USS Huron Lineage

This page is dedicated to the real ships, and the ones from Star Trek and ACTD, that have proudly served their fleets with distinction, a trait which the current U.S.S. Huron still carries out.

Although the name "Huron" has not been used on a motored vessel in the United States in almost 30 years, the name 'Huron' has served the Royal Canadian Navy with honors and has been a prominent fixture on the Canadian Naval Roster for over 5 decades, and 2 Ships.

In 2288, the name "Huron" became a prominent fixture in the Starfleet ship registry. Three of the Federation's ships have been named Huron through the years, continuing to serve a tradition started out by her Maritime Counterparts.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the History of the USS Huron. We, the crew, hope that you enjoy reading it as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. Much of this information is courtesy of the Canadian Tribal Class Association. , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Lightship Huron Museum. These are very good websites to get more detailed information on the history of the famous Ships named "Huron".

"Huron" is a name derived from a French word which was first applied by the European settlers in 1534 to a tribe of Indians who resided in the St. Lawrence River Valley and the Simcoe Regions. The Huron were settled in agricultural villages where they raised tobacco for barter. Despite sharing a common language, the Huron were bitter enemies of the five nation Iroquois League. This rivalry finally culminated in a bloody conflict in 1648, when the Iroquois, equipped with modern European rifles, destroyed a Huron nation already decimated by disease.

Click on the ship of the name in the table to easily see its description.

This Huron joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron in February to take part in Union strangulation of Confederate commerce, and steamed off the coasts of Georgia and Florida. Back on regular blockade duty, she captured schooner Aquilla.

During the ironclad attack on the forts in Charleston Harbor on  April 7, 1863, the ship formed part of a reserve squadron outside the bar. Five days later, while patrolling with flag, she detected blockade-running steamer Stonewall Jackson attempting to dash into Charleston. The two union ships opened fire immediately, so damaging the blockade runner that she was forced to run aground and destroy her cargo, which included vitally needed Army artillery and shoes.

Huron took part in the bombardment which was to cover the storming by Army troops. This first assault aborted, but preparations were quickly made for a second joint operation in January 1865. Again Huron provided a part of the devastating naval bombardment. Then, during the final months of the war, Huron took part in combined operations against the city itself, bombarding Forts Anderson and St Philip.

After Appomattox, responding to the attempted escape of President Davis of the Confederate States, Huron steamed to Key West in an effort to capture Confederate officials bound for Havana or Mexico by water. She arrived on May 2, but Davis was captured near Iwinville, Ga., on May 10, 1865.

Huron served on South American station after the Civil War returning to New York and decommissioning on October 8, 1868. She was sold at New York on June 14, 1869.

(excerpt - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships)

Built a decade after the Civil War, the USS Huron was constructed during a period of transition between the old and new navy. The Huron and her two sisterships were the last American naval vessels to be built of iron rather than steel and to be equipped with sails to supplement their steam engines.

During her brief career (1875-1877), the Huron visited ports in Mexico, Venezuela, Columbia, Key West, Mobile, Charleston, Norfolk, Boston, New York, and Washington, DC However, it was the tragedy of the Huron's sinking on November 24, 1877, that brought the ship to national attention.

At time of Publication, No information was available to publish about this ship. We do know that she served in the United States Navy and presumably sailed between 1880 and 1918.

Lightship 103 replaced the previous Corsica Shoal stationed lightship at the Lake Huron cut beginning in 1936, a station that had been established since 1897. Her hull was painted black with the white lettering "HURON" on both sides of her hull since she was assigned the black buoy side of the entrance to the Lake Huron Cut. The Lighthouse Service merged with the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939. From 1945 onward, she was the only lightship in service with a black hull. She usually wintered at the Coast Guard Station at the foot of Mt. Elliot in Detroit. In 1949, Lightship 103 was extensively rebuilt at a cost of $168,000 and converted to diesel power.

