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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2002

HMCS ST CLAIR (I 65) - ex-US Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMCS St Clair (Photo Ships, click to enlarge) return to Contents List 
 

Ex-USS WILLIAMS (Type C NEWPORT-Class) built by Union Iron Works at San Francisco. The ship was laid down on 25th March 1918 and launched on 4th July that year. Commissioned on 1st March 1919 for US Naval Service this ship was deployed in the Pacific until 1922 when she was laid up in Reserve at San Diego .In 1940 she was brought forward for US Navy use and deployed for Neutrality Patrol 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 CLAIR 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 USA. The name in this case being that of the Lake bordering on both countries. It had not been previously used by the RCN.

 

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

 

(for more ship information,  go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

 

 

1 9 4 0

 

September

 

24th - Transferred to RCN at Halifax and commissioned as HMCS WILLIAMS (Note: Later the ship was renamed HMCS ST CLAIR)

 

October

 

Deployed for Local Escort of convoys between Halifax and St Johns, Newfoundland.

 

November

 

Nominated for refit in UK. (Note: Ships of this Class were modified to suit future RN use as convoy escorts. Changes made varied between ships depending upon their first intended use. In this case changes were made as required by the RCN and limited to the removal of the mainmast and the after torpedo tubes.)

 

25th - Took passage to UK as part of the escort of eastbound Convoy HX 91.

 

December

 

11th - Arrived in Clyde and taken in hand for refit work at commercial shipyard.

 

 

1 9 4 1

 

January

 

Refit work transferred to HM Dockyard, Devonport and took passage to Plymouth

 

February

 

Under refit

 

March

 

17th - Refit completed and carried out post refit trials.

 

On completion took passage to Tobermory for work-up. Carried out brief work-up and nominated for Local Escort of military convoy WS7 during passage in NW Approaches.

 

25th - Joined HM Destroyers LEGION, BROADWATER, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, MATABELE, SOMALI, ROCKINGHAM, Free French Destroyer LEOPARD and and Polish Destroyer PIORUN with HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers VICEROY, WINCHELSEA, ECLIPSE and FOXHOUND to reinforce Local Escort during initial part of passage to Freetown in NW Approaches.

 

27th - Detached from WS7 with HM Destroyers BROADWATER, BEDOUIN, MASHONA MATABELE and SOMALI and took return passage to Clyde.

 

April

 

Deployed with 4th Escort Group in NW Approaches for convoy escort

 

May

 

Western Approaches deployment in continuation.

 

24th - Diverted to assist in search for German battleship BISMARCK by Home Fleet ships.

 

28th - During return passage to Clyde with HM Destroyers TARTAR and MASHONA after the sinking of BISMARCK came under sustained air attacks during which HMS MASHONA was hit and disabled. After taking part in rescue of survivors sank hulk before continuing passage.

 

29th - Transferred to Newfoundland Escort Force (NEF) and took passage to join escort for westbound Convoy OB328 during passage to Dispersal Point in NW Approaches.

 

June

 

2nd - Detached from OB328 when ships dispersed and took passage to St Johns.

 

7th - Arrived at St Johns and commenced operational service with NEF.

 

Involved in collision with oil tanker CLAM in harbour. Passage to repair yard in Halifax

.

26th - Taken in hand for repair

 

July to October

 

Under repair

 

November

 

11th - Carried out post refit trials on completion and resumed operational duties with Western Local Escort Force for duties between Halifax and St Johns.

 

December

 

WLEF duties in continuation.

 

 

1 9 4 2

 

January

 

Local Escort duties in continuation.

 

27th - Rescued survivors from ss NYHOLT. (Note: This ship was not British flagged and was not part of an Atlantic convoy. It may 

be assumed she was either sunk whilst steaming independently or part of a local convoy.)

 

February to December

 

WLEF escort duties in continuation.

 

 

1 9 4 3

 

January to May

 

WLEF duties in continuation

 

June to November

 

Deployed with Canadian Escort Group W2 for convoy defence. (Note: Detached for two months in this period and deployed at Halifax as Tender to HMCS CORNWALLIS, the RCN base at Halifax.)

 

December

 

Nominated for withdrawal from convoy defence and for use as depot dhip for accommodation of RN submarine crews carrying out A/S training at Halifax. (Note: It is assumed that this ship was withdrawn when operational availability was significantly reduced by defects common to this Class of ship, such as fuel contamination and machinery breakdown.)

 

 

1 9 4 4

 

January to April

 

Deployed as depot ship in St Margarets Bay.

 

May

 

Taken in hand for dockyard repair.

 

June

 

Under repair.

 

July

 

Future use under consideration.

 

August

 

Paid-off and withdrawn from sea service. Deployed at Halifax in Bedford Basin as damage control training ship. (Note: CAPTAIN-Class frigates were becoming available with other new escorts, for which experienced crews were required.)

 

September to December

 

Damage control training duties at Halifax in continuation.

 

 

1 9 4 5

 

January to August

 

Bedford Basin duties in continuation.

