Mahan - class destroyer The " Mahan " - class destroyers originally included 16 ships : the United States Navy commissioned 15 of them in 1936 and one in 1937 . Two more ships , often referred to as the " Dunlap " class , were approved in the basic " Mahan " design ; both commissioned in 1937 . was the lead ship of the class , named for Rear - Admiral Alfred T . Mahan , an influential historian and theorist on sea power . The class introduced a new propulsion system that changed the technology for future wartime destroyer s . It incorporated a number of major betterments , which included the mounting of twelve torpedo tubes , superimposed gun shelters , and new generators for emergency use . Ship displacement increased from 1 , 365 tons to 1 , 500 tons All eighteen ships of the class saw action in World War II , entirely in the Pacific Theater of Operations . Their participation in major and secondary campaigns involved the bombardment of beachheads , amphibious landings , task force screening , convoy and patrol duty , anti - aircraft and submarine warfare . Collectively , the class received 111 battle stars for World War II service . Six ships became combat losses and two were expended in post - war tests . The remainder were decommissioned , sold , or scrapped after the war . Design . The " Mahan " - class destroyer emerged as the improved version of the " Farragut " class . The " Farragut " class was considered as good or better than any destroyer , except for the Japanese . This 1 , 700 ton Japanese ship carried 9 torpedo tubes ; the " Farragut " s carried one less . The Navy ' s General Board had been wrestling with changes in destroyer features , and began leaning towards the idea of 12 torpedo tubes with one less 5 " / 38 caliber gun . The Board later reversed itself , accepting the notion that all five guns could be retained with the 12 torpedo tubes . To do this , the dual purpose gun feature of the 5 " / 38s would be lost , meaning the guns would not be configured for both surface and aircraft targets , but configured for only surface targets . The Chief of Naval Operations ( CNO ) , who considered this a narrow idea , said , “ … the CNO cannot recommend any design of destroyer which subordinates the gun to the torpedo " . Yet a compromise was struck ; its central features would include a new engineering plant and a new battery arrangement for the " Mahan " class and others . In the design outcome , a third quadruple torpedo tube would replace No . 3 gun ; the two middle torpedo tubes would be moved to the sides , releasing the centerline space for extension of the after deckhouse to accommodate No . 3 gun ahead of No . 4 . Each five 5 " / 38 caliber gun would be a dual purpose gun , but only No . 1 and No . 2 guns would have a gun shield . The traditional destroyer machinery would be replaced with a new generation of land - based machinery to combine increases in pressure and steam temperatures with a fast running turbine . " Mahan " s typically included the tripod foremast with the pole mainmast . To improve the anti - aircraft field of fire , the tripod foremast was constructed without nautical rigging . Their silhouette was similar to the larger s , whose construction immediately preceded them . " Mahan " s were fitted with the first emergency generators , replacing the storage batteries of earlier classes . Gun crew shelters were built for the superimposed weapons : one shelter before the bridge and one atop the shelter deck aft . A third quadruple set of torpedo tubes was added , so that one mount was on the centerline and two in the side positions . This required relocating one 5 " / 38 caliber gun to the after deckhouse . Displacement increased to 1 , 500 tons from 1 , 365 tons . " Mahan " s displaced at standard load and at deep load . The overall length of the class was , the beam was , and the draft . They were powered by General Electric geared steam turbines , driving two shafts that developed a total of for a maximum speed of . Four Babcock and Wilcox or four Foster Wheeler water - tube boilers generated the super - heated steam needed for the turbines . The " Mahan " s carried a maximum of of fuel oil , giving them a range of at . Their peacetime complement was 158 officers and enlisted men . The wartime complement increased to approximately 250 officers and enlisted men . Armament . The main battery of the " Mahan " class consisted of five 5 " / 38 caliber guns , equipped with the MK 33 gun fire control system . All five of the guns were dual purpose , configured for both surface and aircraft targets . The anti - aircraft battery had four water - cooled . 