Changes

Upon commissioning, Bancroft conducted her shakedown cruise and then joined the [[Atlantic Fleet]] for normal training evolutions. However, in less than five months, she was placed in commission, in reserve. With a [[skeleton crew]] embarked for maintenance purposes, the destroyer remained in a state of semi active unreadiness for a little more than 30 months. She descended to complete inactivity on 11 July 1922 when she was decommissioned and berthed with the reserve fleet at Philadelphia. She remained there for more than 17 years.

Upon commissioning, Bancroft conducted her shakedown cruise and then joined the [[Atlantic Fleet]] for normal training evolutions. However, in less than five months, she was placed in commission, in reserve. With a [[skeleton crew]] embarked for maintenance purposes, the destroyer remained in a state of semi active unreadiness for a little more than 30 months. She descended to complete inactivity on 11 July 1922 when she was decommissioned and berthed with the reserve fleet at Philadelphia. She remained there for more than 17 years.

On 1 September 1939, [[Germany]] ignited [[World War II]] with its invasion of [[Poland]]. On the 6th, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established a neutrality patrol to keep the war out of the western hemisphere. Since the patrols called for more warships than were then active with the Atlantic Squadron, Bancroft was refurbished and recommissioned on 18 December 1939, Lt. Ernest St. C. Von Kleeck, Jr., in command. Initially assigned to the West Gulf Patrol, based at Galveston, Tex., the destroyer continued that assignment for about nine months, to enforce the President's proclamation of United States' neutrality and to keep open warfare out of the western hemisphere.

On 1 September 1939, [[Germany]] ignited [[World War II]] with its invasion of [[Poland]]. On the 6th, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established a neutrality patrol to keep the war out of the western hemisphere. Since the patrols called for more warships than were then active with the Atlantic Squadron, Bancroft was refurbished and recommissioned on 18 December 1939, Lt. Ernest St. C. Von Kleeck Jr., in command. Initially assigned to the West Gulf Patrol, based at Galveston, Tex., the destroyer continued that assignment for about nine months, to enforce the President's proclamation of United States' neutrality and to keep open warfare out of the western hemisphere.

After the fall of [[France]] early in the summer of 1940, many Americans President Roosevelt among them came to regard the maintenance of [[England]]'s resistance as essential to American security. Accordingly, he sought ways to support the British war efforts. One of the measures he adopted was the trade exchanging 50 overage destroyers to the British Commonwealth in return for bases in the western hemisphere on British colonial soil. Bancroft was one of the destroyers chosen for the trade. She was decommissioned on 24 September 1940 at [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]], and simultaneously transferred to the [[Royal Canadian Navy]].

After the fall of [[France]] early in the summer of 1940, many Americans President Roosevelt among them came to regard the maintenance of [[England]]'s resistance as essential to American security. Accordingly, he sought ways to support the British war efforts. One of the measures he adopted was the trade exchanging 50 overage destroyers to the British Commonwealth in return for bases in the western hemisphere on British colonial soil. Bancroft was one of the destroyers chosen for the trade. She was decommissioned on 24 September 1940 at [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]], and simultaneously transferred to the [[Royal Canadian Navy]].