USS Longshaw ( DD - 559 ) USS " Longshaw " ( DD - 559 ) , a " Fletcher " - class destroyer , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Dr . William Longshaw , Jr . ( 1836 – 1865 ) , who served in the Navy and was killed during the Civil War . " Longshaw " was laid down 16 June 1942 by Seattle Tacoma Shipbuilding Co . , Seattle , Wash . ; launched 4 June 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . Ella Mae Richards ; and commissioned by Captain J . H . Stubbs on 4 December 1943 . She was lost to shore fire off Naha after grounding on a reef , on 18 May 1945 . History . Shakedown ; 1943 . " Longshaw " was launched , commissioned , and put to sea ( 15 December 1943 ) for tests , training , and shakedown off the west coast . She returned to port ( 26 January 1944 ) for post - shakedown availability ( repairs ) . Raids , Hollandia Operation ; February – May 1944 . Following shakedown off the west coast , " Longshaw " sailed from San Francisco 18 February 1944 , via Pearl Harbor , for the Marshalls arriving Kwajalein 4 March . Assigned to the 5th Fleet , the destroyer got underway for Majuro 15 March , where she then conducted a patrol off Wotje and Maleolap Islands until the 21st . The ship stood out from Majuro the next day , screening the replenishment group for the Fast Carrier Task Force ( Task Force 38 / 58 ) during strikes on Palau , Yap , Ulithi , and Woleai , 30 March and 1 April , returning to Majuro on the 6th . Six days later , she sailed again , steaming via Manus for Hollandia , escorting the same task group as planes from the flattops pounded the New Guinea coast to support landings by General Douglas MacArthur ' s troops . " Longshaw " return to Pearl Harbor 9 May for minor repairs and training . Marianas Operation , Tinian ; May – August 1944 . Getting underway for the Marianas on 30 May , escorting part of the northern attack force , the destroyer arrived off Saipan 15 June . For the next two months , except for a brief voyage to Eniwetok , she remained there , screening the escort carrier s providing air support for the invasion and also operating as a rescue ship for downed aviators . Sailing to Eniwetok on 22 August , " Longshaw " departed on the 29th to guard the carriers of Task Group 38 . 3 ( TG 38 . 3 ) during strikes against targets on Palau , Mindanao , and Luzon in support of the assault on the Palaus , the steppingstone to the Philippines . Western Caroline Islands Operation ; September – October 1944 . On 9 September , in company with other ships of her task group , the destroyer attacked a convoy of Japanese luggers off Mindanao , herself destroying three small coastal vessels . She continued to support carrier operations against Japanese in the Philippines until proceeding to Ulithi on 2 October . Leyte Operation ; October – December 1944 . " Longshaw " sortied with TG 38 . 3 , 6 October for intensified airstrikes in preparation for the Philippines invasion . Planes from the carriers hit airfields on Okinawa , Luzon , and Formosa , 10 to 13 October . " Longshaw " , in the screen , shot down one Japanese torpedo bomber during the furious Formosa air battle on the 12th . The fast carriers continued their operations in support of the invasion of Leyte , hitting the Philippines airfields steadily until the night of 24 October , when the mighty armada turned northward to engage the Japanese northern force the next day in the Battle off Cape Engaño . In a series of crushing airstrikes , American naval aircraft sank the remnants of Japan ' s carrier force . Based at Ulithi , " Longshaw " operated with TG 38 . 3 through the end of the year , screening the carriers in airstrikes at enemy bases on Okinawa , Formosa , and Luzon , helping to clear the way for the invasion of the latter island in January . Luzon Operation ; January 1945 . On the night of 9 – 10 January 1945 , the destroyer accompanied the fast carriers through Bashi Channel between the Philippines and Formosa , entering the South China Sea . For the next 10 days , TF 38 operated unchecked , launching attacks at Japanese installations in French Indochina , Formosa , and the China coast , including Hong Kong and Hainan . After returning through Balintang Channel , the flattops pounded Okinawa once more , 22 January , before retiring to Ulithi on the 26th . Iwo Jima , Okinawa ; February – May 1945 . " Longshaw " departed Ulithi 10 February with a night - fighter direction team on board . Sailing with the fast carrier force , she served as a fighter - direction and radar picket vessel during the airstrikes on Tokyo , 17 to 18 February ; and , for the remainder of the month , escorted TG 58 . 5 , the night carrier group in actions off Iwo Jima . Returning to Ulithi 12 March , the destroyer stood out for Okinawa on the 21st , escorting the support and bombardment unit for the invasion . Arriving 25 March , the ship shelled enemy targets ashore in support of American troops . Serving in this capacity throughout April and into May , the ship ' s crew performed magnificently . On call for naval gunfire support day or night , " Longshaw " remained continuously on station supplying her much needed firepower , despite steady attacks by Japanese suicide planes . Fate . On the morning of 18 May 1945 , following a grueling four - day period of fire support , " Longshaw " , en route to her patrol area , ran aground on a coral reef just south of Naha airfield , at 0719 . Other attempts to free her failing , tug " Arikara " ( ATF - 98 ) arrived at 0945 . At 1000 , tug ' s skipper , Lieutenant John Aikin , and Radioman First Class James J Zikus , boarded to arrange recovery and communications . Towing commenced at 1100 . At 1101 , Japanese shore batteries opened up , hitting the water between " Arikari " and " Longshaw " . The stranded destroyer attempted to fight back as best she could ; but , as she opened fire , her bow was completely blown off by a hit in the forward magazine . When efforts to save her appeared hopeless , the order " Abandon Ship " was relayed by word of mouth from the bridge . At 1105 , all hands on the bridge were killed , injured , or stunned ; the " Longshaw " ' s skipper , Lieutenant Commander Clarence William Becker , was reportedly there , mortally wounded , along with Radioman Zikus of the " Ariaka " . At 1115 , the abandon ship order reached the aft fire room and engine room . About 1200 , LCI ( L ) - 356 came alongside to remove all wounded . The ship was burning , shells were exploding in their magazines , and the decks were hot enough to cause burns ; many in the rescue party were awarded medals . The casualties included 86 dead or missing , including the skipper . ( The missing were later declared dead . ) In addition to the dead and missing , 95 crew members were wounded , and 113 crew members survived the sinking . Later in the afternoon , " Longshaw " , battered beyond salvaging , was destroyed by gunfire and torpedoes from U . S . ships . Honors . " Longshaw " received nine battle star s for World War II service . List of battle stars :