CRESCENT after her DDE conversion. © Sandy McClearn

'Cr' Class (DD / DDE) destroyer / destroyer escort

'Cr' Class

Characteristics: Configuration: As Built Final Ship: Both CRUSADER CRESCENT Displacement: 1,730 tons full load 2,700 tons full load Dimensions: 110.64 x 10.97 x 3.66 meters (363 x 36 x 12 feet) Propulsion: 2 shafts; 2-Admiralty 3 drum type boilers; 2-Parsons geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp; 36.75 knots (max), 31.25 knots (service) Crew: 250 approx. Aviation: none Hangar: none Radar: Type 293 1 SPS-6C air search 1 Sperry Mk.2 navigation 1 SPS-10 air/surface 1 Sonar:    (information is best guess only, based on Tribal and ST. LAURENT class fits, and is largely not backed up by published information) Type 144 and 144Q 1 Type 147F Unlikely, as these ships never received Squid. Type 164B Unlikely, as these ships never received Squid. SQS 501 (Type 162) 1 SQS 502 (Type 170) 1 SQS 10 1 (Possibly) 1 (Probably) SQS 504 VDS Prototype 1 Fire Control: (Director with Fire Control Radar) Mk.6 with Type 275 1 Removed sometime after Korean War. Mk.63 with SPG-34 2 Configuration: As Built Final Ship: Both CRUSADER CRESCENT EW:  ?? Guns: (listed as number of mountings with position noted) 4.5"/45 QF Mk.IV single 4 (A, B, X, Y) 3 (A, B, X) 4"/45 QF Mk.16 twin 1 (A) 3"/50 Mk.33 twin 1 (X) 40mm/56 Mk.IV Hazemeyer 1 40mm/56 Mk.5 twin 1 (replaced Mk.IV) 40mm/56 Bofors Mk.7 2 (CRUSADER only, aft of funnel) 2 (aft of funnel) 40mm/56 Boffin 2 (CRESCENT only, aft of funnel) 2 (below bridge) 2 (beside funnel) 20mm Oerlikon 2 (possibly 4) ASW & Torpedoes: 21" torpedo tubes 1 quad launcher with Mk.IX torpedoes Mk.4 launcher with Mk.43 torpedoes Possibly fitted sometime after Korea. 2, possibly 3 Mk.VII DCs 1 rail + 2 Mk.IV throwers Hedgehog Possibly two small mountings during Korea. Limbo Mk.NC 10 ASW mortars 2 <>Ships:   Name Pendant Commissioned Refits Paid Off CRESCENT R16/226 10/9/45 1956 1/4/70 CRUSADER R20/228 15/11/45 ?? 15/1/60 Notes: Towards the end of the Second World War, the Royal Navy built a number of destroyers of the C class, which was further split into the Ca, Ch, Co, and Cr classes. CRESCENT and CRUSADER belonged to the Cr class, and as a result had all-welded construction while the earlier Ca class at least had a considerable amount of rivetting. HMS CAVALIER, a member of the Ca class, is preserved at the Chatham Historical Dockyard in the United Kingdom. A total of eight Cr ships were originally to have been transferred to the RCN, but the war ended before any of them were completed, and only CRESCENT and CRUSADER ended up being transferred. The transfer was made permanent in 1951. CRESCENT and CRUSADER entered RCN service in 1945 as primarily all-gun destroyers, with secondary armament in the form of torpedoes. When they arrived, they were similar to the two 'V' class destroyers that the RCN had aquired during WWII, with the primary difference being the slightly lighter main armament (4.5" versus 4.7") and only a single torpedo launcher. CRUSADER was almost imediately paid off into reserve upon arrival, while CRESCENT was taken in hand a few years later for conversion to what the British called a "fast ASW frigate" (pictured above) as was ALGONQUIN of the 'V' class - this was otherwise known as a Type 15 frigate in the Royal Navy. CRESCENT re-entered service in 1956 in this greatly altered form, and carried much of the equipment that was fitted to the new ST. LAURENT class, including a 3"/50 twin gun aft, a new enclosed bridge, US pattern radar, and two Limbo ASW mortars. She also had a "new" 4"/45 Mk.16 twin mounting forward. CRUSADER, meanwhile, recommissioned and served two tours of duty during the Korean War in pretty much her original configuration, and later tested a prototype VDS (variable depth sonar) that was installed permanently in CRESCENT in 1960. CRUSADER paid off in 1960, and was sold for scrap in 1963. When CRESCENT was sent to Taiwan in 1971 to be scrapped, she left Victoria along with ALGONQUIN. Photos: (click on thumbnail for larger image) CRESCENT Notes: 1. Shown here in 1945, and with her wartime camoflage and pendant number. CRUSADER would have appeared almost identical during this period. Courtesy of Corvus Publishing Group./Canada's Navy. 2. After her 1956 refit, she appeared similar to ALGONQUIN after the latter's refit. She and ALGONQUIN received a number of features during this refit that were included in the ST. LAURENT design.  DND photo, Courtesy of RCNA Peregrine. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 CRUSADER Notes: 1. Underway in the 1950s sometime after the Korean War, with the prototype VDS fitted, but before the Mk.6 fire control system was removed. DND photo, Courtesy of RCNA Peregrine. 2. Again with the VDS fitted, but after the Mk.6 fire control system was removed, this photo was probably taken soon before she paid off. DND photo, Courtesy of Dave Shirlaw. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sources: Barrie, Ron and Macpherson, Ken. (2002). This Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-2002. Vanwell Publishing Ltd. St. Catherines, Ont. Steed, Roger G. (1999). Canadian Warships Since 1956. Vanwell Publishing Ltd. St. Catherines, ON. Jane's Fighting Ships, Various Editions  Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships, Various Editions   With information from the files of Jerry Proc. ASDIC, RADAR, and IFF Systems Aboard HMCS HAIDA website by Jerry Proc. Correspondence with B. Lake.

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