USS Aylwin ( DD - 355 ) USS " Aylwin " ( DD - 355 ) was a " Farragut " - class destroyer , and the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant John Cushing Aylwin ( 1778 – 1812 ) . " Aylwin " was laid down on 23 September 1933 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard , launched on 10 July 1934 , sponsored by Miss Elizabeth M . Farley , the 11 - year old daughter of Postmaster General James Farley , and commissioned on 1 March 1935 , with Commander Clarence Gulbranson in command . 1935 – 1941 . 1935 . Following builders ' trials late in March , and fitting out , the destroyer shifted to the Naval Torpedo Station , Newport , Rhode Island , to load eight torpedo warheads . At the end of further trials , she returned to Philadelphia on 8 May to prepare for shakedown . On 22 May , " Aylwin " sailed for a cruise that took her to European countries . She stopped at Port Leixoes ( Oporto ) , Portugal , on 1 June and at Santander , Spain , on the 5th , before shifting to Cherbourg , France , on the 10th . Five days later , the Honorable Jesse I . Straus , the United States Ambassador to France , inspected the new destroyer . The warship next visited Bremen , Germany from 19 to 24 June , before sailing for Gothenburg , Sweden , and a five - day visit . Then , after getting underway for Belgium on the 29th , she reached Brussels late on 2 July and there received her only royal visit when , on the morning of the 8th , King Léopold III and Queen Astrid came on board for an hour ' s inspection . The ship visited Dover , England , before heading homeward on 15 July . She reached Philadelphia , Pennsylvania on the 22d , received post - shakedown repairs , and conducted further trials that lasted until 1 October , when she put to sea to join the Fleet . She fell in with her sister ship the next day , and the two ships reached Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , on the 5th , where " Aylwin " unloaded a cargo of light freight . After transiting the Panama Canal on 7 October , she paused briefly at Balboa , Panama Canal Zone , before sailing on the 10th for a plane - guard station off Champerico , Guatemala , to provide a directional bearing along the projected track of the experimental flying boat XP3Y - 1 , the prototype of the PBY Catalina . " Aylwin " reached her assigned position on 13 October and , the next morning , began laying smoke to serve as marker for the plane . The destroyer ' s lookouts sighted the plane at 12 : 38 , and it passed directly overhead seven minutes later . Ultimately , the XP3Y - 1 reached San Francisco Bay on 15 October , having set a new international distance record for seaplane flights — 3 , 281 . 402 statute miles ( 5 , 280 . 905 km ) . The destroyer rejoined " Hull " the next day ; and the two ships steamed into San Diego , California harbor on the 19th . After a visit to Stockton , California , from 26 to 29 October , " Aylwin " began her peacetime duty with the Fleet , operating off the coast of southern California in flotilla tactics , torpedo attacks , short range battle practices , and sound training runs with the submarine s and . 1936 . On 10 February 1936 , " Aylwin " departed San Diego and entered the Mare Island Navy Yard on the following day for repairs and alterations . She ran her post - repair trials on 3 April . Following brief operations off Pyramid Cove , San Clemente Island , " Aylwin " sailed for the Canal Zone on 27 April to participate in Fleet Problem XVII , a five - phased evolution . The problem pitted the Battle Force against a submarine - augmented Scouting Force . As the opposing forces engaged off the west coast of Central America near the Panama Canal , " Aylwin " conducted simulated gun attacks on " enemy " destroyers and torpedo attacks on the " enemy " battle line . She anchored off Balboa on 9 May , refueled the following day , and resumed her participation in the fleet problem on the 16th as part of the " Green " fleet . After the exercises , " Aylwin " sailed to Peru and arrived at Callao on the morning of 28 May . That day , Rear Admiral Sinclair Gannon , Commander , Destroyers , Scouting Force , broke his flag in " Aylwin " . Winding up her Peruvian visit on 2 June , she got underway for California , but paused in Panama Bay from 6 to 8 June before continuing on to San Diego . " Aylwin " reached her home port on the morning of 16 June and moored alongside . That afternoon , Rear Admiral Gannon transferred his flag to the destroyer tender . On 6 July , " Aylwin " got underway for the Pacific Northwest and reached Port Angeles , Washington , on the 9th . She sailed thence via the inland passage to Alaska and arrived at Cordova on the 13th . Following a subsequent visit to Kodiak , a return call at Port Angeles , and tender upkeep there alongside " Dobbin " , the destroyer conducted sound tracking exercises at Admiralty Bay , Port Townsend , Washington . She visited Portland , Oregon , from 5 to 10 August before heading home where she arrived on the 13th . A week later , she got underway for tactical exercises in company with and ; but they soon commenced looking for the overdue San Diego - based tuna boat SS " San Juaquin " , last reported in their vicinity . The Coast Guard cutter " Takoe " joined the search on 21 August , and the cutter " Aurora " began the next day . On the 23d , " Aylwin " and the other ships , sailing in a scouting line , searched for the overdue full - rigged ship " Pacific Queen " . Although they did not find either vessel , it seems that neither was lost , since both appeared on merchant vessel registers for some years thereafter . In fact , the latter — bearing her original name , " Balclutha " — serves as a floating museum berthed in San Francisco , California . " Aylwin " operated in the southern California area until sailing on 16 April 1937 for the Hawaiian Islands to participate in Fleet Problem XVIII . Forming up with the " Hilo Detachment " on the 21st , " Aylwin " conducted a mock bombardment of Hilo , Hawaii before deploying to screen and as they covered a simulated landing . Putting into Pearl Harbor on 25 April , " Aylwin " got underway on 4 May as part of the " White " Force . Rated as " damaged " in an initial phase of the action on 8 May , " Aylwin " shaped course to rendezvous with " friendly " units that morning and drove off two " strafing " attacks by " Black " planes en route . She sighted what appeared to be the " White " battle line at 06 : 40 and altered course to join , but discovered that the ships were , in fact , counted as " out of action . " Thus now virtually " alone " , " Aylwin " came about and headed for Lahaina , Hawaii . The beleaguered ship found no solace en route , however , for she spotted three fast minelayers closing from six miles away , and after identifying them as " enemy " , went to general quarters at 07 : 30 , " opening fire " three minutes later . However , the umpires quickly declared her " hors de combat " so she joined her " out of action " consorts soon thereafter . " Aylwin " returned to San Diego on 28 May 1937 and , after two weeks of upkeep alongside , resumed her training schedule . During the last days of June , she operated in company with as that ship conducted battle practice off Santa Barbara Island in company with the radio - controlled , high - speed target ship . 1938 . For the rest of 1937 and the winter months of early 1938 , " Aylwin " maintained what had become standard routine , alternating periods in port for upkeep with time training at sea in the southern California operating area . From 6 to 9 January 1938 , she participated in the search for a lost patrol plane from Patrol Squadron 7 ( VP - 7 ) . After firing antiaircraft practices in early February , the ship proceeded to the Destroyer Base , San Diego , for her yearly hull inspection in the floating drydock ARD - 1 and then proceeded to the Mare Island Navy Yard for a brief overhaul . Following those repairs , " Aylwin " arrived at San Diego on the 6th , just in time to participate in Fleet Problem XIX . The " Black " Fleet put to sea from San Diego at 03 : 25 on 15 March . As part of the " White " Fleet , " Aylwin " got underway at 1640 and soon joined the remainder of Destroyer Flotilla 1 and the aircraft carrier . Searching for the enemy " main body " on the 17th , she fell in with , , and on the following morning . That afternoon , the cruisers made contact , attacked , and retired under cover of a smoke screen . " Aylwin " regained sight of the " enemy " and took up a position a safe distance astern to trail them through the 19th . After fueling from on the 20th , the destroyer conducted exercises in subsequent phases of Fleet Problem XIX until supporting a mock landing at Lahaina ; at the outset , she lay - to between the islands of Molokai , Lanai , and Maui before standing in toward the " beachhead " to support the landing of troops . She conducted a brief minesweeping drill before refueling from and then anchoring at Lahaina Roads for a brief respite . From 4 to 8 April , " Aylwin " again was underway participating in further exercises before putting into Pearl Harbor . When the fleet sortied on the morning of the 18th , she ranged ahead of the departing battleship s alert for possible " submarine " activity . Ultimately , " Aylwin " participated in the closing phases of Fleet Problem XIX , which had been conducted in three separate phases , each a small fleet problem in itself . As in Fleet Problem XVII , the exercises also tested the ability of the fleet to seize and hold advanced bases , indicating the Navy ' s Pacific - minded planning . The destroyer returned to San Diego on 28 April and , on 9 May , resumed her coastwise training schedule . She underwent brief upkeep alongside " Whitney " before getting underway on 21 June for the Pacific Northwest and cruising along the coast through July , touching at such places as Port Angeles , Washington ; Ketchikan , Territory of Alaska ; Humpback Bay , Wrangell Narrows , Taku Inlet , Yakutat Bay , Sitka , Seattle ; and finally , Portland , Oregon . She returned via San Francisco to San Diego in mid - August , underwent tender upkeep alongside " Whitney " , and conducted training off the southern California coast before getting underway on 26 September for Hawaii . Reaching Pearl Harbor on 2 October , " Aylwin " underwent repairs and alterations there through November . She arrived back at San Diego on 12 December and conducted training exercises off the South Coronados Island of Mexico before ending the year 1938 berthed in a destroyer nest in San Diego harbor . 