50 caliber machine gun s . The class was fitted with three , quadruple torpedo tube mounts for twelve 21 - inch torpedoes , guided by the MK 27 torpedo fire control system . Depth charge roll - off racks were rigged on the stern . In the spring of 1942 , the " Mahan " - class destroyers began a wartime armament refitting process , yet most of the class was not fully refitted until sometime in 1944 . The notable refits to the " Mahan " class included the removal of one 5 " / 38 gun , typically replaced with two twin Bofors 40 mm guns and five 20 mm Oerlikon guns . Ironically , early 1942 found two of the class with six Oerlikon guns , while some had four . In January 1945 , removal of two quadruple torpedo tubes was authorized to permit substitution of two 40 mm quads for their existing mounts . In June , removal of the third centerline tube was authorized to make way for two 40 mm twins abreast of the after stack . All ships receiving these AA modifications were to have directors installed with their new 40 mm mounts ; these Mark 51s were to be replaced by new blind - firing GFFC Mark 63 installations with radar . Construction . Contracts for the first six " Mahan " s were awarded to three shipbuilders . Yet , none of the shipbuilding firms selected had what the US Navy judged as an acceptable in - house design structure . On the strength of its reputation , the New York firm of Gibbs and Cox was named as the design agent . The firm had no experience in the design of warships , but had successfully designed passenger - cargo liners with propulsion systems beyond what the US Navy had undertaken . So the decision was made to design the " Mahan " class around a new generation of machinery . Gibbs and Cox devised a cutting - edge propulsion system that combined increases in boiler pressure and steam temperature with a new type of lightweight , fast - running turbine and double reduction gears . The " Mahan " class ushered in a new age of destroyer technology , culminating into increased economy , with higher and more efficient speeds . " Dunlap " class . The " Dunlap " s were a two - ship destroyer class built from the basic " Mahan " design . Certain sources consider them a separate class ; others do not because of their similarity to the " Mahan " class . The " Dunlap " s differed the " Mahan " s in their incorporation of a base ring for each forward 5 " / 38 caliber gun through which passed a projectile hoist that rotated the gun . " Dunlap " s were the first US destroyers to use enclosed forward gun mounts rather than shields ; their light pole foremast and lack of a mainmast visibly distinguished them from the " Mahan " s . Service history . " Mahan " . USS " Mahan " was commissioned on the east coast in September 1936 and served in the Atlantic area until July 1937 . She sailed to the southern California coast for fleet training before moving on to Pearl Harbor . " Mahan " was at sea when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 , yet she participated in the initial post - attack efforts in search of the strike force . " Mahan " joined Task Force 17 in February 1942 , which conducted raids on several atolls in the Marshall Islands and Gilbert Islands . Late in March , she returned to Pearl Harbor and proceeded to the west coast for overhaul . By August 1942 , " Mahan " was back operating out of Pearl Harbor . In October 1942 , " Mahan " was assigned to Task Force 61 and took part in the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands . The engagement cost the Navy 74 aircraft , the carrier , and one destroyer . While en route to Noumea , New Caledonia , " Mahan " and the battleship collided , causing severe damage to each ship . Temporary repairs were made to " Mahan " and she steamed to Pearl Harbor for a new bow . She pulled out of Pearl Harbor in January 1943 . In the months to follow , " Mahan " escorted convoys between New Hebrides and the Fiji Islands , performed patrol assignments off New Caledonia and engaged in operations in Australian waters . Assigned to the amphibious force of Admiral Daniel E . Barbey , " Mahan " participated in a succession of wide - ranging amphibious campaigns in New Guinea , New Britain and the Admiralty Islands until the spring of 1944 . At which point she proceeded to the west coast for overhaul ; leaving the yard in July 1944 for Pearl Harbor . Returning to New Guinea , " Mahan " began escorting convoys between Hollandia ( Jayapura ) and Leyte in the Philippine Islands . By November 1944 , she was doing anti - submarine patrols off Leyte . On 7 December 1944 while patrolling the channel between Leyte and Ponson Island , a Japanese Kamikaze squadron overwhelmed " Mahan " at Ormoc Bay . She was disabled by the attack , abandoned and sunk by a US destroyer . " Mahan " received five battle stars for her World War II service . " Cummings " . USS " Cummings " served in the Pacific Fleet in the late 1930s and during this period she participated in numerous individual and