St. Laurent Class

The St. Laurent Class comprised 7 ships, displacing 2800 tons, and 366 feet in length. As originally configured the class carried 2 twin 3"50 calibre rapid firing gun mounts, and two triple "Limbo" anti submarine mortars in a recessed well aft. In the early 1960's the class began conversion and gained a helicopter hangar and deck to accomodate a CHSS 2 Sea King ASW helicopter. Variable depth sonar equipment was also installed. This resulted in the loss of one mortar and the second gun mount, and considerably improved the class' effectiveness in the Anti Submarine role. Subsequently, two triple torpedo tubes were also fitted. These ships pioneered the use of large helicopters on small warships, and set an example for the rest of the world to follow. All 7 are now out of service, after toiling almost twice their projected life span, with the majority of that time on the North Atlantic, based at Halifax, Nova Scotia.