1939 . Four days into 1939 , " Aylwin " got underway for Panama and reached Balboa on 13 January . After transiting the Panama Canal the next day , she operated out of Gonaïves , Haiti ; Guantanamo Bay , Cuba ; and , Port - au - Prince , Haiti , before getting underway on the 13th for her initial station during Fleet Problem XX . These exercises took place in the Caribbean and arrayed the Battle Force against the Scouting Force . After fueling from on 17 February , " Aylwin " operated with and which acted as a raiding force during one phase of the problem . Ultimately , the " battle " reached its conclusion , the fleet battle . The forces then all retired to Culebra Bay , Puerto Rico , where President Franklin D . Roosevelt reviewed them from the deck of " Houston " on the last day of February . After visiting Cienfuegos and Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , " Aylwin " operated briefly out of Gonaïves before returning to Guantanamo on 31 March . She got underway on 8 April for Yorktown , Virginia , and , en route north , acted as plane guard for " Lexington " . " Aylwin " reached Yorktown on 12 April , but the Fleet ' s visit to that area was soon cut short by orders to return to the Pacific . Underway at 04 : 04 on 20 April , " Aylwin " took station with the rest of her division around the carriers . She planeguarded for en route to Panama ; transited the Canal on 29 April ; and , after tarrying briefly at Balboa , got underway for San Diego on 2 May . Reaching her home port on the 12th , the destroyer operated off southern California before entering the Mare Island Navy Yard on 18 June for repairs and alterations lasting until 8 October . She got underway on the morning of 11 October , bound once more for Hawaii . The Navy formed a " Hawaiian Detachment " under Vice Admiral Adolphus Andrews and based it at Pearl Harbor — a step foreshadowing the basing of the entire Fleet there the following spring . " Aylwin " arrived at Pearl Harbor on 18 October 1939 and , over the next few months , alternated periods in port at " Pearl " with varied exercises in the Hawaiian operating area . 1940 . In the spring of 1940 , " Aylwin " , as a unit of the " maroon " fleet , participated in Fleet Problem XXI , the last pre - war fleet problem . Indicative of the Fleet ' s security - mindedness at that time , " Aylwin " alternated with other destroyers conducting " security patrols " off the port of Honolulu and off Pearl Harbor ' s entrance during the course of the evolutions , investigating all vessels sighted , including small fishing craft . Detachments from the Fleet were rotated back to the west coast at intervals . " Aylwin " thus returned briefly to the west coast during the summer of 1940 , reaching San Diego on 9 July before shifting to the Mare Island Navy Yard on the 14th . She underwent repairs and alterations there until 22 September before returning , via San Diego , to Pearl Harbor on 21 October . 1941 . From that port , " Aylwin " maintained her normal routine into the critical year 1941 . On 7 February 1941 , she put to sea and , after rendezvousing with aircraft carrier " Enterprise " and sister destroyer , headed back to the west coast for a brief visit . They arrived at San Diego on 13 February , but turned around again two days later and rejoined " Enterprise " — which was ferrying a shipment of the latest Army fighter aircraft to Hawaii . The three ships reached Oahu on 21 February . On 17 March , " Aylwin " left Pearl Harbor for off - shore patrol and exercises . Two days later , the ship conducted a two - hour night tactical exercise on a dark , moonless night , commencing at 20 : 00 . At its conclusion , all destroyers were directed to proceed to a rendezvous astern of the fleet ' s center . At 22 : 51 , " Aylwin " turned on her running and fighting lights and sighted a ship materializing out of the murk on her port bow . " Aylwin " maintained her course and speed until backing emergency full at 23 : 03 . At that point , the other ship , " Farragut " , loomed on a collision course and also backed to avoid contact . Shortly after 23 : 04 , " Farragut " s bow sliced into " Aylwin " s port side at a 90 - degree angle , causing extensive damage