HMCS St. Croix (I81)
 HMCS St, Croix with storm damage
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HMCS St. Croix (I81) was a Canadian Clemson-class destroyer . The destroyer came directly to the Royal Canadian Navy in the autumn of 1940 when the US Navy sold 50 destroyers to the United Kingdom under the destroyer-for-base agreement . These destroyers, despite their differences, were called the Town-class . The destroyer, completed in 1919 for the United States Navy as USS McCook (DD 252), was lost on September 20, 1943 on the march to Canada while securing the double convoy ONS 18 / ON 202 .
The following morning the frigate Itchen was able to take 81 castaways on board the St. Croix . Only three men survived the sinking of the River-class frigate on September 23 after a torpedo hit by U 666 , including a crew member of the St. Croix . The sinking of the ship was the only total loss of a destroyer of this class in the Canadian service, where a total of 16 destroyers of the Town class were used.
History of the destroyer
The destroyer USS McCook , completed in the USA in April 1919 , was used by the US Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy until its sinking in September 1943 .
USS McCook (DD 252)
_NH_46470_(cropped).jpg)
The destroyer was the first ship in the US Navy, which was named after Commander Roderik S. McCook (1839–1886), who died in the Civil War a. a. as commanding officer of the USS Canonicus monitor . On September 10, 1918 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. in Quincy (Massachusetts) laid the keel McCook expired on 31 January 1919 from the stack. On April 30, 1920, the destroyer was then taken over by the US Navy and assigned to the Atlantic fleet. On June 30, 1922, the destroyer was decommissioned in Philadelphia .
After 17 years in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet , the McCook was put back into service on December 18, 1939 because of the outbreak of war in Europe. In the following year, the ship was one of the 50 destroyers of the US Navy, which were given to the Royal Navy because of the destroyers for bases agreement between the USA and Great Britain. The destroyer arrived on September 20, 1940 at the delivery port of Halifax (Nova Scotia) , where on 24. then the decommissioning and handover took place. Due to the lack of suitable crews in the Royal Navy , the McCook was handed over directly to the Royal Canadian Navy , which put the destroyer into service as HMCS St. Croix (I81).
The US Navy received a new Gleaves-class destroyer USS McCook on March 15, 1943 .
HMCS St. Croix (I81)
The destroyer, which was taken over by the Canadian Navy at the beginning of October, left Halifax on November 30, 1940 to move to Great Britain via St. John's on Newfoundland , where the destroyer was to be comprehensively converted to the conditions of the Royal Navy. Already on the first stage you lost contact with the destroyer, which got caught in a hurricane. The destroyer reached the intermediate port before a search for it began, but had suffered severe storm damage, so that repairs in Canada were necessary before crossing the Atlantic. For this he arrived back in Halifax on December 18, 1940. The ship was made operational there by March 1941. Initially, the destroyer was only entrusted with local tasks, during which it accompanied convoys leaving Newfoundland for the first few days, such as the HX convoys HX 129 on 27-28. May 1941, SC 33 1st - 3rd June, HX 133 17. – 20. June, HX 135 26.-29. June and HX 138 11-15 . July. From August 1941, the destroyer was deployed between St. John's and Reykjavík in Iceland . First at SC 41 from August 28 to September 5, 1941, then from Iceland to reinforce the security of SC 42 from August 12 to 17. September, as reinforcement of the security of ON 17 to Newfoundland from 19. – 21. September 1941 and finally back to Canada with ON 19 from September 28th to October 4th. During this mission, the St. Croix was able to pick up 34 survivors of the Dutch motor freighter Tuva (4652 BRT, 1935), which had been sunk by U 575, on October 2 . The destroyer ran with SC 50 from 19th to 26th. October again to Iceland and back again with ON 32 from 6. – 14. November. The last operation was followed by a comprehensive overhaul of the St. Croix in Saint John (New Brunswick) that lasted until April 1942 .
