USS Humphreys ( DD - 236 ) USS " Humphreys " ( DD - 236 / APD - 12 ) was a " Clemson " - class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II . She was named for Joshua Humphreys , a pioneer US shipbuilder . " Humphreys " was launched 28 July 1919 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation ; sponsored by Miss Letitia A . Humphreys , great - granddaughter of Joshua Humphreys ; and commissioned at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 21 July 1920 , Commander W . Baggaley in command . 1920s . After completing her shakedown training in New England waters , " Humphreys " sailed 14 August for special duty in the Mediterranean . For the next year she operated primarily in the eastern Mediterranean with Turkish ships , protecting American and Turkish interests in the area during the conflict which followed the Russian Revolution . " Humphreys " did surveying work and acted as station and communications ship . In November 1920 she evacuated civilians from the Crimea during the last stages of the Russian civil war , and , until August 1921 , operated off Palestine , Turkey , and Egypt on maneuvers . She sailed from Constantinople 6 August 1921 , arriving Newport , Rhode Island 23 August , and spent the rest of the year in training operations . " Humphreys " spent the next 2 years on ship and fleet training exercises in Atlantic and Caribbean waters . She sailed 21 January 1925 via the Panama Canal Zone for San Diego , California , and after her arrival 12 March took part in important fleet maneuvers off the California coast . In June she returned to New York and her regular schedule of training in the Caribbean . " Humphreys " maintained this operational pattern until decommissioning at Philadelphia 10 January 1930 , taking part in annual reserve training cruises during the summers 1926 - 29 . 1930s . " Humphreys " recommissioned at Philadelphia 13 June 1932 , and sailed 15 August for maneuvers on the West Coast . The ship took part in two fleet problems , vital tools in perfecting equipment and tactics , before sailing 19 April 1934 for New York . Upon her arrival 31 May " Humphreys " resumed her readiness operations on the East Coast , taking part in a fleet exercise off Haiti in October . From the Caribbean the ship returned to San Diego 8 November 1934 and for the next year took part in important carrier training exercises in the Pacific . Acting as screen ship and plane guard , " Humphreys " helped perfect the tactics of aircraft carrier warfare which were to exert a strong influence on the coming war . She remained on the West Coast , with occasional voyages to Pearl Harbor and Midway , until she was decommissioned at San Diego on 14 September 1938 . " Humphreys " recommissioned once more 26 September 1939 as the beginning of the war in Europe necessitated an increase in America ' s readiness . " Humphreys " conducted shakedown off San Diego and sailed 13 November to join the Neutrality Patrol in the Caribbean , designed to protect American shipping . During May and June 1940 the ship took part in a sound school at Newport to improve her antisubmarine capability , and sailed 4 December from Norfolk , Virginia for San Diego , where she arrived 2 days before Christmas . There she continued Neutrality Patrol duty and engaged in antisubmarine training off California . World War II . " Humphreys " was in San Diego when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into the war 7 December 1941 . During the critical early months she operated as a coastal escort ship between San Pedro and Seattle , Washington but in May she sailed northward to Kodiak , Alaska , arriving 31 May 1942 . In the bleak Aleutian Islands she escorted transports , patrolled American - held islands , and engaged in exercises with " Honolulu " , " Indianapolis " , and several destroyers . " Humphreys " arrived at San Francisco 11 November and entered Mare Island Navy Yard for conversion to high - speed transport . She was reclassified APD - 12 on 1 December 1942 ; and , following shakedown training , arrived at Pearl Harbor 31 December to prepare for duty in the western Pacific . After amphibious training in Hawaiian waters , the ship sailed to Noumea 22 January 1943 and began ferrying troops and supplies from advance bases to Guadalcanal , Tulagi , and Florida Island . During these critical months as the ship repeatedly steamed to the Solomon Islands in support of amphibious assaults , she often fought off bombing and strafing attacks by Japanese aircraft . After training landings " Humphreys " embarked elements of the 1st Cavalry Division at Nouméa and transported them to Townsville , Australia , in preparation for Operation Chronicle , landings on Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands . Arriving Townsville 20 May 1943 , the ship sailed for Milne Bay 