for about 23 frames and nearly severing " Aylwin " ' s bow . A fire immediately blazed up as high as " Aylwin " ' s masthead , illuminating the two ships and quickly spread aft through the wardroom and into the area occupied by the ships officers ' cabins . " Aylwin ' s " electrical installation burned with intense heat until controlled at 0140 on the 20th . Fire parties from " Dale " , , , and all contributed men to help contain the blaze ; and a party from " Indianapolis " joined the one from " Philadelphia " in assessing the damage and making temporary repairs . World War II . As " Aylwin " lay moored in a nest with her squadron mates on the morning of 7 December 1941 , one small boiler was in operation to provide enough power for auxiliary services on board . Approximately half of her men were enjoying leave and liberty that weekend . At 07 : 55 that Sunday morning , shortly before morning colors , the sound of airplane engines surprised " Aylwin " ' s men and countless other sailor s . At that time , Japanese planes torpedoed the target ship moored to a quay off Ford Island . Three minutes later , " Aylwin " returned fire . At 08 : 00 , the " black gang " lit fires under two boilers , cutting them in on her main steam line within 15 minutes . At 08 : 29 , Commander , Destroyers Battle Force directed his ships to get underway . At about 08 : 50 , a Japanese plane dropped a bomb that exploded some 75 yards off " Aylwin " ' s starboard bow . Eight minutes later , " Aylwin " , leaving her stern wire and anchor chain behind , headed for the channel and the open sea . The destroyer , manned by 50 % of her crew under the direction of four ensigns — the senior officer , Ensign Stanley B . Caplan , had served at sea for only some eight months — proceeded out of Pearl Harbor , stripping ship for war and simultaneously maintaining a " continuous fire . " Her machine gunners claimed to have downed at least three aircraft ; but , in the light of the tremendous volume of antiaircraft fire from all ships , her " kills " cannot be proven conclusively . As " Aylwin " raced out to sea , those men topside who chanced to look astern beheld a curious sight ; her captain , Lt . Comdr . Robert H . Rodgers , and other officers , in a motor launch about 1 , 000 yards off the entrance buoys . Nevertheless , in view of ComDesRon 1 ' s instructions , " Aylwin " could not slow down , but instead headed out to sea for patrol duty , leaving most of her officers orphans on board the old flushdecker . A little less than a half hour later , " Aylwin " investigated a reported submarine sighting , but found nothing . During the patrol , the destroyer vibrated abnormally because of a screw damaged soon after she got underway when a bomb explosion near her starboard quarter threw her stern into a buoy . Late on the afternoon of 8 December , " Aylwin " followed the " Enterprise " task force into Pearl Harbor and picked up Rodgers and the division commander , Comdr . R . S . Riggs , on the way into the channel . The next day , " Aylwin " got underway and conducted antisubmarine patrols in sector 2 , off the entrance to Pearl Harbor . She made a sound contact on 10 December . After going to general quarters , she dropped a five - charge pattern , but with no confirmed damage . Entering Pearl Harbor again on the 11th , " Aylwin " underwent repairs to her damaged propeller . On 12 December , after the smoke over Oahu had cleared , Comdr . Rodgers heaped praise on his abbreviated crew for their actions in the first flush of war : " The conduct of the personnel was magnificent . . . Every man more than did his job and was eager to fight . " Of Ensign Caplan , Rodgers wrote , " The conduct ( of this man ) . . . in superbly taking command for 36 hours during war operations of the severest type is a most amazing and outstanding achievement . " " Aylwin " sortied as part of the " Lexington " task force headed to relieve Wake Island on 14 December . Along with the heavy cruisers " Chicago " and " Portland " and the destroyer , she took station ahead of " Lexington " . The next day , destroyers " Dewey " and " Worden " , the cruiser " Indianapolis " , and the oiler " Neosho " joined the force . Two Japanese carriers had joined the forces attacking Wake . This move prompted cancellation of the relief attempt . Wake fell on 23 December . After investigating several suspected submarine contacts en route , " Aylwin " covered the arrival of TF 11 at Pearl Harbor three days after Christmas . On the last day of 1941 , " Aylwin " sortied from Pearl Harbor in the screen of a convoy taking evacuees from the Hawaiian Islands to the west coast where she served five days into 1942 . 