HMCS St. Croix (DDE 256)

HMCS St. Croix (DDE 256) was a Restigouche-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and later the Canadian Forces from 1958-1974. The fourth ship commissioned of a class of seven, St. Croix was laid down on 15 October 1954 at Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel and launched on 17 November 1956. She commissioned into the RCN on 4 October 1958 and thereafter carried pennant number 256 as a destroyer escort. She was the second ship named HMCS St. Croix to serve in the RCN.

St. Croix, along with HMCS Columbia (DDE 260) and HMCS Chaudiere (DDE 235), was one of three Restigouche class DDEs not selected by the RCN for modernization in the Improved Restigouche (IRE) project of the late 1960s. All three paid off to reserve in 1974 (St. Croix on 15 November 1974) as economies required by government reductions in authorized strength. Her weapons and screws removed she was used primarily as an engineering training hulk while alongside at CFB Halifax until sent to the breakers in 1991.

St. Croix was not refitted as IRE, did not have ASROC, maintained 4x3 inch armament until we decommissioned her in 1974 after transit from Esquimalt.