In November 1952, the lightship at Gros Cap Reef in Whitefish Bay was withdrawn from service leaving Lightship 103 as the last lightship on the Great Lakes. Lightship 103 was withdrawn from service on August 20, 1970 as the oldest lightship in the Coast Guard. Five days later she was decommissioned and laid up in the Black River at Port Huron, MI. On June 5, 1971 the lightship was acquired by the City of Port Huron.  On August 2, 1990 the lightship was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark.

(Excerpt from the Lightship Huron Museum)

South Dakota was used in a Special Service Squadron, was sent to the Hawaiian Islands, the Marianas, the Philippines, and Japan. She was reverted to reserve status a couple of times. In 1915, she was the flagship of the Reserve Force, Pacific Fleet. She remained in reduced commission through 1916; and on 5 April 1917, she was again placed in full commission. She was transferred to the Atlantic after the United States entered World War I, South Dakota departed Bremerton on 12 April. South Dakota proceeded to the South Atlantic for patrol duty operating from Brazilian ports, she also escorted troop convoys from the east coast to the mid-Atlantic rendez-vous point where British cruisers joined the convoy. Following the Armistice, South Dakota made two voyages from Brest, France, to New York, returning troops to the United States.

In the summer of 1919, South Dakota was ordered back to the Pacific to serve as flagship of the Asiatic Fleet, arriving at Manila on 27 October 1919. South Dakota was renamed Huron on 7 June 1920 and was designated CA-9 on 17 July 1920.

She served in the Asiatic Fleet for the next seven years, operating in Philippine waters during the winter and out of Shanghai and Chefoo during the summer. Ordered home, Huron departed Manila on the last day of 1926 and arrived at the Puget Sound Navy Yard on 3 March 1927. She was decommissioned on 17 June 1927 and remained in reserve until she was struck from the Navy list on 15 November 1929. She was sold on 11 February 1930 for scrapping in accordance with the provisions of the London Treaty for the limitation and reduction of naval armament.

(excerpt - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships)

Huron served Canada honourably during the latter part of the Second World War. Commissioned 19th July 1943, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, she was assigned to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla of the British Home Fleet.

Huron was used to carry technical personnel and special naval stores during some special operations to Murmansk. She was also used to escort convoys as far as North Russia. In February 1944, after one more trip to Murmansk, she joined the 10th Flotilla at Plymouth for pre-invasion duties spending the next seven months in the Channel, and the Bay of Biscay.

Huron was involved in a "scrap" with German Elbing class destroyers in the English Channel. After the action, she and the Ashanti collided and the results damaged Huron's port hull and the main bulkhead . The port cutter and its davits were smashed, the guard rails and stanchions bent inwards and the torpedo-davit damaged. Huron managed to return safely to Plymouth and repairs were completed on 7th May, just in time for D-Day operations.

Once she was reparied, Huron was sent to escort in defferent places around the world. After sharing in the liberation of Scandinavia, she returned to Halifax in preparation for service in the Pacific. Her refit was suspended in August and Huron was placed in reserve. She was paid off 9th March 1946.

Huron was recommissioned at Halifax for training purposes in 1950, but sailed in Korean waters. On her return from Korea, she reverted to her peacetime role until she was finally paid off on 30th April 1963 at Halifax. Huron was broken up at La Spezia, Italy in 1965.

(excerpt - Canadian Tribal Class Association)

USS HURON
PF-19

Tacoma Class - The seventh ship to bear the name

 The Huron was launched under Maritime Commission contract by American Shipbuilding Co., Cleveland, Ohio 3 July 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs. J. S. Tschetter, wife of the mayor of Huron, South Dakota. Acquired and commissioned 7 September 1944, Lt. Cmdr. W. W. Collins, USCG, in command.

This Huron was used for training in Bermuda and sailed with covoys that were sent in North Africa. While bringing together merchant ships which had become separated during the night, Huron was rammed by SS James Fenimore Cooper shortly after midnight 8 December. Though the engine room flooded rapidly, the ship's damage control work was timely and skillful, keeping her afloat. After temporary repairs, Huron was towed through rough weather by Choctaw, arriving Bermuda 15 December 1944. From there she was taken to Charleston for conversion to a sonar-training ship.