In May 1942 the destroyer joined the Newfoundland Escort Force (soon to be renamed the Mid-Ocean Escort Force ), which gradually took over security tasks up to the ports of Londonderry . The destroyer secured the convoy SC 84 (46 ships) in an escort group from 17. – 21. May 1942 to Iceland. From Newfoundland, SC 89 was secured from June 28th to July 10th, now as far as Ireland. The retreat took place as a backup of ON 113 from 18-26. July. On July 24, 1942, the St. Croix was able to sink the German submarine U 90 , which sank on its first voyage with the 44-man crew. Run by Kapitänleutnant Hans Jorgen-Öldorp submarine from the type VIIC dropped to 48 ° 12 ' N , 40 ° 56' W . The destroyer ran in front of the convoy ON 113 en route from Liverpool to Canada. The British town-class sister ship Burnham was also in a similar position in front of the convoy , while three Canadian and one British Flower-class corvettes stood close to the 37-ship convoy, the largest of which was the Norwegian tanker Thorhild (10,316 GRT, 1935) was. The eleven attacking submarines of the Wolf group were able to sink two ships and damage a tanker that was successfully brought in until the Canadian group was detached. After the group was replaced on July 26th by the escort group around the destroyer Walker , the convoy lost a third freighter.
The destroyer ran with SC 96 from 15.-26. August back to Europe and back with convoy ON 127 from 5. – 14. September. The captain of the St. Croix was responsible for securing it ; Escort Group C 4 also included the destroyer Ottawa and four Corvettes of the Flower class. The convoy was attacked by thirteen submarines and lost six transporters between September 10 and 14 and also the destroyer Ottawa with 114 men on the 14th ; other transporters were damaged. The attackers withdrew from the Canadian coast when the Canadian air security was deployed. With the convoy SC 101 , which only lost one small straggler, the St. Croix ran again from 23 September to 3 October to Northern Ireland and then from 12 to 19. October back to Newfoundland in EG C4 , led by the destroyer Restigouche with the Canadian corvettes Amherst , Arvida , Orillia and the British Celandine as security for ON 137 of 40 ships. In very bad weather and despite the use of two submarine groups with a total of 21 boats, this convoy also lost only one small tanker of 4142 GRT. The destroyer was then routinely overhauled in Canada in November and December 1942.
In 1943 the St. Croix secured the HX 222 convoy on its march to Great Britain with the British destroyers Vansittard and Chesterfield and the five Canadian corvettes Battleford , Chilliwack , Kenogami , Napanee and Shediac . The 25-ship convoy was directed across the Atlantic with only one loss. The former whaling mother ship Vestfold (14,547 GRT, built in 1931) with passengers, 17,386 ts of oil and the landing craft LCT 2239 , LCT 2267 and LCT 2344 as deck load was lost by U 268 . The Canadian units then had to complete a U-defense training in Tobermory . The St. Croix then became the lead ship of the Canadian Escort Group No 1 (EG C1). As a first order, the group secured the British sister ship Burwell ex Laub of the Town class for the Canadian corvettes Battleford , Kenogami , Napanee and Shediac as well as the British minesweepers Fort York , Qualicum and Wedgeport of the Bangor class, the convoy KMS 10 of 57 mostly smaller transporters since February 28th from Londonderry Port to Gibraltar . On March 4th, the St. Croix and the Shediac sank the U 87 submarine about 200 miles (320 km) off the Spanish coast. The Type VIIB submarine , commanded by Lieutenant Joachim Berger , sank west of Leixoes at position 41 ° 36 ′ N , 13 ° 31 ′ W with the entire crew of 49 men. The convoy lost the freighter Fort Battle River (7133 BRT, built 1942) on the 6th by U 410 ; three more freighters were brought in damaged. Immediately after arriving in Gibraltar, St. Croix began the march back with largely the same escort vehicles to secure the return convoy MKS 9 . 59 ships were returned to Great Britain without losses. On March 18th back in Great Britain followed from March 5th to 14th. April saw the next mission with the securing of ONS 2 from Northern Ireland to Newfoundland. In the late evening of April 11, the Norwegian freighter Ingerfire (3835 BRT, built in 1905), which had lost contact with the convoy, was torpedoed by U 613 and sank in a very short time. Despite the stormy weather, St. Croix and the Canadian corvette Camrose were able to save 28 men of the freighter on the afternoon of the 12th, six Norwegians and two British lost their lives in the sinking. From April 20 to May 2, SC 127 was secured from there to Northern Ireland and then ON 184 was escorted back to Newfoundland from May 16 to 25 . The three convoys with 41, 56 and 36 ships had only minor losses on the voyages.
