USS Ross ( DD - 563 ) USS " Ross " ( DD - 563 ) was a U . S . Navy " Fletcher " class destroyer named for Captain David Ross , a former Continental Navy lieutenant . The Ross is the only ship in U . S . naval history to survive two underwater mine explosions . The " Ross " was laid down on 7 September 1942 by the Seattle - Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp . , Seattle , Washington and launched on 10 September 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . William J . Malone . She was commissioned on 21 February 1944 , Commander Benjamin Coe commanding . She completed shakedown off California in early May 1944 and on 5 May sailed for Pearl Harbor . On 29 May she sortied with Task Force 52 ( TF 52 ) for Eniwetok , whence the fleet sailed for Saipan and the beginning of the Marianas Campaign . Marianas and Palaus campaign . Attached to the carrier support group for the invasion of Saipan , " Ross " arrived on station in the operating area to the east of the island on 14 June . Through the landings on the 15th , and until the 19th , she remained in that area providing screening and plane guard services for the carriers . On 19 June , she headed east with " Kalinin Bay " ( CVE - 68 ) to rendezvous with replacement aircraft from Eniwetok . On the 25th , the two ships rejoined the Saipan support force . " Ross " remained in the vicinity of Saipan and Tinian well into July , interrupting duty there only at the beginning of the month to escort another replacement aircraft run . On 1 August , the destroyer returned to Eniwetok , then headed for the Solomons to rehearse the Palau operation . On 6 September she departed Purvis Bay in Task Group 32 . 5 ( TG 32 . 5 ) , the Western Fire Support Group . Off Peleliu by dawn on 12 September , " Ross " screened the heavier ships as they began bombarding the proposed landing beaches . On the morning of the 13th , she closed White and Orange beaches to provide fire support for the Underwater Demolition Team s ( UDTs ) clearing the approaches of obstacles and through that day and the next she alternated between that mission and screening duty . On the night of 14 – 15 September , she shelled Ngesebus Island and conducted patrols to intercept enemy boat traffic . Then , prior to the 08 : 30 landings , she fired on enemy observation posts in the assault area . After the troops hit the beaches , she shifted to call fire support and until the 20th rotated that duty with night patrols and picket duty . On 20 August , " Ross " headed for Ulithi . Arriving the next day , she covered UDT operations on Asor , Falalop , and Sorlen . On the 23d , she covered the landings on Falalop and on the 24th she got underway to return to Peleliu . En route " Ross " stopped in Kossol Roads to embark Major General Julian Smith , USMC , and his staff , whom she transported to Peleliu . Arriving on 26 August , she provided harassing fire , call fire , and illumination until the 29th , when she sailed for Manus to prepare for her last amphibious operation , the invasion of Leyte . " Ross " disabled . On 12 October , " Ross " departed the Admiralties . Five days later she arrived off Dinagat Island . On the morning of the 18th , she covered landings there , on Black Beach 2 , then joined Task Unit 77 . 2 . 6 ( 77 . 2 . 6 ) to provide cover for that mine sweeping and hydrography unit . Her duty , however , ended abruptly less than 15 hours later . At 01 : 33 on 19 October , she struck a mine to port under the forward engineroom and fireroom ; and began to list to port . At 01 : 55 she struck a second mine in the vicinity of the after engineroom . The list increased to 14° . " Chickasaw " ( ATF - 83 ) and " Preserver " ( ARS - 8 ) closed to render assistance . Soon after 02 : 10 , " Ross " jettisoned six torpedo es , all port depth charge s , and miscellaneous gear . Topside movable weights were shifted to starboard . The list began to decrease . At 03 : 15 , her medical officer , the seriously injured , and the ship ' s funds were transferred to " Chickasaw " . At 03 : 43 , she was taken in tow by the ATF and 4 hours later anchored off Homonhon Island . Casualties from the mine explosions were three killed , 20 missing , nine injured . At 12 : 04 the anchorage was attacked by Japanese planes . Shrapnel injured two more from " Ross " ' crew . In the afternoon , the destroyer was towed to an anchorage south of Mariquitdaquit Island . At dawn on 20 October , that anchorage was attacked . Salvage work on " Ross " began . Air attacks caused frequent interruptions , but the work continued . On 23 November , she was shifted to the Northern Transport Area anchorage and on the 24th , she was towed