USS Cony ( DD - 508 ) USS " Cony " ( DD / DDE - 508 ) , a " Fletcher " - class destroyer , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Joseph S . Cony ( 1834 – 1867 ) , a naval officer during the Civil War . " Cony " was launched 16 August 1942 by Bath Iron Works Corp . , Bath , Maine ; sponsored by Mrs . W . R . Sleight ; and commissioned 30 October 1942 at Boston , Lieutenant Commander Harry D . Johnson in command . 1943 . " Cony " escorted a troop convoy from Norfolk to Nouméa , New Caledonia , where she arrived 27 January 1943 . She patrolled between Espiritu Santo and Efate , and on 6 March joined in the bombardment of the Vila - Stanmore area on Kolombangara , continuing her patrol and escort duties until clearing for overhaul at San Francisco 28 April . She returned to action waters at Espiritu Santo 1 August , and after screening a group of transports to Guadalcanal , she brought fire support and was Admiral Theodore S . Wilkinson ' s flagship for the landings on Vella Lavella on 15 August . She continued patrols and escorted supplies to Vella Lavella until returning to Espiritu Santo 8 September . From 20 September 1943 , " Cony " patrolled through the Solomons , and from 1 to 3 October joined in a sweep against Japanese barges attempting to evacuate Kolombangara . On 27 October , she sailed to cover the landings on the Treasuries . Here complete surprise was achieved , but Japanese reaction came quickly , and later that day about 25 enemy bombers attacked " Cony " and " Philip " ( DD - 498 ) . Aided by American fighter aircraft , " Cony " and her sister splashed 12 of the enemy planes , but " Cony " received two bomb hits on her main deck , and these with a near miss killed 8 of her men , wounded 10 , and caused considerable damage . She was towed into Port Purvis for emergency repairs , and sailed on to Mare Island Naval Shipyard for a complete overhaul . 1944 . Returning to Port Purvis 27 March 1944 , " Cony " patrolled along the southwest coast of Bougainville , hunting Japanese barges and submarines , and giving fire support to troops ashore in the Empress Augusta Bay area . She sailed from Port Purvis 4 May for Majuro and Pearl Harbor , where she joined the screen of a transport group bound for Eniwetok and the Saipan landings on 15 June . " Cony " screened the transports as they unloaded and carried out antisubmarine patrol until 14 July , when she sailed to replenish at Eniwetok . Six days later she sailed for preinvasion bombardment on Tinian , remaining to patrol in the antisubmarine screen when the landings on Tinian began on 24 July . " Cony " returned to Guadalcanal 24 August 1944 to prepare for the assault on the Palau Islands . She screened carriers as they launched air raids supporting the landings on Peleliu between 15 and 30 September , then put in to Manus to replenish . The destroyer put to sea once more 12 October , screening and providing fire support for underwater demolition team s and bombardment groups in Leyte Gulf between 19 and 21 October as the landings began . As Japanese forces entered Leyte Gulf on 24 October to begin the Battle of Surigao Strait phase of the epic Battle for Leyte Gulf , " Cony " took her station with the battleship s and cruiser s in the battleline , joining in the furious firing of the night action , and pursuing and constantly dueling with Japanese destroyer " Asagumo " , finally sunk in the morning of 25 October with the aid of fire from another destroyer and two cruisers . After voyaging to Manus for replenishment , " Cony " returned to Leyte Gulf for patrol duties 16 November 1944 . On the nights of 29 – 30 November and 1 – 2 December she joined in sweeps of Ormoc Bay , hunting Japanese shipping . Targets were few , but her group sent a barge to the bottom on their second foray , and bombarded enemy positions on the shores of the bay in preparation for the landings in Ormoc Bay a few days later . " Cony " put in to Kossol Roads from 4 to 10 December , then sailed to screen carriers providing air cover for attack groups passing from Leyte to Mindoro , returning to Kossol Roads 19 December . 