Clemson Class Destroyer HMCS St Croix

[Brian James]

A battered Clemson Class Destroyer HMCS St Croix enters Halifax Harbour after enduring a powerful North Atlantic storm.

This photograph shows some of the damage inflicted on her including guardrails hanging over the ship's side and broken windows on the ship's bridge. Less visible but more serious storm damage included bent steel plating on the bridge and below-decks flooding caused by massive waves. The photograph also emphasizes the ship's narrow hull, which contributed to its instability in heavy seas and to poor handling.

Commissioned on April 30th 1919, she operated with the Atlantic Fleet as USS McCook until placed in reserve at Philadelphia in 1922.Re-commissioned in Dec 1939, she again served with the Atlantic Fleet prior to being transferred to the RCN at Halifax as HMCS St. Croix on Sep 24th 1940. She sailed for the U.K.via St. John's on Nov 30th 1940, but ran into a hurricane and had to return. Arriving at Halifax on Dec 18th 1940, she remained under repair until mid-Mar 1941, when she took up the role of local escort. In Aug 1941, she joined NEF, escorting convoys to Iceland. In May 1942, following six months' refit at Saint John, N.B., she escorted her first convoy, SC.84, to the U.K.,and was thereafter employed constantly on the "Newfie-Derry" run. In Apr 1943, she was assigned to EG C-1, and in Jun 1943 to C-5. During this period she sank U Boat U-90 while escorting convoy ON.113 on Jul 24th 1942, and on March 4th 1943, while accompanying convoy KMS.10 from Britain to Algeria, she assisted HMCS Shediac in destroying U-87. In Aug 1943, St. Croix was allocated to support group EG 9 for an offensive against U-boats crossing the Bay of Biscay, but the group was diverted to the assistance of a series of convoys beset by U-boats in the Atlantic.While thus engaged, with convoy ON.202, St. Croix was torpedoed and sunk by U-305 on Sep 20th 1943, south of Iceland. Five officers and 76 men were rescued by River Class Destroyer HMS Itchen, but only one of these survived the loss of Itchen as she was torpedoed by U Boat UC-44 on September 23rd 1943.

[greendragon]

HMCS StCroix was hit first time in stern causing damages but taking little water, had damaged port propeller but the engine and boiler rooms were ok. The ship had chances for surviving.
Only 5 crewmembers were killed but many wounded.
Unfortunately U305 (Bahr) observed his prey and finished the flushdecker with an another torpedo.
The only survivor from HMCS StCroix was stoker William Fisher from Victoria , British Columbia.
After sinking of his destroyer he and 80 of the other StCroix crewmembers were rescued by the frigate HMS Itchen as well as only one man from the sunken corvette HMS Polyanthus.
The latter also rescued some men from the StCroix but soon after was sunk with only one crew member rescued by Itchen.
Bill Fisher was rescued by the Polish merchant s/s Wisla (3400BRt, 5100DWt, built in England in 1928). The Master of the ship stopped his vessel in the middle of battle between escort and uboat wolf pack , launched a seaboat and rescued also the only two survivors from HMS Itchen - Seaman Flood and SubLt Clark.
The merchant was sort of a guardian angel for the Canadians because on the 26 MAR 1941 he rescued crew of burning Canadian patrol boat Otter.
On the 10SEP 1941 the ship saved 66 seamen from the tanker Bulysses torpedoed and burning.
In both the actions the ship had not a special rescue tasks assigned.
Before the war in 1939 while on the Med Wisla found and towed to a port a small Arab schooner which for some reason was not able to reach its destination port.
s/s Wisla was the lucky ship - he transported 90 000 tons of war materials in 18 runs from the States to UK (all together 36 trips in convoys) across the Atlantic.
After the war the ship was working till 1961, then for 14 years served as floating magazine ending her almost 50 years life at the breakers in Belgium.

[timlewin]

to feel what these conditions were really like i recommend everyone to read "50 North" by Lt. Cdr Alan Easton who commanded two corvettes including Sackville, a frigate and ex-RN destroyer in the Atlantic battleground. I republished this as an eBook on Amazon et al last year. Easton's narrative really puts you there on the open bridge of his tiny ship surrounded by u-boats, a classic of its time.
tim