 

  

P o s t   W a r    Notes

 

HMCS ST CLAIR continued use for Damage Control Basin until placed on Sales List. She was sold on 5th March 1946 and broken-up locally in 1947.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMCS ST CLAIR

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above 

 

 

 

 

 

Date Convoy Sailed

Joined Convoy as Escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date Convoy Arrived

 

 

 

 

 

27/03/41

10/04/41

HX 117

15/04/41

15/04/41

30/04/41

02/05/41

OB 317

06/05/41

06/05/41

24/04/41

09/05/41

HG 060

12/05/41

12/05/41

27/04/41

20/05/41

SL 073

unknown

25/05/41

29/05/41

30/05/41

OB 328

02/06/41

02/06/41

10/12/41

14/12/41

SC 059

18/12/41

27/12/41

23/01/42

23/01/42

SC 066

26/01/42

09/02/42

01/02/42

01/02/42

HX 173

04/02/42

14/02/42

13/02/42

13/02/42

HX 175

15/02/42

25/02/42

19/02/42

19/02/42

HX 176

23/02/42

06/03/42

20/02/42

01/03/42

ON 069

04/03/42

06/03/42

09/03/42

09/03/42

HX 179

13/03/42

22/03/42

21/03/42

21/03/42

NA 006

23/03/42

28/03/42

23/03/42

01/04/42

ON 079

05/04/42

07/04/42

11/04/42

11/04/42

SC 079

15/04/42

27/04/42

10/04/42

20/04/42

ON 085

22/04/42

23/04/42

30/04/42

30/04/42

SC 082

04/05/42

16/05/42

01/05/42

11/05/42

ON 091

15/05/42

15/05/42

12/05/42

24/05/42

ON 094

25/05/42

25/05/42

29/05/42

29/05/42

SC 085

31/05/42

12/06/42

29/05/42

07/06/42

ON 099

12/06/42

12/06/42

19/06/42

19/06/42

SC 088

21/06/42

04/07/42

19/06/42

28/06/42

ON 105

unknown

30/06/42

02/07/42

03/07/42

BX 027

04/07/42

04/07/42

03/07/42

03/07/42

BX 027B

05/07/42

05/07/42

19/07/42

19/07/42

XB 030

21/07/42

21/07/42

22/07/42

22/07/42

BX 030

24/07/42

24/07/42

26/07/42

26/07/42

XB 031

28/07/42

28/07/42

30/07/42

30/07/42

BX 031

01/08/42

01/08/42

02/08/42

02/08/42

XB 032

04/08/42

04/08/42

05/08/42

05/08/42

BX 032

07/08/42

07/08/42

27/11/42

30/11/42

HX 217

04/12/42

14/12/42

23/11/42

06/12/42

ON 148

12/12/42

13/12/42

13/12/42

15/12/42

HX 219

19/12/42

29/12/42

09/12/42

23/12/42

ON 152

25/12/42

31/12/42

29/12/42

31/12/42

HX 221

05/01/43

14/01/43

24/12/42

08/01/43

ON 156

12/01/43

17/01/43

24/01/43

08/02/43

ON 163

13/02/43

16/02/43

09/03/43

11/03/43

HX 229A

15/03/43

26/03/43

09/03/43

21/03/43

ON 172

24/03/43

27/03/43

01/04/43

04/04/43

HX 232

05/04/43

16/04/43

31/03/43

13/04/43

ON 176

17/04/43

20/04/43

24/04/43

26/04/43

HX 236

30/04/43

09/05/43

24/04/43

07/05/43

ON 180

13/05/43

14/05/43

19/05/43

19/05/43

HX 240

22/05/43

04/06/43

25/05/43

28/05/43

HX 241

31/05/43

10/06/43

24/05/43

02/06/43

ON 186

06/06/43

07/06/43

01/06/43

12/06/43

ON 187

15/06/43

15/06/43

23/06/43

23/06/43

HX 245

29/06/43

07/07/43

24/06/43

03/07/43

ON 190

06/07/43

09/07/43

09/08/43

09/08/43

SC 139

13/08/43

24/08/43

06/08/43

17/08/43

ONS 015

21/08/43

21/08/43

20/08/43

21/08/43

XB 070

23/08/43

23/08/43

26/08/43

07/09/43

ON 199

09/09/43

09/09/43

16/09/43

16/09/43

HX 257

22/09/43

30/09/43

22/09/43

06/10/43

ON 203

10/10/43

10/10/43

11/10/43

11/10/43

HX 261

17/10/43

26/10/43

11/10/43

21/10/43

ON 206

24/10/43

27/10/43

24/10/43

04/11/43

ON 208

07/11/43

07/11/43

19/11/43

19/11/43

HX 267

24/11/43

03/12/43

19/11/43

29/11/43

ON 212

03/12/43

05/12/43

02/12/43

04/12/43

HX 269

05/12/43

16/12/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys) 

 

 

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revised 5/7/11
further editing is required