1942 . " Aylwin " then underwent repairs and alterations in the Mare Island Navy Yard until 10 January , receiving new 20 - millimeter machine guns to increase her close - in antiaircraft capability . Two days later , she sailed with to escort the liners " President Coolidge " , " President Monroe " , and " Mariposa " to San Francisco . Underway again on the 17th , " Aylwin " and " Perkins " escorted a convoy consisting of " Neosho " , , , and back to Oahu where they arrived on the 25th . On the last day of January , the destroyer sortied with TF 11 , formed around " Lexington " , and performed plane - guard duties for that carrier as she moved southwestward toward New Guinea . After accidentally firing a live torpedo in " Hull " ' s direction during surface attack maneuvers on 13 February , " Aylwin " warned her sister ship by blinker , enabling the latter to sheer away out of danger . " Aylwin " followed the errant " fish " at 28 knots until it sank at the end of a normal run . Three days later , the ANZAC command cruiser force — " Chicago " , HMNZS " Leander " , HMNZS " Achilles " , and , screened by and " Perkins " — pulled into sight . As the destroyers formed a circular screen , the heavy ships hove to and transferred officers for a conference . Shortly thereafter , TF 11 reformed and assumed a northwesterly course toward Bougainville Island and the Bismarck Archipelago . Before a raid against the key Japanese base at Rabaul could be launched , Japanese reconnaissance planes discovered the task force . Accordingly , 17 land - based Mitsubishi G4M bomber s set out from Rabaul , New Britain . " Lexington " s radar picked up the incoming bombers at 10 : 30 , and the task force increased speed to 21 knots . During the defense of the carrier , Lt . Edward H . " Butch " O ' Hare reportedly downed five or six enemy planes in about as many minutes . While " Lexington " s F4F Wildcat s were fighting above , the ships ' gunners were firing antiaircraft guns . " Aylwin " s spotters noted one enemy bomber falling in flames after bursts from their ship had exploded in its vicinity . Then , when a second wave attempted to breach the screen of the task force , " Aylwin " ' s 20 - millimeter guns downed an enemy bomber attempting to crash into the stern of nearby . The remaining bombers returned to Rabaul . No ship in the " Lexington " formation was damaged . However , since it had been discovered , the American force retired from the area . " Aylwin " soon left TF 11 to escort the fleet oiler to Pago Pago , Samoa , and then back to Pearl Harbor , reaching port on 8 March . Two days later , " Aylwin " began screening the 18 ships of convoy 4072 from Honolulu to San Francisco Bay where they arrived on 22 March . Following repairs at the Mare Island Navy Yard , she sortied on the 31st as part of the screen for Hawaii - bound convoy 2054 . Reaching Pearl Harbor on 12 April , " Aylwin " returned to sea on the 15th with TF 11 . En route to the South Pacific on the 18th , " Lexington " flew off a squadron of 14 Marine Brewster F2A - 3 ' s ( the reconstituted VMF - 211 ) to Palmyra Island . Meanwhile , intelligence reported a substantial enemy movement toward New Guinea and Australia , probably aimed at strategic Port Moresby . Accordingly , on 26 April , " Lexington " and her screen received orders to rendezvous with Task Force 17 ( TF17 ) on 1 May . When they met that morning , the two forces came under the latter ' s commander , Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher , in " Yorktown " . " Aylwin " was assigned to " Lexigton " ' s plane guard . On 7 May , " Aylwin " received word that an enemy force of two carriers and four cruisers was some 200 miles distant . At 09 : 55 , " Aylwin " observed " Lexington " launch fighters and torpedo planes for the attack . Shortly thereafter , " Yorktown " ' s aircraft also took to the air . On the 8th , " Aylwin " had been at general quarters since 0844 and , when enemy planes were reported closing two hours later , took station between the heavy cruisers " Chester " and , 3 , 000 yards from " Yorktown " . She maintained that position during the ensuing battle , conforming her movements to those of Yorktown . " Yorktown " was damaged , as was " Lexington " , the latter fatally . After an SBD - 3 of Scouting Squadron 5 ( VS - 5 ) ditched near " Aylwin " , the destroyer altered course to pick up the pilot , Ens . J . H . Jorgenson , USNR , and his rear - seat man , Radioman 3d Class A . W . Brunetti . The task force retired from the scene of battle toward the Tonga Islands . While alongside " New Orleans " to refuel two days later , " Aylwin " rigged breeches buoys forward and aft , and took on board 37 officers and 92 enlisted men from " Lexington " and one " Yorktown " pilot , Lt . ( jg . ) E . S . McCuskey , of VF - 2 , who would later become an " ace " in the Battle of Midway . The destroyer cast off and resumed her screening duties . On the morning of 15 May , " Aylwin " drew alongside " Yorktown " , and transferred charts of the Tonga Islands to the carrier . Less than an hour later , while the carrier ' s planes flew protective cover , TF 17 entered Nukualofa Harbor , Tongatapu , where " Aylwin " transferred her passengers to " Portland " while fueling from the heavy cruiser . She then served as channel entrance guard until relieved by the following day . In turn relieving on the morning of the 17th , " Aylwin " patrolled off the entrance to the harbor during the sortie of TF 17 from Nukualofa and then joined in escorting transport — carrying " Lexington " survivors gathered from all rescue ships of the task force — on the first leg of her voyage back to the west coast of the United States . Later that day , after " Burnett " suffered an engine casualty , " Aylwin " remained with the transport until she completed the repairs . Six days later , TF 17 reached Pearl Harbor . The following day , 28 May , " Aylwin " got underway to sortie in the screen of " Enterprise " and as those carriers proceeded to waters north of Midway await a Japanese armada . On 4 June , she participated in the Battle of Midway . On 11 June , " Aylwin " broke off from Hawaii - bound TF 16 to escort oiler northward toward the Aleutian Islands to fuel the warships of TF 8 . Over the next five days , the two ships proceeded through foggy and rainy weather until meeting and on 16 June . " Aylwin " screened while the older " flush - deckers " fueled from " Kaskaskia " . The following day , " Aylwin " joined TF 8 which included heavy cruiser , three light cruisers , and six destroyers . But for two escort runs to Women ' s Bay , Kodiak Island , Alaska , she worked with that task force until getting underway on 10 July to escort " Kaskaskia " back to the Hawaiian Islands . On the 13th , the oiler transferred her , remaining fuel to and the two ships reached Oahu four days later . The destroyer spent the remainder of July in the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard undergoing repairs . " Aylwin " completed her post - repair trials and then departed Pearl Harbor on 2 August to screen the escort carrier which had embarked the marine air units earmarked to operate from the airfield on Guadalcanal after its capture . On 7 August , as " Aylwin " and her charge headed across the Pacific , the marines of the 1st Marine Division went ashore on Guadalcanal , Tulagi , and Gavutu . On the 8th , a Japanese cruiser force destroyed four Allied heavy cruisers and damaged a fifth in the Battle of Savo Island . That news , combined with the withdrawal of the three carriers supporting Operation Watchtower , prompted orders on the 10th for " Aylwin " and her charge to put into Suva , Fiji , to fuel and there await further instructions . " Aylwin " and Long Island reached Suva on 13 August , covered on the last leg of their voyage by a PBY flying boat . The " further orders " came soon enough , directing the destroyer and the carrier to the New Hebrides . They arrived at Vila Harbor , Efate , during the forenoon watch on 17 August . Reaching Mele Bay , Efate , on the 17th , the ships soon received their new sailing directions . On the following afternoon , " Aylwin " , , and got underway to screen " Long Island " during the carrier ' s passage to Guadalcanal . Two days later , the squadron arrived back at Efate , where replenished " Aylwin " . Over the ensuing days , the destroyer conducted offshore patrols at Efate before receiving orders on 30 August to escort " Long Island " to Espiritu Santo to embark survivors of the sunken destroyer — which had struck a mine . After refueling at Pago Pago , Samoa , on 6 September , " Aylwin " met , , and off Canton Island on 11 September and screened the latter as that transport disembarked troops there . Forming TG 15 . 4 , " Aylwin " and " Conyngham " shepherded " Wharton " , via Suva , toward Nouméa before " Aylwin " was directed on the 18th to proceed to Tongatapu to join for duty and to escort that torpedo - damaged battleship back to Pearl Harbor for repairs . Late on the afternoon of the 30th , she and " Dale " safely reached Hawaiian waters with their charge ; and " Aylwin " moored alongside for upkeep . " Aylwin " spent most of October training in Hawaiian waters and then escorted a convoy to Espiritu Santo which she reached on 7 November . Because of Japanese submarine activity in the Santa Cruz Islands , " Aylwin " arrived at Vanikoro Island on the 10th to protect . After protecting that seaplane tender , four days later , she escorted " Ballard " to Vanua Levu to pick up sick Army coastwatchers before returning to Espiritu Santo for fuel from the oiler . During a brief patrol out of Espiritu Santo , " Aylwin " developed trouble in her steering engine . Once repaired , the ship conducted channel entrance patrols there , before joining in planeguarding between 19 and 22 November . After reaching Nouméa , " Aylwin " escorted the damaged battleship from Tongatapu before refueling at Bora Bora , in the Society Islands , on 1 December . The destroyer then steamed to California , and underwent repairs at the Mare Island Navy Yard into the new year . She departed San Francisco on 8 January 1943 , bound for Alaska in company with and " Dale " , and arrived at Dutch Harbor five days later . Over the next three months , " Aylwin " conducted escort missions in the Aleutians . 