fleet training exercises . In 1940 , she served on security patrols off the west coast of the United States . " Cummings " went on a goodwill visit to several ports in the South Pacific , including Auckland , New Zealand , and Tahiti . The destroyer was docked in Pearl Harbor on the morning of 7 December 1941 . During the Japanese attack , " Cummings " was hit by fragments and suffered a few casualties . She escorted convoys between Pearl Harbor and the west coast for the first six months of World War II . In June 1942 , she was transferred to convoy escort duties in the South Pacific , which lasted until August . She had an overhaul in San Francisco in August , after which she returned to her role as a convoy escort in the South Pacific . In January 1944 , " Cummings " joined the screen for the fast carrier strike force while it raided Japanese positions in the Central Pacific . In April , " Cummings " was sent to the Indian Ocean where she joined the British Eastern Fleet . By July , she was back in San Francisco where she escorted the heavy cruiser , which carried President Franklin D . Roosevelt to Pearl Harbor . " Cummings " rejoined the main US fleet for the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944 . The next month , she bombarded Iwo Jima in preparation for the upcoming amphibious assault on the island . She operated off Okinawa during the invasion of that island . After the end of the war , she supervised the occupation of Haha - jima . Returning to the United States , " Cummings " was decommissioned in December 1945 and sold for scrap in July 1947 . Cummings received seven battle stars for her World War II service . " Drayton " . USS " Drayton " made her shakedown cruise to Europe late in 1936 , and finished her final trials in the United States . She left Norfolk , Virginia , in June 1937 for San Diego , California , to join the Scouting Force . In July , " Drayton " assisted in the search for the lost American aviatrix , Amelia Earhart . For the next two years , she exercised along the west coast , the Hawaiian Islands , and the Caribbean . When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor , " Drayton " was at sea but able to participate in the post - attack efforts in search of the enemy force . During the succeeding three months , she escorted a convoy to Christmas Island , screened a carrier in an airstrike on Bougainville Island , then screened a tanker to Suva Harbor , Fiji Islands . In Late November 1942 " Drayton " became part of Task Force 67 , which intercepted a Japanese naval force guarding transports en route to resupply Guadalcanal . The Battle of Tassafaronga followed . Throughout the summer of 1943 , " Drayton " escorted Australian troops from Townsville , Australia , to Milne Bay , New Guinea . In early September , " Drayton " supported the amphibious landing at Lae , New Guinea . Later in September , she participated in the amphibious landing at Finschhafen , New Guinea . By December 1943 , " Drayton " had escorted troops to Arawe , New Britain , then participated in the landings there and at Borgen Bay , near Cape Gloucester , New Britain . The destroyer took part in the invasion of Los Negros Island , Admiralty Islands , during February 1944 . She reported to the 7th Fleet in October and did patrol and escort duty in the Leyte Gulf , Philippines . In December 1944 , while screening a convoy to San Pedro Bay , Philippines , a Japanese bomber attacked " Drayton " , killing two men and wounding seven . The next day , she fought - off enemy fighters ; one crashed into a 5 " / 38 caliber gun mount , killing six men and wounding twelve . By August 1945 she was on her way to New York , arriving there in September . " Drayton " was decommissioned in October 1945 and sold for scrap in December 1946 . She received 11 battle stars for her World War II service . " Lamson " . USS " Lamson " shipped out of Norfolk , Virginia , in June 1937 for San Diego , California , less than a year after her Naval service began . She engaged in exercises and tactical training until sailing for Pearl Harbor in October 1939 . For the next two years , " Lamson " continued training from her base in Hawaii . Following the attack on Pearl Harbor , she joined the post - attack efforts to search for the Japanese strike force . In February 1942 she became part of the newly formed ANZAC Squadron , consisting of Australian , New Zealand , and American warships in Suva , Fiji Islands . The following month , she operated with the squadron as a covering group southeast of Papua New Guinea . In late November 1942 , " Lamson " was assigned to Task Force 67 and took part in the Battle of Tassafaronga . For the next eight months , " Lamson " screened convoys en route to Guadalcanal . By August 1943 , " Lamson " had moved on to Milne Bay , New