USS McCook (DD-252)

The first USS "McCook" (DD-252) was a "Clemson"-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She transferred to the Royal Navy and then to the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS "St. Croix" (I81) during World War II.

As USS "McCook"

Named for Roderick S. McCook, she was laid down 10 September 1918 and launched 31 January 1919 at the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation; sponsored by Mrs. Henry C. Dinger; and commissioned 30 April 1919, Lieutenant Commander G. B. Ashe in command.

Following shakedown, "McCook" was assigned to Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet. She operated along the east coast until decommissioning at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 30 June 1922. She remained in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until recommissioned 18 December 1939. The next year "McCook" was designated for exchange under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement with Great Britain. Steaming to Halifax, Nova Scotia, she arrived 20 September 1940. Decommissioned on the 24th, she was transferred to Great Britain on the same date, but due to manpower shortages in the Royal Navy, she was retransferred immediately to the Canadian Navy and commissioned as HMCS "St. Croix" (I81). Following the Canadian practice of naming destroyers after Canadian rivers (but with deference to the U.S. origin), "St. Croix" was named after the St. Croix River forming the border between Maine and New Brunswick. [Milner 1985 p.23]

As HMCS "St. Croix"

Delayed by repairs necessitated by hurricane damage, on 14 March 1941 "St. Croix" assumed escort and patrol duties in Canadian waters. At the end of August she joined the Newfoundland Escort Force and plied between St. John’s, Newfoundland and Reykjavík. By May 1942 the force had been renamed the Mid-Ocean Escort Force and its range extended to Londonderry Port.

"St. Croix" sank U-90 on 24 July 1942, which, with other U-boats, had attacked her convoy (ON 113) on the 23rd, sinking two merchantmen and damaging a third. On the return voyage, Convoy ON-127 was attacked by 13 U-boats. Between 10 September and 14 September eleven merchantmen and one destroyer were lost.

En route from Londonderry Port to Gibraltar on 4 March 1943 with Convoy KMS 10, she assisted HMCS "Shediac" (K100) in the sinking of U-87 some 200 miles (370 km) off the Iberian coast.

With the addition of air escort to convoy defense in 1943, U-boat tolls in the North Atlantic diminished and many of the boats were withdrawn during the summer. In the fall, however, Germany began a new U-boat offensive. On 16 September, "St. Croix", then on her first patrol with an offensive striking group in the Bay of Biscay, went to the aid of convoy ONS 18, followed by ON 202, both heavily beset by a wolfpack. The defense of these convoys resulted in a long-running battle with losses to both sides. The convoys lost three escorts and six merchantmen, with two escorts damaged. The wolfpack lost three U-boats.

"St. Croix" was the first escort to be sunk, taking three hits in the stern on the 20th. HMS "Polyanthus" (K47) was sunk as she came up to screen HMS "Itchen""'s" rescue operations. "Itchen" (K227), forced to retire that evening, returned the next morning and picked up 81 survivors from "St. Croix" and one from "Polyanthus". The following day, 22 September, "Itchen" herself was torpedoed. Three men were rescued, two from "Itchen", one from "St. Croix".

An additional member of the St. Croix crew survived by virtue of not having been aboard. Chester Francis "Frank" Rudolph was involved in a bar fight just prior to the St. Croix leaving on her fateful final mission, and was prevented from shipping out due to a badly cut up hand.Fact|date=May 2008

Naval officials didn't realize initially that Rudolph hadn't been aboard, as his family received 3 telegrams stating he'd been lost at sea, then rescued, then lost again, all the while he was in a military hospital in Halifax.Fact|date=May 2008

See also

* See USS "McCook" for other ships of this name.
* List of United States Navy destroyers

Notes

References

*
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m7/mccook-i.htm

External links

*http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/252.htm