Then St. Croix practiced with US Support Group 6 , to which the US escort carrier Bogue and destroyer belonged. The old destroyer was then overhauled in Canada and was to be used in the future from Great Britain in the Bay of Biscay against submarines on the way to or from their bases (operations MUSKETRY and SEASLUG). The operations should be performed in a newly formed
Canadian Support Group 9 (C9). For this purpose, the destroyer moved with the convoy HX 250 comprising more than 70 ships in August as part of the EC to Great Britain.
The loss of HMCS St. Croix
By expanding the air security of the British convoys, the losses in 1943 could be minimized and the use of submarines on the Atlantic route was reduced by the Germans in the summer of 1943. In autumn 1943 the Germans hoped to be able to operate successfully again against Allied convoys. This should enable the increased anti-aircraft armament of the submarines and the equipment with special torpedoes against escort vehicles. ( see Wren )
On September 16, 1943, the St. Croix went to sea with the newly formed Canadian Escort Group 9 in order to intercept incoming or outgoing submarines in the Bay of Biscay in front of the German bases on the French Atlantic coast. The knowledge about submarines gathering on the march of British convoys to Canada led to the merging of the two convoys ONS 18 and the following ON 202 , which were on their way to Canada in mid-September 1943. ONS 18 consisted of 27 ships, which were secured by the Escort Group B-3 with two destroyers ( Escapade and Keppel ), the frigate Towy as the lead boat and the five corvettes Narcissus , Orchis as well as Roselys , Lobelia and Renoncule with French crews. The following convoy ON 202 consisted of 38 transporters and was secured by the Canadian escort group C-2 with the Canadian destroyer Gatineau and the British Icarus , the frigate Lagan and the three corvettes Polyanthus as well as the Canadian Drumheller and Kamloops . Support Group 9 , which arrived on the 19th for reinforcement, consisted of the St. Croix , the frigate Itchen and the three Canadian corvettes Chambly , Morden and Sackville . On September 19, U 270 sighted the convoy ONS 18 and attacked after the convoy had reported. First U 270 fired a Wren torpedo on the Lagan . The first hit from the new weapon destroyed the stern of the frigate. The other security ships in the convoy tried in vain to catch the fleeing boat. The Escapade was seriously damaged by the misfiring of its Hedgehog launcher . Lagan and Escapade had to be fired and returned to the UK. On the 19th, the submarines of the Leuthen group caught up with the detected convoy, the approach of which was hindered by attacks by four-engine long-range Liberator bombers . U 341 was sunk by a Liberator of 10 Squadron RCAF ; U 338 was attacked by a Liberator of the 120 Sqdn RAF . On the night of the 20th, U 238 was able to sink the freighter Theodore Dwight Weld (7176 GRT, 1943, 33 dead / 37 men rescued) and the Frederick Douglass (7176 GRT, 1943, all 71 people on board had the rescue ship Rathlin before Attack U 645 s recovered), which was sunk by U 645 on the day .
On the 21st, a total of twelve submarines caught up with the British convoys, eight of which actually attacked. U 305 hit the St. Croix with a wren torpedo, the immobile destroyer sank after a second hit with 66 men to 57 ° 30 ′ N , 31 ° 10 ′ W . The corvette Polyanthus , which was supposed to secure rescue measures, was hit by U 952 and sank quickly. The frigate Itchen , who wanted to save the crew of the St. Croix , unsuccessfully chased the attackers and the next morning was able to recover 81 men from the St. Croix , but only one survivor of the Polyanthus , on which 85 men lost their lives.
