Hunting New England Shipwrecks

Shipwreck Data
Vessel Name	HMCS Saint Francis
Other Names	Built as USS Bancroft (DD-256) and mistakenly known by most divers as HMCS Saint Clair. Vessel was part of a lend-lease deal with Great Britain during World War II and was placed under the command of the Royal Canadian Navy. HMCS stands for "His/Her Majesty's Canadian Ship."
Vessel Type	Destroyer (Clemson Class)
Owner	Boston Metals Company
Length / Beam / Draft (feet)	314' / 31' / 9'
Tonnage	1,060
Hull Construction	Steel
Propulsion	Steam / Prop
Cargo
Built	1919 at Quincy, MA
Date of Loss	July 14, 1945
Reason for Loss	Collision in fog with collier Windward Gulf. At the time of sinking, the Saint Francis was being towed away to be scrapped. The Windward Gulf did not sink.
Fatalities	None
Location	Inner Mayo Ledge, Buzzards Bay, off Westport, MA
Coordinates (Lat/Lon)	41-27-42N / 71-06-20W
Coordinates (Loran C)
Water Depth (feet)	60'
Typical Visibility (feet)	10 - 20'
Wreck Condition	After sinking, the wreck was blown up and flattened. Scattered wreckage remains.
Diving Considerations
Other Information	Wreck location is marked on NOAA chart as WK-5

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HMCS Saint Francis (Bill Carter collection)	Restored lantern from Saint Francis (Bill Carter collection)