Huron arrived Key West 22 February 1945 for training operations at the Fleet Sonar School. She spent the remainder of the war providing both technical and tactical antisubmarine training for officers and men. Huron departed Key West for Norfolk 19 March 1946 and decommissioned there 19 April 1946. She was sold to United Dock Corp. 15 May 1947.

(excerpt - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships)

HMCS HURON
DDH 281

Iroquois class - The eighth ship to bear the name

HMCS HURON in her pre-TRUMP configuration.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Laid Down:	June 1969
Launched:	9 April 1971
Commissioned:	16 December 1972
Modernized:	1994
Pennant:	DDH-281
Builder:	Marine Industries, Sorel, Quebec, Canada
Speed:	30 Knots
Displacement:	4700 tons (slightly less than her three sisters)
Crew:	14 officers; 230 enlisted (pre-TRUMP); 290 total (post-TRUMP)
Length:	426 feet overall; 398 feet between perpendiculars
Beam:	50 Feet
Draught:	15.5 Feet
Radio Call Sign:	CGXY
Voice Call Sign:	Warship 281

HMCS Huron represented Canada at the Silver Jubilee naval review at Spithead on June 28, 1977 and in 1981 carried Governor-General Edward Schreyer on a tour of five Scandanavian ports. She also served as the test bed for the VLS installed in the Trump'ed Tribals and the Canadian Patrol Frigates. Huron was transferred to the west coast in July 1987 and in February 1991, sailed to relieve Athabaskan in the Persian Gulf. After that tour of duty, she sailed to Sorel, Quebec to undergo her TRUMP refit and was the last of her class to do so. In October of 1993, Huron relieved Algonquin which was on patrol in the Adriatic sea.

"Ready the Brave" Huron's motto was suggested by the wife of the first Commanding Officer and reflects both the role of Maritime Command and the Tribal nature of this class of ship.

(excerpt - Canadian Tribal Class Association)

After serving on 4 tours of Duty in the Klingon Neutral Zone, the Huron was commissioned as a training vessel at Starfleet Academy, where she served as a cadet training ship for over 8 years. during this time, she was refitted with low power phasers and used as a Combat Training vehicle. The USS Huron was then converted back into her original configuration and was supposed to return to patrol duties along the Klingon Border. However, this was not to be as a malfunction in the forward torpedo bay of the ship caused a chain reaction, and subsequently destroyed the ship with all hands aboard.

This USS Huron is the Second Federation Starship to bear the name. The Huron was designated as a deep space exploratory vessel and commissioned in 2308 shortly after her predecessor was destroyed. The USS Huron was originally slated to be named the USS Trois Rivieres, but Starfleet decided that the Huron name would be carried on instead.

The Huron was assigned on a 20 year extended deep space exploration mission, and like many of her sister ships, made First Contact with 12 new civilizations. After this tour of duty, the Huron spent 2 consecutive tours of duty cataloguing star systems in Beta Quadrant. The Huron was last seen in Beta Quadrant cataloguing a very large nebula. The ship was lost without a trace.

In 2377, the Huron was rediscovered by the USS Huron (NCC-61245) while cataloguing a gaseous Nebula. The Huron was later renamed to the USS Trois Rivieres, and serves out of Starbase 233.

Upon completion, the USS Huron was sent to Patrol the back lines of the Dominion War, acting as a convoy escort ship. The Huron recieved one Battlestar during the war when she destroyed a Jem Hadar Assault Ship attacking a Convoy. 

On another occasion, the Huron was badly damaged, but deemed salvagable after she was attacked and subsequently rammed off the Klingon Boarder during the closing days of the War. The Ship was so badly damaged that if Starfleet was not so short of Starships at the time, she would have been deemed a total writeoff. After the completion of the war, the Huron was sent to the Delta V Ship yards in Sector Zed Omega for an extensive refit and repair.

Sighting Federation interests in the area, the Huron remained in Zed Omega Sector which is along the Federation's Border of the Romulan and Gorn Empires, in an area known as the Fringe. The Huron still protects this area of space and serves as it's Flag ship. The Huron's Home Port is Starbase 71.