21 June , and from there landed troops and equipment on Woodlark 23 June without enemy opposition . This first landing of the long New Guinea campaign was also the first for Admiral Daniel E . Barbey ' s 7th Fleet Amphibious Force ( " VII Phib " ) , and provided invaluable experience for the numerous amphibious operations to come . " Humphreys " sailed to Brisbane for repairs during July and August , and returned to Milne Bay 15 August 1943 . There she prepared for VII Phib ' s next move up the coast of New Guinea to Lae . After putting their troops ashore early 4 September , the high - speed transports remained off the beach to protect landing craft from Japanese air attack . The Australian troops landed by " Humphreys " and the other ships soon took Lae , and the ship departed 7 September with casualties for Buna . On the 10th she returned with three other transports for a night sweep of Huon Gulf , driving away supply barges and bombarding Japanese positions around Lae . Next on Barbey ' s amphibious timetable in New Guinea was Finschhafen , where " Humphreys " and her sister ships carried out a surprise landing 22 September . After bringing reinforcements 8 days later , the ship took casualties to Buna 8 October and arrived at Goodenough Island 19 October for amphibious exercises . Seizure of New Britain was vital to the advance toward the Philippines as it provided control of the strategic $ 3 and Dampier Strait s . The first step of the operation was to gain control of the harbor at Arawe . " Humphreys " sailed with other amphibious units for southern New Britain , arriving 15 December ; put ashore elements of the 112th Cavalry Regiment in rubber boats to seize harbor islands ; then stood offshore to provide gunfire support before retiring to Buna that afternoon . " Humphreys " also took part in the Cape Gloucester landings 26 December , remaining in the Cape Sudest area into February 1944 . She then sailed for the landings in the Admiralties 27 February , arriving off Los Negros 2 days later . " Humphreys " landed troops at Hyane ; steamed to Cape Sudest ; and , when resistance stiffened in early March , returned off Hyane with reinforcements . In April the ship began preparations for the three - pronged amphibious attack on central New Guinea , the Hollandia operation . " Humphreys " landed troops at Humboldt Bay 22 April against light opposition , and remained off the beaches providing gunfire support . Following the assault , she returned to Buna and sailed 12 May for the United States . She arrived at San Francisco 30 May , and was converted to carry " frogmen , " the Navy ' s skilled Underwater Demolition Teams . Sailing again 30 July , " Humphreys " trained in Hawaiian waters before sailing to Manus 28 September to join the invasion fleet for the return to the Philippines . Sailing 12 October , she carried UDT Team No . 5 to the Leyte beaches 18 October , remaining close in to provide fire support during this reconnaissance . Next day she patrolled Leyte Gulf for Japanese submarines , and continued this work during the main landings 20 October 1944 . The veteran ship assisted in shooting down a bomber 21 October before sailing in convoy for Manus . The invasion of Luzon was next on " Humphreys " ' schedule . After stopping at Noumea and Hollandia , she sortied from the Palaus 1 January 1945 with the Lingayen invasion group . Steaming through the Philippines the ships encountered suicide attacks and shot down many planes . These attacks became more intense as " Humphreys " entered Lingayen Gulf 6 January ; and next day as her UDT team swam ashore for vital reconnaissance work , the ship provided gunfire cover . She remained in the Gulf until sailing with a convoy 10 January , 1 day after the main landings . The ship arrived at Ulithi 23 January 1945 and took on a new duty , screening logistics groups during at - sea replenishment and refueling of the wide - ranging carrier striking forces . She screened refueling operations for 5th Fleet escort carriers covering the Iwo Jima landings , then steamed on to Iwo Jima itself 8 March 1945 . There " Humphreys " acted as screening ship until arriving Leyte with a convoy 17 March . Fate . As an important preliminary to the main landings on Okinawa , " Humphreys " took part in the assault of Keise Shima 31 March , screening LST ' s and performing escort duties until 3 April when she sailed for Ulithi . This last and largest of Pacific landings was then well underway , and the ship escorted resupply convoys from Ulithi to bitterly contested Okinawa until returning to Pearl Harbor 4 June 1945 . From there she sailed to San Diego where she was reclassified DD - 236 on 20 July 1945 . " Humphreys " decommissioned 26 October 1945 and was sold for scrap 26 August 1946 to National Metal & Steel Corporation , Terminal Island , Calif .