Guinea , participating in the September amphibious landings at Lea and Finchhaffen . In December , " Lamson " engaged in the pre - invasion bombardment of Arawe and landings at Cape Gloucester , New Britain . After an overhaul and training at Pearl Harbor , " Lamson " joined the 7th Fleet in October 1944 . In early December 1944 , " Lamson " participated in the amphibious landing at Ormoc Bay , Leyte , Philippine Islands . There she was struck by a Kamikaze that ignited the ship , killed 21 men and injured 50 . Her fires were extinguished by a rescue tug and " Lamson " was saved . After extensive repairs in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , she returned to the Pacific and operated off Iwo Jima , returning to the U . S . in November 1945 . In May 1946 , she participated in the Atomic Bomb ABLE test and was sunk in the atomic explosion in July 1946 . " Lamson " received five battle stars for her World War II service . " Flusser " . USS " Flusser " steamed her way to San Diego , California , in July 1937 , after spending the first months of her Naval service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean . She was based in San Diego until 1939 , then reassigned to Pearl Harbor . " Flusser " was at sea when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor , but took part in the post - attack search . For the next six months , she carried out convoy duty between Pearl Harbor and the west coast , and engaged in escort and patrol duty out of southwest Pacific ports . From July 1942 to February 1943 , " Flusser " was in overhaul status at Pearl Harbor . She returned to escort and training operations in the Solomon Islands and was later based at Milne Bay , New Guinea . During September , " Flusser " was part of the amphibious landing forces at Lae and Finchhaffen , New Guinea . In December 1943 , the destroyer participated in the bombardment and landings at Arawe and Cape Gloucester , New Britain . While attached to the Seventh Fleet in February , she supported the landing of troops at Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Islands . Between April and June 1944 , " Flusser " was back in the yard for overhaul , this time at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard . After her overhaul , " Flusser " returned to Pearl Harbor . In August , she escorted a convoy to Eniwetok and moved on to Majuro . There , she carried out patrol duty of bypassed Japanese - held atolls in the Marshall Islands . While on one of her patrols , " Flusser " became the target of a shore battery off Wotje Atoll that left nine of her crew members wounded . In October , she sailed north to San Pedro Bay for duty in the Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait . By early December 1944 , " Flusser " had escorted convoys from Hollandia ( Jayapura ) to Leyte and taken part in the amphibious landing at Ormoc Bay . In March 1945 , " Flusser " provided escort support for the landing near Cebu in the Philippines . During June she participated in the Balikpapan , Borneo , campaign , escorting ships and covering the landing . After occupation duty in Okinawa during September and October , she sailed to San Diego , California , arriving there in November 1945 . During the summer of 1946 , " Flusser " took part in the atomic weapons tests in the Marshall Islands . From there , she steamed to Pearl Harbor , then to Norfolk , Virginia . The destroyer was decommissioned there in December 1946 and sold in January 1948 . " Flusser " received eight battle stars for her World War II service . " Reid " . USS " Reid " came into the service of the United States Navy in November 1936 . From 1937 until 1941 , she participated in training and fleet maneuvers in both the Atlantic and Pacific . " Reid " was berthed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on 7 December 1941 , but she escaped without damage . Her gunners fired at the enemy attackers and in due course she headed out to sea . After the attack , " Reid " did patrol duty in the Hawaiian waters . During the ensuing months , she escorted conveys to San Francisco , California , and returned to Pearl Harbor . Late in May 1942 , " Reid " steamed north to bombard the Japanese positions in Kiska and supported landings at Adak , Alaska . While conducting an anti - submarine patrol in August , she brought a Japanese submarine to the surface with a heavy depth charge barrage . Once surfaced , " Reid " opened fire on the submarine until it capsized and sunk . Five of the submarine ’ s crew survived and were rescued by " Reid " . By October , she was patrolling the waters near New Caledonia , Samoa , and the Fiji Islands . In January 1943 , " Reid " bombarded several Japanese locations on Guadalcanal . During September 1943 , " Reid " provided support for the landings at Lae and