*Canadian, Post WW2, HMC Submarine Onondaga (S73) with British Frigate Battleaxe (F89) & RFA Eddyfirth (A261), Portsmouth 1980 – Original Photograph*
Original Photograph of WW2 Canadian Submarine Onondaga with British Frigate Battleaxe (F89) & RFA Eddyfirth (A261), Portsmouth 1980. This photograph originally formed part of the Lou Britton British Submarine Collection, which was acquired by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport in 2007.
Approximate Dimensions: 25.4cm x 20.3cm
Marked in pencil on the reverse: “Portsmouth, Frigate “Battleaxe” – Canadian Submarine Onondaga” leaving, RFA “Eddyfirth” at oil fuel jetty. 12 (?)/2/1980. MOD (N).”
HMCS Onondaga (S73)
HMCS Onondaga (S73) was an Oberon-class submarine that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces. Built in the mid-1960s, she operated primarily with Maritime Forces Atlantic until her decommissioning in 2000 as the last active Canadian Oberon.
Commissioned in 1967, Onondaga was based in Halifax, conducting anti-submarine warfare training and intelligence-gathering patrols in the North Atlantic. In the 1970s, she began surveillance missions tracking Soviet naval activity. The Submarine Operational Update Program (SOUP) refit (1983–1984) modernized her sonar, weapons, and fire-control systems, enabling her to fire Mk 48 torpedoes. After the Cold War, Onondaga assisted in fisheries patrols and maritime law enforcement. She remained in service until 2000, outlasting her Oberon-class sisters due to delays in acquiring replacement submarines.
The Oberon-class, an improved version of the Porpoise-class, featured a reinforced pressure hull and higher-grade steel, allowing a diving depth of 1,000 feet (300 m). Onondaga displaced 2,030 tonnes surfaced and 2,410 tonnes submerged, with a length of 295 feet (90 m), a beam of 26 feet (8 m), and a draught of 18 feet (5.5 m). Her diesel-electric propulsion system delivered a top speed of 12 knots surfaced and 17 knots submerged, with a range of 9,000 nautical miles at 12 knots. She was armed with eight 21-inch torpedo tubes (six forward, two aft), carrying 30 torpedoes, including wire-guided Mk 37C and later Mk 48 torpedoes. She was also equipped with advanced sonar and fire-control systems following the SOUP modernization.
Following decommissioning, multiple disposal plans fell through before the Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père in Rimouski purchased Onondaga in 2006 for preservation as a museum ship. The submarine was towed to Rimouski in 2008, facing significant challenges in moving her ashore. After multiple failed attempts and structural damage, she was finally secured in place by late 2008. Opened to the public in 2009, Onondaga remains a museum exhibit, drawing over 100,000 visitors in its first year.
HMS Battleaxe (F89)
HMS Battleaxe was a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy, commissioned in 1980. She was sold to Brazil on 30 April 1997 and renamed Rademaker. Ordered in 1974 and built by Yarrow Shipbuilders, Battleaxe was launched in 1977 and completed in 1980. She measured 131.2 meters long, displaced 4,400 tons at full load, and could reach 30 knots with her COGOG propulsion system. Her armament included Sea Wolf surface-to-air missiles, Exocet anti-ship missiles, two Bofors 40 mm guns, and two triple 324 mm torpedo tubes. She also carried two Westland Lynx helicopters for anti-submarine warfare.
During the 1982 Falklands War, Battleaxe missed deployment due to propeller shaft issues but later escorted HMS Illustrious to the South Atlantic. She returned in 1983 for another patrol. In 1988, she rescued survivors from the yacht Dalriada, which sank after a collision with HMS Conqueror. During the 1990 Gulf Crisis, she served in the Armilla patrol before returning to Plymouth.
In 2004, Rademaker (now part of the Brazilian Navy) was damaged during an accidental attack by an Argentine frigate during Exercise FRATERNO. She also participated in the UN mission in Haiti that year. In 2017, she aided in the searches for the missing bulk carrier Stellar Daisy and later the Argentine submarine San Juan.
RFA Eddyfirth (A261)
RFA Eddyfirth (A261) was an Eddy-class coastal tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Launched on 10 September 1953 by Lobnitz & Co. and completed in February 1954, Eddyfirth was 286 feet (87.2 m) long with a 44-foot (13.4 m) beam. She displaced 4,160 long tons fully loaded and carried 1,650 tons of oil. Powered by a triple-expansion steam engine, she reached speeds of 12 knots. Initially stationed in Malta to support the Motor Minesweeping Flotilla, she returned to UK waters in 1966 as a harbour oiler. Withdrawn in 1981, Eddyfirth was scrapped in Seville in March 1982.
*Condition*
Excellent used condition. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
RQMAOXAH_4218195316