1945 . " Cony " arrived at Manus 23 December 1944 and sailed 8 days later to screen transports to the Lingayen Gulf landings on 9 January 1945 . She cleared the Gulf 11 January to screen empty transports and cargo ships to San Pedro Bay , Leyte , and then took up patrol duty in Lingayen Gulf . The destroyer covered the reconnaissance and sweeping of Baler Bay between 26 February and 10 March by destroyer escort " Formoe " ( DE - 509 ) , minesweepers " Sentry " ( AM - 299 ) and " Salute " ( AM - 294 ) , and stood by to provide fire support during the landings on Caballo Island in Manila Bay on 27 March . She bombarded Parang between 14 and 19 April , and patrolled in Davao Gulf early in May . On 7 June she sailed from Subic Bay to cover the landings at Brunei Bay , Borneo , on 9 June , and sailed on a fire - support mission aiding minesweeping operations and underwater demolition teams near Balikpapan , Borneo , from 13 June to 2 July . Returning to San Pedro Bay , " Cony " sailed on 11 July 1945 to escort transports to landings at Saragani Bay , Mindanao , providing fire support to the forces ashore until 13 July . Through August , she made an escort voyage between Leyte and Ulithi , and on 8 September , arrived in the approaches of the Yangtze River to act as navigational ship during minesweeping operations . Between 29 September and 6 October , she called at Shanghai , then sailed to investigate the compliance with the surrender terms of Japanese troops on Raffles Island in the Chusan Archipelago just off the China coast south of Shanghai . After making a mail run to Okinawa , she served as harbor entrance control ship at Shanghai until 19 November , when she sailed to Taiwan to serve as navigational ship for minesweeping operations in the Taiwan Straits . She sailed for home from Shanghai 20 December , and after calling at San Diego and New York , arrived at Charleston , S . C . , 13 March 1946 . There she was decommissioned and placed in reserve 18 June 1946 . 1949 – 1960 . Reclassified DDE - 508 on 26 March 1949 , " Cony " was converted to an escort destroyer , specially equipped for antisubmarine warfare , and recommissioned 17 November 1949 . After training and operations along the east coast and in the Caribbean , she sailed from her home - port , Norfolk , 14 May 1951 , on a cruise round the world , during which she operated in the Korean war zone from 18 June to 28 October , returning home by way of the Suez Canal , and arriving at Norfolk 20 December 1951 . In September 1953 , she again cleared on a distant deployment , taking part in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ( NATO ) Operation " Mariner " , then exercising with the Royal Navy in antisubmarine operations off Northern Ireland before continuing to a tour of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean . In 1955 and 1957 , she again served in the Mediterranean , and in September and October 1957 , joined in NATO antisubmarine exercises in the English Channel . Local operations and cruises to the Caribbean marked 1958 , and in 1959 and 1960 , It was reported by a crew member that around this time ( 1958 - 1959 ) the Cony was returning to Norfolk from the duty in the Caribbean and logged an unofficial speed of 37 knots . Upon arrival at port , they requested permission to dock , but were denied . They were ordered to wait for the rest of the fleet to return . The order was reportedly disregarded and they came into port anyway . " Cony " joined Task Force Alfa , an experimental tactical group concentrating on antisubmarine warfare , in its operations along the east coast . With this group , she visited Quebec City , Canada , in June 1960 . 1961 – 1969 . " Cony " took part in the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in April 1961 . " Cony " reverted to DD - 508 30 June 1962 . In October 1962 , she took part in the blockade of Cuba during the missile crisis . On 27 October , " Cony " intercepted the Soviet submarine " B - 59 " , an incident which nearly led to war between the United States and the Soviet Union . " Cony " was decommissioned and stricken 2 July 1969 . She was sunk as a target off Puerto Rico 20 March 1970 . Honors . " Cony " received 11 battle star s for World War II service , and two for Korean War service .