USS Gamble ( DD - 123 ) USS " Gamble " ( DD – 123 / DM - 15 ) was a " Wickes " class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War I , later converted to a minelayer in World War II . She was named for two brothers , Lieutenant Peter Gamble and Lieutenant Colonel John M . Gamble . " Gamble " was launched 11 May 1918 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company , Newport News , Virginia ; sponsored by Miss Evelyn H . Jackson , relative of Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels ; and commissioned at Norfolk 29 November 1918 , Commander H . J . Abbett in command . Service history . After shakedown training out of the Virginia Capes , " Gamble " sailed from New York 13 January 1919 to take part in maneuvers off Cuba ; Key West , Florida ; and the New England seaboard until June 1919 . Following overhaul at Norfolk , she joined the Pacific Fleet at San Diego 7 August 1919 and operated along the Pacific coast until placed in reserve status in the Mare Island Navy Yard 1 December 1919 . In October 1920 , she came out of reserve and assisted the flotilla in torpedo practice ; maneuvered with the Battle Force ; and cruised along the California coast as a training ship for reservists . She decommissioned at San Diego 17 June 1922 . " Gamble " recommissioned 24 May 1930 ; was reclassified ( DM - 15 ) on 13 June , and converted into a light minelayer in the Mare Island Navy Yard . Arriving at Pearl Harbor from the West Coast , she became flagship of Mine Squadron 2 in July 1930 and later served as flagship of Mine Division 1 , Mine Squadron 1 . She patrolled Hawaiian waters instructing Naval Reservists in mine warfare and acted as plane guard and radio tracker for seaplanes , each year participating in fleet readiness and fleet problems until she returned to San Diego where she decommissioned 22 December 1937 . Recommissioning 25 September 1939 as Europe was plunged into World War II , she joined Mine Division 5 in patrol and schoolship duties out of San Francisco . In April 1941 , she proceeded to Pearl Harbor for war readiness patrol in Hawaiian waters as a unit of Mine Division 2 . World War II . On 7 December 1941 , " Gamble " had returned from offshore patrol , when her peaceful Sunday morning routine was broken by the first of the Japanese carrier - based planes which pounded American ships in the harbor . " Gamble " s gunners joined the fire of other warships and saw one enemy plane fall into the water on her port beam . After the attack she took antisubmarine patrol station in the screen of , and later guarded the approaches to Pearl Harbor . In mid - February 1942 , she headed south in the escort for a convoy to Pago Pago , Samoa , then joined in laying a protective mine field off Tutuila . At the end of March the two minelayers shifted to the Fiji Islands , to lay a minefield in Nadi waters 7 – 14 April . Returning to Pearl Harbor for heavier armament , " Gamble " helped safeguard convoys to Midway during the time of that crucial and historic battle , then headed south with and to lay a defensive mine field off the entrance to Second Channel , Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides Islands . On 27 August 1942 , " Gamble " joined a task unit headed to Guadalcanal . Although designated a destroyer - minelayer , the old four - piper still carried antisubmarine gear . On the morning of 29 August , when her lookouts spotted a large enemy submarine , she immediately went into action . After several depth charge attacks , " Gamble " ran through large oil slicks , found deck planking , and observed a large air bubble break the surface . Later her victim was identified as , whose dying radio had signaled " under heavy enemy attack . " That afternoon she proceeded at full speed to Nura Island where she rescued four stranded aviators from . Continuing to aid in the struggle for Guadalcanal , she transported 158 Marines to the island 31 August , patrolled off Lunga Roads , then on 5 September assisted in freeing and escorted her to Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides Islands . Her patrol , escort , and transport duty continued as the drive for Guadalcanal pressed on to victory . Five minutes after midnight , 6 May 1943 , " Gamble " , with and " Breese " , turned simultaneously in rain squalls which broke at times to disclose each to the other in perfect formation . Making 15 kn ( 28 km / h ) , each ship dropped a mine every 12 seconds , planting over 250 mines in 17 minutes across Blackett Strait , the western entrance to Kula Gulf and directly in the favorite route of the worrisome " Tokyo Express . " The ships then sped north to join the protective screen of Rear Admiral Walden L . Ainsworth ' s cruiser - destroyer force before refueling at Tulagi . On the night of 7 / 8 May , four Japanese destroyers entered the mined waters . One , , went down , two others , and , were badly damaged and sent out calls for help that brought to the scene . Aircraft , alerted by a coastwatcher , intercepted the rescue operation , sinking the two destroyers and sending " Michishio " limping back to port , badly damaged . On 30 June 1943 , during the invasion of New Georgia , " Gamble " laid a string of mines off the beachhead , before returning to Tulagi . In July welcome orders sent her back to the United States for overhaul . She headed west again 20 September 1943 . Her minelaying duties then brought her to Empress Augusta Bay 1 – 2 November 1943 to support landing operations ; Bougainville Strait , 7 – 8 November ; Purvis Bay , Florida Island , 23 – 24 November , thence to the New Hebrides Islands for escort duty among the Solomons until she returned to San Francisco 12 October 1944 . After overhaul and refresher training , " Gamble " departed San Diego 7 January 1945 , en route via Hawaii and the Marshalls to Iwo Jima where she arrived 17 February , to lend fire support to the various sweeping units , and to explode floating mines . During her shelling a direct hit on an ammunition dump exploded the enemy magazine like a giant firecracker at the foot of Mt . Surabachi . Fate . On 18 February 1945 , " Gamble " was hit just above the waterline by two 250 lb ( 110 kg ) bombs . Both firerooms immediately flooded and she became dead in the water with two holes in her bottom as all hands fought raging fires , jettisoned topside weight and shored damaged bulkheads . Five men were killed , one missing in action , and eight wounded . As marines stormed the shores of Iwo Jima the next day , " Gamble " was taken in tow by , who turned her over to L8M - 126 for passage to Saipan . She arrived at Saipan 24 February and went alongside " Hamul " for repair . Some hope remained for " Gamble " for a long time , but on 1 June 1945 she decommissioned , and , on 16 July , she was towed outside Apra Harbor , Guam and sunk . Awards . " Gamble " received seven battle star s for service in World War II . , no other ships in the United States Navy have borne this name .