USS Erben ( DD - 631 ) USS " Erben " ( DD - 631 ) , a " Fletcher " - class destroyer , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Henry Erben ( 1832 – 1909 ) . " Erben " ( DD - 631 ) was launched 21 March 1943 by Bath Iron Works Corp . , Bath , Maine ; sponsored by Mrs . C . B . G . Gaillard , daughter of Rear Admiral " Erben " ; and commissioned 28 May 1943 , Commander J . H . Nevins , Jr . , in command . Service history . United States Navy . World War II . 1943 . Arriving at Pearl Harbor 2 October 1943 from Boston , " Erben " joined the 5th Fleet and trained in the Hawaiian Islands , on 1 November . She rescued a downed aviator during exercises with an aircraft carrier . She sailed from Pearl Harbor 8 November , rendezvoused with a carrier task group on 15 November , and screened it during preinvasion air attacks on the Gilbert Islands , several times rescuing aviators whose planes had crashed or run out of fuel . As the invasion waves of Marines were landed on Tarawa on 20 November , " Erben " continued to screen the carriers launching supporting strikes , providing protection with her antiaircraft fire when 13 Japan ese torpedo plane s attacked late in the afternoon . She again effectively fired against Japanese planes that attacked the task group as it retired from strikes in the Marshall Islands on 4 December . 1944 . " Erben " replenished at Pearl Harbor , and put to sea 21 December 1943 for Funafuti to exercise with the support group organized for the invasion of the Marshalls . She sailed 23 January 1944 , and on 29 January saw action in the bombardment of Taroa and Wotje . The next day she hunted Japanese shipping off Maloelap , firing on a beached fishing ship , and on the 31st , as the assault landings took place , gave fire support to the troops ashore . Five times , she appeared off Taroa for night bombardment and harassing fire , and from 2 February operated out of Majuro on patrol in the Marshalls . The destroyer returned to Guadalcanal 17 March 1944 , and after escorting troop transports to Cape Torokina , prepared at Milne Bay for the Hollandia operation , during which she screened carriers giving air support to the landings at Aitape and Hollandia through April . Through much of May , she trained in the New Hebrides and Russell Islands , and on 8 June arrived at Kwajalein to stage for the Marianas operation . From 12 June , when she sortied with the carriers , until 4 August , when she returned to Eniwetok , she was almost constantly at sea to screen the carriers as they launched preinvasion air strikes , covered the landings , won a most significant victory in the Battle of the Philippine Sea , and furnished antisubmarine and air protection to assault shipping . From Eniwetok , " Erben " returned to a month of brief overhaul and training in the Hawaiian Islands , then put out for Manus Island , from which she sailed 14 October 1944 to escort transports to the Leyte landings of 20 October . She patrolled and furnished antiaircraft fire to protect the transports until 24 October , then as the Battle for Leyte Gulf raged , sailed for Humboldt Bay to guard the retirement of LST s . She returned to Leyte 14 November with a convoy of reinforcements , and sailed the same day for Manus , Majuro , Pearl Harbor , and a west coast overhaul . 1945 . " Erben " was back in action 15 March 1945 when she rendezvoused one day out of Ulithi with the fast carrier task force for air strikes on Kyūshū and Okinawa . During two of these , on 26 and 30 March , she rescued a total of four downed aviators . The pounding of Okinawa reached its height for the invasion landings of 1 April , and " Erben " continued to screen the carriers as they operated off the island through the next 2 months . She fired with success to drive off " kamikaze s " , rescued survivors of damaged ships , bombarded shore targets , and saved many downed aviators . On 3 and 23 May , she rescued the same three - man plane crew from . Through June 1945 , " Erben " was in Leyte Gulf for repairs to her sonar equipment and exercises , and on 1 July sailed to screen air strikes and join in bombardments on Japan , patrolling in advance of the main body to ensure that planes returning from strikes were not leading Japanese aircraft to the carriers . On 9 August , during the bombardment of steel works at Kamaishi , she sank two enemy luggers by gunfire . She continued to cruise off Japan with the carrier until 15 September , when she entered Tokyo Bay to replenish . On 1 October she sailed to take on passengers at Okinawa , with whom she arrived at Long Beach 21 October 1945 . She was decommissioned and placed in reserve 31 May 1946 . Korean War . With the expansion of the fleet in the Korean War , " Erben " was recommissioned 19 May 1951 , and sailed from Long Beach , her home port , 27 August for Yokosuka . At once she joined the destroyer screen protecting carriers of Task Force 77 from submarine attack . In late September and October , she bombarded shore targets in the Songjin - Chongjin area , disrupting enemy communications and supply routes , and on 9 October , rescuing a North Korean fleeing the Communists in a small boat . After joining in antisubmarine warfare exercises off Okinawa , she returned to screening duty , rescuing a downed pilot 2 December . She accompanied in a bombardment on Korea ' s west coast , then sailed to the east coast to provide close fire support for the fighting men ashore . She returned to San Diego 21 March 1952 for overhaul , and on 1 November sailed again for duty off Korea . In addition to carrying out duties similar to those of her first Korean war tour , " Erben " visited Taiwan and Hong Kong , and operated with ships of the Royal Navy . She returned to San Diego 1 June 1953 , and during the remaining 5 years of her active service made four more cruises to the Far East , serving on the Taiwan Patrol and operating with the carriers of the 7th Fleet . On 8 June 1957 she went underway for the Far East . On 14 June she arrive in Pearl Harbor and remained there until 16 June 1957 , where she had some repairs done . On 23 June 1957 she arrived at Midway Island and from 29 June to 6 July she was ported in Yokosuka , Japan . On 6 July she arrived in Yokohama , Japan and remained there until 8 July . 13 July was spent in Naha , Okinawa and on 17 July , Kao Shuing , Taiwan . From 26 to 28 July , she anchored again in Kao Shuing , Taiwan and on 1 August 1957 harbored in Yokosuka , Japan . She was again decommissioned and placed in reserve 27 June 1958 . South Korean Navy . " Erben " was transferred to South Korea 16 May 1963 , where she was renamed ROKS " Chung Mu " ( DD - 911 ) . In 1979 , the Republic of Korea Navy changed her Hull Number to 91 . Since 1983 , she served as a stationary training vessel . The ex - " Erben " is reported to have been broken up . Awards . " Erben " received six battle star s for her World War II service , and four for Korea .