1943 . Shifting southward , she then worked with " Nassau " during flight training before shifting north to Dutch Harbor to take part in the invasion of Attu . The landings commenced on 11 May 1943 . Some two months later , " Aylwin " shelled antiaircraft gun positions on Kiska on the night of 8 and 9 July . The destroyer made two passes at that island . She subsequently bombarded the enemy ' s main camp on Kiska on the evening of 2 August , unaware that shortly before — on 28 July — the Japanese had evacuated their entire force . Departing Adak on 31 August , " Aylwin " steamed to San Francisco and remained in the Bay area through mid - October . Leaving the west coast on the 19th , the destroyer served as part of the screen for the escort carriers , , and as they sailed toward the New Hebrides and arrived at Espiritu Santo on 5 November . From mid - November through the first week of December 1943 , " Aylwin " screened carriers " Sangamon " and " Suwannee " during the operations to capture the Gilbert Islands . Detached on 8 December , she joined in escorting to Pearl Harbor where they arrived on the 14th . She then helped to screen that battleship along with " Tennessee " and " Colorado " to San Francisco which they reached four days before Christmas . 1944 . Following repairs at Alameda , California , " Aylwin " picked up a convoy of tank landing ships and motor minesweepers at San Diego to escort to Hawaii . After tarrying at Kauai between 16 and 20 January 1944 , she moved on to the Marshall Islands , reaching Kwajalein on the last day of the month . But for a run to Majuro and back between 8 and 11 February , she served there until shifting to Eniwetok on the 21st to join , " MacDonough " , and " Monaghan " in delivering fire support that night on Parry Island . The destroyer then reported to Commander , Southern Screen , for duty . Steaming back to Kwajalein on 26 February , " Aylwin " patrolled off Eniwetok and Majuro through mid - March as mop - up operations continued at those places . She was assigned next to TG 58 . 2 , including , , , and . On 30 March , the Fast Carrier Task Force commenced intensive bombing of Japanese airfields , shipping , fleet servicing facilities , and other installations in the Carolines , continuing the raids until 1 April . " Aylwin " helped to drive off planes during the approach of the carriers on the 29th and 30th and , at 13 : 43 on the latter day , sighted a damaged Curtiss SB2C " Helldiver " from " Bunker Hill " ' s air group ditch a short way off . The destroyer altered course and soon thereafter picked up the pilot and his radioman . Returning to Majuro to replenish , " Aylwin " sortied once more on 13 April in the screen of Rear Admiral Alfred E . Montgomery ' s TG 58 . 2 , bound for waters off New Guinea to support Army landings at Aitape , Tanahmerah Bay , and Humboldt Bay , from 21 April through the 24th . " Aylwin " returned to Majuro on 4 May for tender repairs alongside which ended on the 21st . After screening " Bunker Hill " and " Cabot " during training in late May and early June , the veteran destroyer departed Majuro on 6 June bound for the Marianas Islands in company with TF 58 . On the 12th , the planes from the carriers bombed air facilities and coast defenses in the Marianas and damaged two Japanese convoys . On the 13th , " Aylwin " was part of the Northern Bombardment Unit ( TU 58 . 7 . 2 ) which shelled defense positions on the northern coast of Saipan and also served in the antisubmarine screen for the battleships and " South Dakota " . When the shelling ended at 17 : 15 , she rejoined the carriers and guarded them as they refueled the next day . During that operation , the destroyer received orders to rescue a pair of " Bunker Hill " aviators and , less than an hour later , picked up Ens . G . W . Snediker , USNR , and Aviation Radioman 3d Class R . E . Lincoln , USNR . The destroyer made another rescue on the 16th while covering the cruiser bombardment of Guam when a plane piloted by Ens . F . P . Kleffner , USNR , crashed 1800 yards astern . On the 17th , " Aylwin " was ordered to help screen the transports , and she missed the Battle of the Philippine Sea on the 19th and 20th which almost wiped out Japanese carrier - based aviation . " Aylwin " next proceeded to Eniwetok where she arrived on 28 June for a fortnight ' s upkeep . " Aylwin " screened and as those cruisers shelled installations on Guam on 18 and 19 July before taking part in a bombardment of the northern shores of the island , concentrating her fire on Japanese defensive positions near Asan Beach . At the outset of the mission , " Dewey " and two LCI ' s provided harassing fire into that area . " Aylwin " relieved " Dewey " on station