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H . M . C
. S .
S T . C R O I X
( I 8 1)
Ex USS McCOOK (Type A BURNHAM Class) built by
Bethlehem Steel at Quincy. The ship was laid down
on 11th September 1918 and launched on 31st January 1919. Commissioned on 30th April 1919 for US Naval
Service this ship was deployed in the Atlantic until 1922 when she was laid up
in Reserve at Philadelphia. In
December 1939 she was brought forward for US Navy use
and deployed in the Atlantic until transferred to the Royal Navy under the UK/US Lend/Lease Agreement on 3rd September 1940. Commissioned on 24th September that year this destroyer
was selected for use by the Royal Canadian Navy and renamed HMCS ST CROIX at Halifax. The name
like those of the other destroyers provided under this
Agreement was common to places in Britain or Canada and in the US.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
None are recorded in the
Admiralty records but RCN Honours will be available in RCN records
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Similarly this will be held in
RCN records
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 0
September
24th Transferred to Royal Canadian Navy with five other
ships of this Class and named
HMCS McCOOK.
October Deployed as Local Escort at Halifax after short refit.
3rd Renamed HMCS ST CROIX.
November Local Escort deployment in continuation.
Nominated for long refit in UK.
30th Took passage from Halifax for refit at Devonport.
December Sustained major weather damage during passage to St Johns,
Newfoundland,
(Note : Search operation was initiated prior to
arrival.)
18th Returned to Halifax and taken in hand for repair.
1 9 4 1
January Under repair at Halifax
to
February
March Harbour trials and post refit trials on completion of
dockyard work.
On completion deployed at Halifax for Local
escort.
April Local escort duties in continuation.
to Nominated for service with Newfoundland Escort
Force (NEF) on formation.
July Passage to Newfoundland for Atlantic convoy
defence.
Deployed for escort of convoys between St Johns
and Iceland.
September Taken in hand for refit at St Johns.
October Under refit
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Under refit
to
March
April Resumed NEF duties on completion of post refit
trials.
May Transferred to Mid Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) based at
St Johns
Deployed as escort for eastbound convoy SC84
during passage from Cape Breton
(Note : This convoys sailed from New York on
14th May.
June MOEF deployment in continuation.
23rd Deployed with HM Destroyer BURNHAM and four
corvettes as Ocean Escort for
westbound Convoy ON113.
24th U90 and U552 sighted on surface after detection of
U-Boat radio transmissions.
(Note : Both destroyers had detached to carry
out search ahead of convoy.)
Sank U90 after carrying out depth charge
attacks.
(Note : U552 evaded attacks by U552 and later
sank two mercantiles in ON113.)
For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR
by C Blair.)
August MOEF deployment in continuation.
September Deployed with Canadian Escort Group C4 which included HM
Canadian Destroyer OTTAWA,
HM Canadian Corvette SHERBROOKE, two other
Canadian corvettes and one British corvette
as escort for westbound Convoy ON127.
9th ON 127 sighted west of Ireland by U584 of VORWARTS
U- Boat Group.
10th Carried out anti-submarine operations against
U-Boats of VORWARTS Group during which
two mercantiles were sunk and three damaged.
11th Defence operations in continuation. Four more
mercantiles sunk
to
12th
13th Air cover provided and U-Boats driven off.
14th Attacks renewed by two submarines which had no
success against mercantiles
HMCS OTTAWA sunk by U91
Escort reinforced by HMCS ANNAPOLIS and HMS
Destroyer WITCH.
(Note : Fog conditions thwarted further attacks.
ON127 Arrived in New York on 20th.)
October Deployed with C1 for Atlantic convoy escort.
November Taken in hand for refit
to
December
1 9 4 3
January Resumed MOEF duties on completion of post refit trials.
Nominated for work-up in UK at Tobermory and
joined HM Destroyers VANSITTART,
CHESTERFIELD and five RCN corvettes of Group in escort for eastbound Convoy HX222.
(Note : RCN escorts were judged to need of further intensive training to improve
anti-submarine procedures.)
This convoy had sailed from New York on 6th.)
21st Detached from HX222 and took passage to Tobermory.
(Note : HX222 arrived at Liverpool on 22nd.)
22nd Began work-up.
February Nominated for retention in UK waters to assist in
defence of military convoys to Gibraltar
as part of planned allied shore operations in
Mediterranean area.)
17th On completion of work-up joined Western Approaches
Command for detached service.
Deployed as Canadian Escort Group No 1, EG C1)
26th Deployed with HM Canadian Corvette SHEDIAC as part
of escort for military Convoy
KMS10G during Atlantic passage.
March
4th Sank U87 in position 41.36N 13.31W with HMCS
SHEDIAC by depth charges when
submarine attempted attack on KMS10G.
For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and
above reference.
7th Detached from KMS10G on arrival at Gibraltar.
11th Deployed with EGC1 as part of escort for return
military Convoy MKS9 during passage
in Atlantic from Gibraltar to Liverpool.
18th Detached from
MKS9 and took return passage to
St Johns to resume service in MOEF.
April MOEF duties in continuation
Joined Canadian Escort Group C1
(Note : Other ships in Group were HM Canadian
Destroyer RESTIGOUCHE, HM Frigate
HM Frigate ITCHEN and three corvettes.
May Deployed for escort of Atlantic convoys with Group
supported by US Support Group 6 which
included US aircraft carrier BOGUE and destroyer
screen,
June Under repair at Halifax
July Nominated for further detached service in UK to
assist in planned anti-submarine operations
in Bay of Biscay against U-Boats using French
and Spanish coastal waters during passage to
and from Atlantic for shipping attacks (Operations MUSKETRY and SEASLUG.)
Transferred to newly formed Canadian Support
Group 9.
August Passage to UK with Group to take part in Bay of Biscay
operations based at Plymouth.
Diverted on passage with Group for support of
Atlantic convoys under threat of attack
by U-Boat Groups.
(Note : Active participation in Bay of Biscay
operations to be confirmed.)
September Deployed with Group in support of passage of Atlantic
convoys.
(Note : Other ships in C9 Group were HM Frigate
ITCHEN, HM Canadian Destroyer ST FRANCIS,
HM Canadian Corvettes CHAMBLY, SACKVILLE and
MORDEN.)
19th Took part in anti-submarine operations in support of
defence of westbound Convoys ONS18
and ON202 which had merged and were under threat
of attack by LEUTHEN U-Boat Group.
20th During operations against 12 submarine of LEUTHEN
Group hit by acoustic torpedo fired from
U305 which disabled ship. Stricken ship hit by
second torpedo from U305 about an hour later
and sank.
81 survivors from a total complement of 147 were
rescued by HM Frigate ITCHEN.
For full details of this tragic defence of the
merged convoys see above references.
(Note : Only one of those rescued survived when
HMS ITCHEN was sunk on 21st.
HM Frigate LAGAN and HM Corvette POLYANTHUS were
also sunk during the
sustained submarine attacks together with six
mercantiles.)
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