On the 22nd, the now combined convoys continued their voyage without losing another ship. The Keppel was able to sink the attacking U 229 ; U 230 was forced to turn, U 422 was damaged by an air raid.
On September 23, the combined convoy reached the area of the Newfoundland Bank , where heavy fog severely hampered the attacking submarines and the Allied air security. U 238 managed to penetrate again to the merchant ships and the boat sank the Norwegian cargo ships Skjelbred (5096 BRT, built in 1937 DK) and Oregon Express (3642 BRT, built in 1933 DK) as well as the British Fort Jemseg (7134 BRT, built in 1942) ). U 666 torpedoed the frigate Itchen with the survivors of Polyanthus and St Croix on board. This time only 3 men survived; in addition to two sailors on the frigate, there was also a stoker on the St Croix .
U 952 sank the American Steel Voyager (6198 BRT, built in 1920) and damaged the James Gordon Bennett (7176 BRT, built in 1942). An attack by U 758 was unsuccessful; but the submarine suffered damage from depth charges.
The poor visibility, lack of fuel and the exhaustion of the crews caused the BdU to abort the operation, believing that it had sunk twelve escort vehicles and nine freighters and damaged two other freighters. In fact, the double convoy had lost three escort ships and six freighters. Other escort ships and transporters were damaged, but the Allies had also sunk three submarines and forced the German operation to be abandoned. ONS 18 reached Halifax on September 29, ON 202 New York on October 1, 1943.
 Canadause |
Surname | Type | ex USS | finished | Final fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.40 ------ 6.45 | Annapolis (I04) | W. | Mackenzie (DD) | 07.19 | June 1945 demolished |
| 9.40 ----- 2.44 | Columbia (I49) | W. | Haraden (DD) | 06.19 | February 25, 1944 Mine hit, not repaired |
| 9.40 -------- 10.46 | St. Clair (I65) | W. | Williams (DD) | .03.19 | October 1946 demolition |
| 9.40 ---- 20.6.43 + | St. Croix (I81) | CL | McCook (DD252) | 04/30/19 | Sunk by U 305 on September 20, 1943 |
| 9.40 ------ 14.07.45 | St. Francis (I93) | CL | Bancroft (DD256) | 06.19 | 07/14/1945 sunk after a collision at the overpass |
| 11.40 ------ 6.45 | Niagara (I57) | W. | Thatcher (DD) | 01.19 | September 1945 demolition |
| 6.41 ----- 6.45 | Hamilton (I24) | W. | Lime, Rodgers (DD170) | 03/29/19 | Sunk in tow in 1945 on the way to demolition in Boston |
| 2.42 - 12.43 | Montgomery (G95) | W. | Wickes (DD 75) | 07/31/18 | 2.44 Reserve Royal Navy, early 1945 demolished |
| 7.42 - 12.43 | Caldwell (I20) | W. | Hale (DD133) | 06/26/19 | December 1, 1943 a. D., 12.44 sold for demolition |
| 7.42 - 12.43 |
 Norway Lincoln (G42) |
W. | Yarnall (DD143) | 11.18 | 08/26/44 Soviet Union Druzhny , 09.1952 canceled in GB
 |
| 8.42 - 8.43 | Buxton (H96) | CL | Edwards (DD265) | 04/24/19 | January 1945 a. D .; 3.46 sold for demolition |
| 9.42 - 11.43 | Mansfield (I20) | W. | Evans (DD 78) | 11/11/18 | November 1943 a. D., 10/21/44 sold for demolition |
| 9.42 - 10.12.43 | Salisbury (I52) | W. | Claxton (DD140) | 09/13/19 | December 10, 1943 a. D. 26.06.44 sold for demolition |
| 9.42 - 9.43 | Georgetown (I40) | W. | Maddox (DD168) | 03/10/19 | 7.44 Soviet Union Zhostki , demolished in 1952
|
| 11.42--12.43 | Chelsea (I35) | W. | Crowninshield (DD134) | 8/6/19 | 7.44 Soviet Union Derzkiy , 6.49 demolition