on 21 July , off Asan Beach . " Dale " in turn relieved " Aylwin " on station . Relieved at 05 : 30 , " Aylwin " and her colleagues retired to the transport screen northwest of Orote Point and Agana Bay . On 25 and 26 July , the destroyer screened a cruiser bombardment of Rota Island and departed the area on the 30th , bound for Eniwetok on the first leg of a voyage home . " Aylwin " stopped at Pearl Harbor from 9 to 11 August and reached Bremerton , Washington , on the 17th for an overhaul . " Aylwin " then went down the coast with and " Farragut " , reached San Pedro on 10 October , and set out for Hawaii the next day . " Aylwin " then trained in Hawaiian waters until 11 November , when she sailed for the western Pacific in company with , , and three destroyers . She reached Ulithi on 21 November and operated between there and the Philippines into the first week of December 1944 . On 10 December , " Aylwin " — flagship of Commander TG 30 . 8 ( a replenishment group ) , Captain Jasper Acuff — left Ulithi as the 3rd Fleet put to sea . Three days later , " Aylwin " rendezvoused with TF 38 and , upon completion of fueling operations early the following afternoon , cleared the area . On the morning of the 17th , TG 30 . 8 joined TF 38 and again commenced fueling . However , the weather soon began growing worse as a typhoon came into the Philippine Sea . After " Aylwin " rolled 70 degrees to port for the first time , her engines were ordered to be stopped . At 12 : 45 , Machinists Mate 1st Class Sarenski was swept overboard ; followed 10 minutes later by the chief engineer , Lt . E . R . Rendahl , USNR . Neither was rescued . A leak in the engine room at 19 : 30 drew all pumps into action . " Aylwin " survived the typhoon , but other ships had not fared so well . The storm claimed " Hull " , " Monaghan " , and , each with heavy loss of life . Her flooding under control , " Aylwin " arrived at Ulithi three days before Christmas . There , she received repairs alongside that lasted into January 1945 . While at Ulithi , " Aylwin " conducted a brief patrol of the harbor after an explosion in — believed to have been caused by a submarine torpedo — but found no evidence of submarine activity . 1945 . The destroyer continued her operations as screen for replenishment groups into February 1945 . As part of the screen of TG 50 . 8 , she — together with , , , , and reached Iwo Jima on 21 February . She then began protecting the transports . On 23 February , " Aylwin " was assigned to TF 54 , the fire support group , and relieved . By that time , marines had occupied the southern section of Iwo Jima and were advancing to the north . On 23 and 24 February , " Aylwin " engaged in the Battle of Iwo Jima , before she left on the 25th for a fueling rendezvous en route back to Ulithi where she arrived on the 28th . During the first phase of the invasion of Okinawa , " Aylwin " operated between Kerama Retto and Ulithi . In early April , she endured her second typhoon on 5 June 1945 . " Aylwin " rendezvoused with the storm - damaged which had lost her bow in the storm . She subsequently searched unsuccessfully for the damaged warship ' s severed bow before putting into Apra Harbor , Guam , on 10 June for repairs . On 6 July , she got underway to return to the Carolines and reached Ulithi on the next . She sortied on the 10th as an escort for Convoy UOK - 39 and safely saw her 41 charges to Okinawa . After returning to Ulithi with another convoy , " Aylwin " began steaming off the anchorage on picket station B - 6 at 16 : 40 on 3 August . The next morning , she received orders to search for survivors of the torpedoed " Indianapolis " . The destroyer located and examined three bodies , removing all identification materials and fingerprinting them before burying them at sea . Underway again on 13 August , " Aylwin " escorted a convoy of troopships to the Marianas , reaching Apra Harbor on 14 August . When Japan surrendered the following day , " Aylwin " was at Apra Harbor . Three days later , the destroyers got underway for the Hawaiian Islands , in company with " MacDonough " and , and reached Pearl Harbor soon thereafter . On 27 August , " Aylwin " embarked passengers and , the following day , sailed for the California coast . The veteran destroyer disembarked her passengers at San Diego and , after tarrying there from 3 to 11 September , got underway for Panama and the east coast of the United States . Decommissioning . Transiting the canal for the last time on 20 September , " Aylwin " reached New York City on 25 September . Decommissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 16 October 1945 , " Aylwin " was struck from the Navy List on 1 November 1945 . Stripped for disposal , her hulk was sold and delivered to George N . Nutman , Inc . , of Brooklyn , N . Y . on 20 December 1946 and cut up for scrap by 2 September 1948 . " Aylwin " received 13 battle star s for her World War II service .