USS Serene ( AM - 300 ) USS " Serene " ( AM - 300 ) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II . She served in the Pacific Ocean and was awarded six battle stars . She was decommissioned and placed in reserve in 1946 . In January 1964 , the former " Serene " was transferred to South Vietnam as RVNS " Nhật Tảo " ( HQ - 10 ) in the Republic of Vietnam Navy . She was sunk in January 1974 during combat with Chinese forces in the Battle of the Paracel Islands . U . S . Navy career . " Serene " was laid down on 8 August 1943 by the Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Co . of Winslow , Washington , launched on 31 October 1943 , sponsored by Miss Maxine Noblett , and commissioned on 24 June 1944 , Lt . James E . Calloway in command . Following shakedown off southern California , " Serene " sailed for Pearl Harbor on 29 August . After arriving on 6 September , she performed ocean escort duty on convoy runs from Hawaii to Eniwetok and San Francisco into December ; then participated in fleet and type exercises until mid - January 1945 . On 22 January , she got underway to escort Tractor Group Able to the Marianas to prepare for the Iwo Jima campaign . Screening , flagship of TG 52 . 3 , " Serene " arrived in the Volcano Islands area on 16 February and commenced sweeping operations in an area some 15 miles south of Iwo Jima . On the 17th , her division MinDiv 36 , moved closer to the target area . Through the 18th they cleared the approaches to the landing beaches . As the troops landed on the 19th , the smaller YMS ' s were fuelled ; and , from the 20th to the 28th , the minesweepers conducted anti - submarine patrols . Returning to the Marianas on 5 March , Serene departed again on the 7th and headed for Ulithi , the staging area for Operation Iceberg , the invasion of the Ryukyus . Departing Ulithi on 19 March , she swept enemy minefields in the Kerama Retto on the 25th and 26th ; then , after that anchorage was secured , participated in the sweeping operations preceding the main assault on Okinawa . On the 31st , she took up duty as a marker vessel and antisubmarine patrol ship off Kerama Retto . After the 1 April landings on the Hagushi beaches , she continued her patrol duties and provided assistance to damaged shipping . On the 6th she picked up survivors of the SS " Hobbs Victory " . On the 7th , she resumed sweeping operations in the sea - lanes in the Kerama Retto Okinawa area ; and , at mid - month , cleared the approaches to the assault beaches on Ie Shima . On 16 April , she returned to Kerama Retto for availability ; then resumed patrol and sweeping duties which she continued until sailing for Ulithi on 4 May . On 28 May , Serene returned to the Ryukyus in the screen of convoy UOK 16 . Early in June , she shifted from Nakagusuku Wan ( Buckner Bay ) to Kerama Retto , off which she performed patrol duty until the 7th ; A week later , she resumed sweeping operations which she continued in the Mayako Jima area until the 23d . In early July , she escorted an LST convoy to Leyte where she was undergoing overhaul when hostilities ended in mid - August . Then assigned to post - war minesweeping operations Serene swept mines in the Yellow Sea , off Korea , during late August and early September . On 7 September , her group became the Sasebo Sweep Group ; and , on the 9th " Serene " commenced operations to clear the entrance to Nagasaki . For the remainder of the month , she continued sweeping operations off the west coast of Kyūshū . In October , she assisted in clearing the eastern end of Tsushima Strait ; and , in early November , she returned to the waters off Korea to operate off the east coast in the Sea of Japan . At mid - month , she resumed operations in the Tsushima Strait to clear the shallow waters at the western end . On 12 December , she sailed for home . Designated for inactivation " Serene " arrived at Galveston , Texas , on 26 January 1946 . On 8 May , she shifted to Orange where she was decommissioned on 19 July and berthed with the Texas Group , Atlantic Reserve Fleet . " Serene " earned 3 battle stars during World War II and 3 during post - war minesweeping operations . Reclassified MSF - 300 on 7 February 1955 , " Serene " remained in reserve until July 1963 . Converted to a patrol and escort craft , she was transferred , under the Military Assistance Program , to the South Vietnam on 24 January 1964 . Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1964 . Republic of Vietnam Navy . The former " Serene " was renamed RVNS " Nhật Tảo " ( HQ - 10 ) in Republic of Vietnam Navy service ; " nhật tảo " translates to “ serene ” . On 7 August 1967 , North Vietnam ese forces began to overrun Coastal Group 16 ’ s base at Sông Trà Khúc River , about 70 miles southeast of Đà Nẵng . " Nhật Tảo " delivered heavy fire on enemy forces . and arrived in support . After several hours of naval gun fire , one U . S . and two ARVN infantry companies arrived and launched a counterattack retaking the base . " Nhật Tảo " remained on station through the night provide continued fire support . " Nhật Tảo " was sunk in early 1974 during an engagement between Republic of Vietnam Navy forces and those of the Chinese People ’ s Liberation Army Navy in a dispute over control of the Paracel Islands . During the Battle of the Paracel Islands , " Nhật Tảo " took a direct hit from a ship - to - ship missile ( China claims the weapon used was an RPG ) on her bridge and went dead in the water . On fire with her guns silent , crew from below deck cleared the guns and renewed the fight . The Chinese again concentrated fire on " Nhật Tảo " and again her guns fell silent as she began to sink . A few days later , a Dutch tanker and a Vietnamese fishing boat pulled 37 survivors of the sunken " Nhật Tảo " out of the South China Sea .