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.

HMCS Niobe Gun Crew and Gunnery Target

The crew of one of HMCS Niobe's 6-inch guns poses proudly in front of a target, 1911.

The sign records that this crew achieved an exemplary six hits with six rounds fired in 52 seconds. Gunnery practice in Niobe, a training ship, strove to keep crews up to British standards and to prepare them for the more modern 6-inch guns of the projected Canadian fleet of cruisers. In contrast to the protective clothing of gun crews in later years, these ratings worked the guns barefoot and in light summer uniforms.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20030174-019