USS Capps ( DD - 550 ) USS " Capps " ( DD - 550 ) , a " Fletcher " - class destroyer , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Washington L . Capps ( 1864 – 1935 ) . " Capps " was launched 31 May 1942 by Gulf Shipbuilding Corp . , Chickasaw , Ala . , sponsored by Mrs . C . G . Stokes ; commissioned 23 June 1943 , Lieutenant Commander B . E . S . Trippensee in command ; and reported to the Atlantic Fleet . Service history . United States Navy . " Capps " cleared New York 7 September 1943 to begin the operations which would see her fighting the Axis powers on both sides of the world , sailing in convoy for Scapa Flow , Scotland . She arrived 17 September for exercises with the British Home Fleet . In a mixed task force of American and other Allied ships , led by , " Capps " stood out of Scapa Flow 3 October to cross the Arctic Circle for the first raid on German shipping at Norway ' s port of Bodø , where coal and iron ore were loaded for Germany . Ships and docks were left burning and sinking , and " Capps " returned to Scapa Flow unscathed by German air attack . On 7 October , " Capps " sailed with three other destroyers in a dash to Gibraltar , from which they escorted two British battleship s and two aircraft carrier s back to Scapa Flow . Thus augmented , the Home Fleet , with " Capps " in company , swept into northern waters from 29 October to 8 November to guard the movement of a convoy for Murmansk , and to hunt for and . " Capps " was detached at Scapa Flow 22 November 1943 and sailed to Boston , arriving 4 December . Twenty days later she got underway for New Orleans , where she joined the escort of a troop convoy bound for Pearl Harbor , arriving 20 January 1944 . Guarding another convoy , " Capps " sailed on to Funafuti , from which she put out for patrol duty off Tarawa , Makin , and Kwajalein as these islands were assaulted to open the Marshall Islands operation . Forced back to San Francisco by a boiler casualty , " Capps " returned to action at Majuro 23 April , and was assigned to area escort , antisubmarine , and antiaircraft patrols . Convoy duty took her to Pearl Harbor in May , returning to Eniwetok 14 June . Based there , the destroyer screened service forces supporting the invasion of the Marianas , then moved forward to Manus in August to continue operations with the screen of the 3rd Fleet logistics group in the western Carolines operations . The ships whose service forces " Capps " protected carried out the crucial attacks on Japanese bases which prepared for the Leyte operation , and " Capps " herself joined the screen of a carrier group for air strikes on Manila on 25 November . She continued her activities with the 3rd Fleet until the close of the year , when she reported for a month of duty on radar picket station , in air - sea rescue , and escorting convoys from Saipan to Guam , Eniwetok , and Ulithi . On 1 February 1945 , she reported at Ulithi to train with underwater demolition team s for the invasion of Iwo Jima , for which she sailed 14 February . Arriving off Iwo Jima 16 February 1945 , " Capps " fired in the intensive preinvasion bombardment . Her underwater demolition teams were skillfully landed and began their work of preparing the beaches for assault , and " Capps " remained on the firing line for 3 weeks , hurling more than 2 , 600 five - inch projectiles into the caves and hillsides of the tenaciously defended island . Her antiaircraft guns fought off almost nightly air attacks and bombing raids , and each night almost constant illumination fire was thrown up to prevent surprise attacks ashore . With only 8 days of resupply behind her , " Capps " sailed in the screen of escort carrier s bound for the invasion of Okinawa . For the next 82 days , broken only by 6 hours at anchor in Kerama Retto . " Capps " sailed through the mined waters south of the Nansei Shoto , guarding the escort carriers , rescuing downed aviators , and fighting back " kamikaze " attacks . Although a kamikaze exploded close aboard on 3 April 1945 , " Capps " came through the operation unscathed , and was able to continue the alertness and vigilance which made her an indispensable part of her group . Ordered back to a stateside overhaul , " Capps " arrived at San Pedro , Calif . , 9 July . She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Long Beach 15 January 1947 , and was loaned to Spain under the Military Assistance Program 15 May 1957 . Spanish Navy . The ship served in the Spanish Navy as SPS " Lepanto " ( D21 ) , named after the 1571 Battle of Lepanto , in which the Holy League led by Spain defeated the Ottoman Empire . She was stricken 31 December 1985 and scrapped . Awards . " Capps " received seven battle star s for her World War II service .