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| 12.42--12.43 | Leamington (G19) | W. | Twiggs (DD127) | 07/28/19 | 7:44 Soviet Union Zhguchiy , 1950 GB back in the film The Gift Horse used
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| 6.-12.43 | Richmond (G88) | W. | Fairfax (DD 93) | April 6, 2018 | 7.44 Soviet Union Zhivuchiy , 6.49 back to GB, demolition
|
Lincoln was in service with the RCN under Norwegian crew and flag
The second HMCS St. Croix
The Royal Canadian Navy's second HMCS St. Croix , then Canadian Forces, was a Restigouche-class destroyer in service from 1958 to 1974. In 1959 the ship accompanied the royal yacht Britannia on the visit of the head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. In 1960 the second St. Croix visited Lisbon . In August 1964 the St. Croix was moved to the west coast. In 1967 and 1969 the ship made long voyages across the Pacific, visiting Hawaii , Fiji , Australia and New Zealand . In 1973 the destroyer was relocated to the Canadian east coast and decommissioned on November 15, 1974 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Until 1970, the destroyer was used as a stationary training ship, unarmed and without a machine, and then sold for demolition.
swell
- ^ Rohwer, Seekrieg , p. 129: May 27, 1941, first British convoy secured over the entire North Atlantic
- ↑ Rohwer, naval warfare , S. 133f., Until 23 June from U 203 discovered
- ^ Rohwer, Seekrieg , pp. 161f., The convoy had already lost 16 ships off Iceland
- ^ Tuva Dutch Motor merchant
- ^ Rohwer, Seekrieg , pp. 263f.
- ^ Rohwer, Seekrieg , p. 280.
- ^ Rohwer, Seekrieg , p. 288.
- ^ Rohwer, Seekrieg , p. 288.
- ^ Rohwer, Seekrieg , pp. 320f.
- ↑ Vestfold Panamanian Whale factory ship, 19 dead / 56 survivors
- ^ D / S Vestfold
- ↑ Inger Fire Norwegian Steam merchant
- ↑ Lagan had completely lost about 10 m of her stern and other parts were badly damaged; the US-built tug HMS Destiny (W 115) was able to tow in the frigate, on which 29 men were killed, repairs were uneconomical and the frigate was demolished from May 1946
- ↑ The premature explosion of a grenade from the Hedgehog launcher on the Escapade caused considerable damage to the forecastle and killed 16 men; the extensive repairs were not completed until the end of 1944
- ↑ Post-war investigations showed that the U 338 was damaged, but was later sunk by the Corvette Drumheller of the Canadian EG 2 .
- ^ Theodore Dwight Weld American Steam merchant
- ^ SS Frederick Douglass, sunk in 1943
- ^ Naval Museum of Manitoba - HMCS ST. CROIX - A Tragic Saga. Retrieved October 20, 2019 .
- ↑ HMS Polyanthus K47
- ^ Skjelbred Norwegian Motor merchant
- ^ Oregon Express Norwegian Motor merchant
- ↑ Fort Jemseg British Steam merchant
- ^ The Sinking of U90 and other tales from HMCS St. Croix
- ^ HMS Itchen (K 227) British Frigate
- ^ SS Steel Voyager
- ^ Rohwer: Seekrieg , p. 386ff.
- ^ Canadian Navy of Yesterday & Today: Restigouche class destroyer escort
literature
- Arnold Hague: Destroyers for Great Britain: A History of 50 Town Class Ships Transferred From the United States to Great Britain in 1940 , Naval Institute Press, Annapolis / Maryland (1988), ISBN 0-87021-782-8 .
- HF Lenton, JJ Colledge: British and Dominion Warships of World War II , Doubleday and Company, 1968.
- Marc Milner: North Atlantic Run . Naval Institute Press, 1985, ISBN 0-87021-450-0 .
- Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronicle of the naval war 1939-1945 , Stalling, Oldenburg 1968.
