HMCS Charlottetown awarded battle honour for 2011 Libyan deployment

HMCS Charlottetown awarded battle honour for 2011 Libyan deployment 

By Nathan Stone,
Trident staff 

In the late summer of 2011, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Charlottetown set sail for civil war–torn Libya. There, the crew faced artillery fire, rockets, and mines as they fought to protect the besieged city of Misrata and enforce a United Nations (UN) arms embargo and no-fly zone. Now, their efforts are woven into the history of the ship with the newly presented Battle Honour, LIBYA. 

A presentation ceremony took place in Halifax on June 20 as part of Halifax International Fleet Week. HMCS Charlottetown and its ship’s company were alongside at Pier 20 as senior naval officers, dignitaries, and former crew members gathered to commemorate the ship’s actions in Libya. 

“This is an important and rare ceremony,” said Vice-Admiral (VAdm) Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). 

“We gather here to commemorate the third chapter of Charlottetown’s story. A story of duty, bravery, and the willingness to risk everything in service of King and country.” 

Battle honours provide public recognition and a historical record of a combat unit’s active participation in battle against an armed enemy force. This is the third HMCS Charlottetown battle honour. The previous two were awarded for combat during the Second World War by earlier vessels to bear the Charlottetown name. 

Commodore (Retired) Craig Skjerpen was Charlottetown’s commanding officer during the Libyan deployment in 2011. Speaking at the pier in front of friends and former colleagues, he shared the story of the ship’s actions over the six months of sailing on Operation Mobile. 

The situation in Libya demanded an immediate response, meaning there was precious little time to prepare. 

“On Saturday, February 26 the UN resolution on Libya passed. On Sunday I was asked how quickly we could set sail. I told them three days,” he recalled. 

With tremendous effort from the crew and help from across the Atlantic fleet, HMCS Charlottetown set sail on March 2, 2011. It would play a vital role in the defense of the Libyan port city of Misrata, which was under siege by forces of the Gaddafi regime. The city’s harbour was the only way humanitarian aid could be delivered to the people of Misrata. The ship helped keep that lifeline open.

The ship protected allied minesweepers as they cleared Misrata harbour, chased away adversarial vessels, and helped coordinate action against the Gaddafi forces surrounding the city. 

On one occasion, Charlottetown coordinated airstrikes with a squadron of Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighters that were based in Italy. The attack destroyed several artillery pieces that had been targeting the city. 

The “fully Canadian strike” was a point of pride amongst the crew, Cmdre (Ret’d) Skjerpen said. 

Charlottetown was often in harm’s way during the deployment and came under fire on multiple occasions from shore-based artillery and small arms. It was also the target of a rocket attack that fell short of the vessel. 

Cmdre (Ret’d) Skjerpen said he and his team were forced to always be alert to potential threats. 

“The stress became a part of our daily lives.” 

Despite the dangers, HMCS Charlottetown successfully completed its mission without suffering damage or casualties and returned to Canada on September 2, 2011. 

VAdm Topshee described the battle honour earned by Charlottetown as representing the military purpose of the RCN in a way that other awards cannot. 

“This is what the Navy is about,” he said. 

“Violence against the enemies of Canada, but only when necessary.” 

Following the ceremony, attendees were welcomed aboard the ship’s flight deck for a reception. 

The current ship’s company of HMCS Charlottetown, fresh off participation in Exercise Cutlass Fury 2025, is preparing for a future deployment to the Indo-Pacific region as part of Operation Horizon.