USS Sigsbee ( DD - 502 ) USS " Sigsbee " ( DD - 502 ) , a " Fletcher " - class destroyer , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Charles D . Sigsbee ( 1845 – 1923 ) . " Sigsbee " was laid down on 22 July 1942 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co . , Kearny , N . J . ; launched on 7 December 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs . A . O . Fischer ; and commissioned on 23 January 1943 , Commander . Benjamin V . Russell in command . 1943 . " Sigsbee " completed outfitting three weeks later and sailed to Casco Bay , Maine , for 10 days of gunnery and torpedo practice before sailing to Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , to complete her shakedown . She returned to the Brooklyn Navy Yard , New York , for post - shakedown overhaul . Upon completion , the destroyer escorted " Birmingham " ( CL - 62 ) to Norfolk . On 4 April , she escorted two tankers to Casco Bay and returned . Next was an escort trip with " Independence " ( CV - 22 ) and " Guest " ( DD - 472 ) to Trinidad , B . W . I . , where the aircraft carrier trained her air group . Upon her return to Norfolk , " Sigsbee " refueled and with " Guest " and " Earle " ( DD - 635 ) escorted " Lexington " ( CV - 16 ) to Trinidad arriving on 16 May . On 8 June , the destroyer was detached from the group and proceeded independently to New York . " Sigsbee " operated between New York , Casco Bay , and Norfolk until 22 July . On that date , the destroyer , with " Harrison " ( DD - 573 ) , " Daly " ( DD - 519 ) , and " Lexington " , stood out of Norfolk en route to Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal . The canal was transited on 27 July , and " Sigsbee " arrived at Pearl Harbor on 9 August . In mid - August , " Sigsbee " joined the task group built around carriers " Yorktown " ( CV - 10 ) , " Essex " ( CV - 9 ) , and " Independence " ( CVL - 22 ) commanded by Rear Admiral Charles Alan Pownall for raids against Marcus Island in which considerable damage was done to enemy installations . " Sigsbee " returned to Pearl Harbor on 8 September 1943 . " Sigsbee " was off Wake Island three weeks later and participated in the bombardment of that island on 5 October . On 21 October , the destroyer stood out of Pearl Harbor en route to Efate , New Hebrides . She arrived on 5 November and spent the next two weeks in training with transports . On 13 November , " Sigsbee " sortied with Task Unit 53 . 1 . 4 ( TU 53 . 1 . 4 ) for the Gilbert Islands . On 22 and 23 November , she bombarded Betio , at Tarawa Atoll . She then returned to Pearl Harbor on 14 December for a yard availability period . 1944 . On 22 January 1944 , " Sigsbee " sailed out of Pearl Harbor with Task Force 52 ( TF 52 ) to participate in the assault and capture of Kwajalein , Marshall Islands . The destroyer bombarded Ennylabegan Island on the morning of 31 January and , that evening , " Sigsbee " and " Ringgold " ( DD - 500 ) entered the lagoon to protect American shipping and provide call - fire for troops ashore . The destroyer remained in the Marshall Islands until 1 March when she departed for Efate . " Sigsbee " sortied from there , on 20 March , with TF 37 to participate in the bombardment of Kavieng , New Ireland . In April , " Sigsbee " patrolled the entrance to Humboldt Bay until the 26th when she screened a convoy to Cape Cretin . After patrolling in the Guadalcanal area for several weeks , " Sigsbee " joined TU 53 . 1 . 14 to take part in the Marianas campaign . The destroyer bombarded the Guam beaches during the period 16 to 18 July as well as covering the underwater demolition team s ( UDTs ) on the beaches . She then joined the picket screen and remained off Guam until 3 August . " Sigsbee " returned to Humboldt Bay for a month and then joined TF 77 , proceeded to Morotai Island , North Moluccas , and provided fire support for the landings on Cape Podangi in mid - September . " Sigsbee " returned to Humboldt Bay and was assigned to TF 78 . The force sortied on 3 October for the assault and landings on Leyte , P . I . , on the 20th . After the invasion of Leyte , the destroyer sailed for San Francisco and an overhaul , arriving there on 15 November 1944 . " Sigsbee " was back in Pearl Harbor on 19 January 1945 and then sailed for Ulithi where she joined TF 58 , the Fast Carrier Task Force . 1945 . On 16 February , the task force launched air strikes against Japan and Okinawa in support of the landings on Iwo Jima . On 14 March , the fast carriers and " Sigsbee " again steamed out of Ulithi for air strikes against the Japanese home islands to neutralize the airfields in preparation for the forthcoming assault on Okinawa . The destroyer then joined the radar picket ships off that island and remained there until 14 April . On that date , the destroyer was struck aft of her number five gun by a kamikaze suicide plane . The port engine was knocked out of commission , the starboard engine could only be run at five knots , steering control was lost , and the ship began to take on water . Cmdr . Gordon Pai ' ea Chung - Hoon in command of " Sigsbee " continued to fight his ship and direct anti - aircraft fire , while at the same time directing damage control parties that saved his ship . Twenty - three sailors were killed in the attack . " Sigsbee " was towed south to Guam ( out of the battle area ) where she was sufficiently repaired for the long tow back to Pearl Harbor ( via Eniwetok ) . The destroyer arrived there on 7 June 1945 and had a complete new 60 - foot stern installed . Ready for sea again , the ship sailed out of port on 28 September en route to the east coast of the United States . On 22 October , she arrived at Philadelphia . The following week , the ship moved to Charleston to prepare for inactivation . On 1 May 1946 , the destroyer was placed in commission , in reserve . On 31 March 1947 , " Sigsbee " was placed in reserve , out of commission , with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . On 1 December 1974 , she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register , and on 31 July 1975 the ship was sold and broken up for scrap . Awards . " Sigsbee " was awarded 11 battle star s for World War II service .