy if they are coming after a battle to help?

 

[Some Bloke]

Do the Dominions adopt their own naval ensigns earlier than OTL?

 

[RelativeGalaxy7]

Do the Dominions adopt their own naval ensigns earlier than OTL?

As of now within this timeline, all of the Dominion navy's are using the White Ensign as their official ensign. There was initial moves by the Governor General back in the chapter Red Tape Across the Atlantic to have a White Ensign defaced with a green maple leaf however, this failed due to Admiralty insistence. As for what the future holds, we shall have to wait and see. I'd imagine unless British trust is heavily shaken or Canadian nationalism takes a drastic turn, the White Ensign would likely stay.

Artists impression of what Lord Grey's proposed Canadian naval ensign could have looked like, it is unknown how large the maple leaf in the middle would actually be.​

There was not a particularly large amount of effort put into such a flag, it is widely believed that Governor General Grey simply constructed it himself with little help. Regardless, The eventual flag was based off the White Ensign and featured a green maple leaf of indiscriminate size placed directly in the middle of the flag, overlapping the cross of St George. The flag never left the eyes of the upper echelons of Canada’s government and when Lord Grey proposed the idea alongside an example to the Admiralty in Britain, the result was rather expected. Grey was refused and as can be read above, Canada would fly the White Ensign, this was not up for debate. It can be imagined that the very idea of a Dominion wishing to deface the emblem of the Royal Navy with such a comparatively childish attempt was not warmly received by the Admiralty.

 

[RelativeGalaxy7]

Does the commissioning of the HMCHS Prince George's nurses mean the RCN also has the highest proportion of female staff in active duty at the time? I've no idea how you'd determine that but it seems an interesting bit of trivia.

Perhaps but given I’ve seen from my research that the Royal Navy also used nurses aboard their hospital ships, it’s not a record to last particularly long even if Canada clutches it. Definitely interesting though, Prince George as a whole is quite the oddity.

 

[RelativeGalaxy7]

August 11, 1914. Debris field of the former HMCS Rainbow.

As the fog burned off under the heat of the mid-afternoon sun, the carnage from that morning’s engagement could finally be appreciated to it’s fullest. By this point, the debris field had significantly widened in its scope due to the aggressive tide in the vicinity to the islands, sending the variety of wooden splinters and other refuse scattered in every direction. The German boat crews breathed a collective sigh of relief as they received their orders to return to the ship, a solemn morning of fishing both the dead and living from the water had taken a toll both physically and mentally. All hands fantasized about being granted shore leave throughout the bustling city of San Francisco, resting in the shade of the tall trees and drinking in the sights. On the far edge of the debris field though, the shredded remains of a capsized ships boat bobbed in the surf.

“Hey!”

The voice of a man cut through the darkness as Commander Hose forced open his salt stained eyes.

“Hello! Is anybody alive over there?”

A constant throbbing pain made his vision cloudy as Hose attempted to orientate himself. A small wave came crashing into him, causing him to blink hard and sputter from the spray. The disembodied voice repeated its call a few more times before Hose finally realized what was happening. His mind kicked back into gear as the words and what they implied set in.

‘English, that lad screaming is English!’

The officer struggled to rouse his body, but it was no good. He had wrapped one arm through some stray rope and tied it off to the bottom of a flipped boat, likely in an effort to keep his head out of water before he lost consciousness. The extremities below his waist bobbed numbly in the water below him, his tied off arm equally numb as well. Lying up on the keel of the boat was the young man Hose had plucked from the deck of Rainbow hours before. His breathing looked almost indistinguishable from the bobbing of the boat but he also lay unresponsive to the cries of the unknown man. This could very well be a friendly rescue party! Hose found his body to be limp and unresponsive, so with no other option, he cleared his throat and let out a reply of his own. What was supposed to be something along the lines of “Help!” turned into a garbled and pained groaning. Regardless, it seemed to have the same effect. Slowly but surely, voices became more audible in the distance and from around the mass of the boat, Hose saw the flutter of oars and a small funnel reaching upwards into the sky.

“It’s the Commander and he looks to be alive!”

The men bickered between each other for a few minutes about how to untangle the officer and get him aboard, they resorted to chopping the rope holding his arm with an axe while simultaneously rolling him aboard their boat. It was not the gentlest maneuver, but it got the job done. Being aboard something solid again was reassuring. The small steam launch was crowded with men, Hose looked to be the eight man huddled into the small boat from what he could see. One of the men was sleeping in the bow, his head partially covered by a large makeshift bandage. The rest of the crew each wore smaller bandages on different parts of their bodies but as of now, it looked like most of them were in fairly good shape. The highest-ranking man aboard before himself was a Leading Seaman, currently in the process of stripping the bottoms of Hose’s shredded uniform away and applying coverings to his gouged extremities. Hose’s gaze was fixed on the crew as they brought the young man aboard as well, laying him beside the other sleeping man before diligently tend to him.

“It’s a pleasure to find you sir.” The Leading Seamen said, “There seems to be shrapnel still in your legs and feet, but the bleeding should be kept under control by these dressings.”

Hose let out a hoarse cough, “Status report.”

“Well sir, me and another man swam to the boat when we saw it half floating around the wreckage. We drained the water out the best we could and slowly rowed her around looking for more survivors. We were just making our way away from the area once the German search parties finally left when we stumbled upon you.”

“Is the engine not working?”

The Leading Seaman scratched the back of his head nervously, “We’ve taken the engine apart twice now but no luck. There is not any major damage besides some water ingress, splinters in the funnel and a large dent in the side of the casing. We think the pistons are sticking.”

“Did you try hitting it with a hammer?”

A confused look came across the face of the Leading Seamen as he glanced over at the engine and back again, “Excuse me sir?”

“Did you hit the engine with the hammer that’s lying around here somewhere? Right pest this boat has been since the day we got her. I requested a boat for my own personal use when I transferred aboard Rainbow and they sent me this second hand junker that came off as Fisheries Patrol vessel. The pistons in the engine stick whenever you try and turn her on, the Petty Officer always had to pound away on the side with a hammer to get her going.”

One of the other sailors started to build up the steam pressure and the Leading Seamen took up position alongside the engine casing. With three mighty blows from the hammer, the engine began to sputter and vibrate but kept on chugging nonetheless. Careful coaxing by the men brought the incessant sputtering down to a harmonious rhythm as slowly but surely, the launch began to move forward.

The Leading Seamen slid himself behind the wheel and began to bring her about, “Commander, what’s our next plan of action?”

Hose stared grimly ahead as the sailor treating the young boy stepped back, slowly removed his uniform jacket and draping it over the body of the youngster.

“Bring us alongside the coastline and follow it North. We should have enough fuel to get out of the area before the Germans return or any American rescue units arrive. Being held captive in the hold of a German ship or some US Navy stockade isn’t especially fitting, we need to try and make our way back to Canada and report on our situation.”

Somewhere off into the foggy distance, the unmistakable crack of naval gunfire reverberated.

“It seems the Germans are busy as of now, let us make haste.”

The steam launch of HMCS Rainbow making it's way back to her mother ship during much better times. ​

 

[CV(N)-6]

Welp I have a feeling Leipzig will have enough coal for a while. Did the boy also get rescued, or is he gone?