into San Pedro Bay and docked in floating drydock ARD - 19 . The frequent air raids continued , and on the 28th , " Ross " sustained further damage . A Nakajima Ki - 44 " Tojo " crashed into the ARD , passed through the starboard wingwall , and caused gasoline - fed flames to encompass the dock basin deck . As firefighters went to work , another Japanese fighter began a strafing run , but was splashed by gunfire from " Ross " , the ARD and " LST - 556 " . Repairs to " Ross " were delayed as the ARD ' s crew repaired the drydock , but on 13 December the destroyer was underway under tow , for Humboldt Bay . There , further repairs were made and her journey was continued . On 2 March 1945 she reached Mare Island . Repairs complete , " Ross " moved down to San Diego at the end of June and in July she steamed for Pearl Harbor en route back to the Western Carolines . She arrived at Ulithi on 14 August , the day hostilities ended . From 24 August to 4 September , " Ross " was on air - sea rescue duty as occupation troops were moved by air from Okinawa to Tokyo . On the 5th , she entered Tokyo Bay and into October remained on occupation duty . " Ross " departed Japan for the United States on 21 October . On 9 November , she reported for inactivation at Seattle , and with the new year , she shifted to San Diego where she was decommissioned on 4 June 1946 . 1951 – 1953 . For the next 5 years " Ross " remained berthed with the Reserve Fleet at San Diego . In the summer of 1951 she was activated and on 27 October she was recommissioned . Into March 1952 she operated off southern California . On the 12th , she departed San Diego for the U . S . east coast , escorting the Carriers Ranger and Antietam for their conversion to slant deck carriers at her new homeport , Naval Station Norfolk | Norfolk , Va . , on the 29th , in company with another destroyer . Local operations occupied the summer ; and , in late summer , she moved to Philadelphia Navy Yard for overhaul / conversion with a tri - pod mainmast to support high - tech radar / countermeasures and beefed - up 3 . 50 " armament to counter missiles , replacing the 20 / 40mm AA armament . Also , acquiring another , smaller secondary tri - pod mast amidships , for AA firecontrol / countermeastures . In February 1953 , she again steamed south , operated in the Caribbean into April , then returned to Norfolk to prepare for a summer cruise to Scotland and Norway . In August she was back in the Caribbean , and in September she returned to Norfolk . Further operations off the Atlantic seaboard and in the Caribbean followed , then in the spring of 1954 she began a cruise around the world . 1954 . Departing Norfolk 20 April , " Ross " transited the Panama Canal and crossed the Pacific . Arriving at Yokosuka , Japan on 28 May , she served with the 7th Fleet until the end of August , ranging from the Sea of Japan to the South China Sea . From 24 to 29 July she participated in operations off Indochina as residents of North Vietnam were allowed to move to South Vietnam . On 31 August , " Ross " departed Sasebo , Japan . Then , steaming via Hong Kong , Singapore , Colombo , and the Suez Canal , she crossed the Mediterranean , and entered the Atlantic . On 28 October she reached Norfolk . 1955 – 1959 . Coastal and Caribbean operations were resumed in May 1955 , following an overhaul . In November , she headed east and , for the next 2½ months , operated with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean . Returning to Norfolk on 26 February 1956 , she conducted local operations through the spring , then repeated her 1953 schedule — a northern European cruise followed by exercises in the Caribbean . In 1957 , the destroyer again deployed to the Mediterranean . Departing the east coast in late October , she arrived at Gibraltar at the end of the month and continued on . On 8 November she transited the Suez Canal and until mid - December operated in the Red Sea , Persian Gulf , Indian Ocean area . She then retransmitted the Canal , and remained with the 6th Fleet until 16 February 1958 . " Ross " returned to Norfolk 5 March 1959 . During the summer , she conducted her last summer cruise to Northern Europe . Into the summer she remained on the east coast . In July she operated in the Key West - Guantanamo Bay area and in August she departed Norfolk for Beaumont , Tex . , and inactivation . Fate . In reserve from 10 August , " Ross " was decommissioned on 6 November 1959 . The ship was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 1 December 1974 . She was sunk as a target off Puerto Rico 26 January 1978 . Awards . " Ross " ( DD - 563 ) earned five battle star s during World War II .