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Birth of the Navy (1910-1914)
HMCS Niobe

HMCS Niobe, one of the Naval Service of Canada's first two ships, was intended in part to train Canadian sailors. A large, obsolescent cruiser, Niobe required many crew and was expensive to operate. Lengthy repairs after it ran aground in 1911, and subsequent budget cutbacks, limited the ship's activities.

Model, HMCS Niobe
Model, HMCS Niobe

When launched as a British warship in 1897, HMS Niobe was a large and expensive cruiser.

By the time of Niobe's transfer to the Naval Service of Canada 13 years later, newer ships had larger guns and more effective armour. Niobe's original armament included 16 6-inch guns located at the bow and stern and along both sides, a battery of smaller guns, and two submerged torpedo tubes. The four funnels emphasize the many boilers needed to power Niobe's engines. This model depicts the paint scheme of Niobe's early years of British service, before its transfer to Canada.

Model Ship, Cruiser
CWM 19650047-001





Model, HMCS Niobe
HMCS Niobe at Anchor
Boxing Match, HMCS Niobe
Visitors Exploring HMCS Niobe
Oil Lamp, HMCS Niobe
Coaling the Ship, HMCS Niobe
Gun Practice, HMCS Niobe
Gun Deck, HMCS Niobe
"Seeing the World in Comfort," HMCS Niobe
HMCS Niobe in Drydock, around 1911
Diver Going over the Side
View of "Victory" Boat alongside HMCS Niobe
Rope-work, HMCS Niobe
Two Stokers, HMCS Niobe
Boys' Mess, HMCS Niobe
Sailors Sewing Flags, HMCS Niobe
Playing Chess Below Decks, HMCS Niobe
HMCS Niobe's Goat
HMCS Niobe Gun Crew and Gunnery Target
Cecil George Corke, Boy Sailor, HMCS Niobe
Dominion Day, Niobe Boys
At the dockside, HMCS Niobe, Halifax
"Stokers Band," HMCS Niobe
Ceremony on the Quarterdeck, HMCS Niobe