Finchhafen , New Guinea . In December , Reid escorted troop transports for the landings at Arwe , New Britain , and participated in the landings at Cape Gloucester , New Britain . The following months she supported the landings at Los Negros Island , Admiralty Islands , followed by those at Hollandia , Wakde Island , Biak , and Noemfoor , New Guinea . " Reid " supported air strikes against Wake Island , and in November 1944 did patrol duty off Leyte in the Philippine Islands . On 11 December 1944 , " Reid " was operating with a convoy bound for Ormoc Bay , Leyte , to resupply the land forces there . Late that afternoon , a group of Japanese planes descended on the convoy and penetrated the defense , taking aim at " Reid " and another destroyer . In turn , the destroyers put up an anti - aircraft barrage that splashed some of the planes and damaged others . However , " Reid " became the focus and was hit by five suicide planes , causing powerful explosions . Within minutes , she went to the bottom . Over a hundred men perished . " Reid " received seven battle stars for her World War II service . " Case " . USS " Case " began active duty in September 1936 and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet . In April 1940 , Pearl Harbor became her home base . The year following , she participated in fleet exercises to Midway Island , Johnston Island , Palmyra Atoll , Samoa , and Auckland , New Zealand . " Case " was berthed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese struck on 7 December 1941 , but sustained no damage . After the attack , she escorted convoys between the west coast and Pearl Harbor until late May 1942 . " Case " went north to support the pre - invasion bombardment of Kiska and do patrol duty off Adak , Alaska . In October , " Case " escorted a convoy to Pearl Harbor , then headed to the states for repair , returning to Pearl Harbor in November 1942 . In January 1943 , she sailed to Espiritu Santo for training and remained there until September . After overhaul in San Francisco , California , " Case " returned to Pearl Harbor in December 1943 . She proceeded to the Marshall Islands , taking part in attacks on Wotje Atoll and Maloelap Atoll in late January and Eniwetok in early February 1944 . In April 1944 , " Case " took part in air raids on Hollandia , Truk ( Chuuk Lagoon ) , Satawan , and Ponape Island ( Pohnpei ) . Her next assignment was with Task Group 58 . 4 , participating in strikes on Japanese airfields in the Bonin Islands . During June 1944 , " Case " engaged in raids on the Mariana Islands and Vulcan Islands . Following repair work at Eniwetok , " Case " resumed operations with the task group : screening for air strikes in July and attacks on the Bonin Islands in August and September . She took part in the bombardment of Marcus Island , before joining Task Group 38 . 1 for strikes on Luzon . While screening US cruisers bound for Saipan , " Case " rammed and sunk a Japanese midget submarine . Undamaged , she sailed to Saipan for offshore patrol duty until early December 1944 . Afterward , " Case " became involved in a raid on Iwo Jima airfields and helped sink two Japanese ships . Following repairs at Saipan , she returned to Iwo Jima for patrol duty . Then , back to Saipan , where " Case " performed duties between Saipan and Iwo Jima until the end of the war . She left Iwo Jima for Norfolk , Virginia , where she was decommissioned in December 1945 and sold in December 1947 . " Case " received seven battle stars for her World War II service . " Conyngham " . USS " Conyngham " made her maiden voyage to northern Europe in the spring of 1937 , shortly after being commissioned . Following an overhaul in Boston , she sailed to San Diego , California . From October 1937 until April 1940 , " Conyngham " operated along the west coast , the Hawaiian Islands and the Caribbean , then made her way to Pearl Harbor . In March 1941 , " Conyngham " left Pearl Harbor on a goodwill tour to Samoa , Sydney and Brisbane , Australia , and Suva , Tahiti , returning in April 1941 . Undamaged by the Japanese attack on 7 December 1941 , she put to sea on patrol duty that continued through December . After a brief overhaul at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard , " Conyngham " performed escort duty between the west coast and New Hebrides . Her escort assignment was interrupted to screen carriers in the battle of Midway Island in June 1942 . During October 1942 , " Conyngham " participated in the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands and supported the attack at the Matanikau River , Guadalcanal . In June 1943 she joined an amphibious force , which later carried out landings at Lae and Finchhafen , New Guinea . In December , she took part in the landings at Arawe and Cape Gloucester , New Britain . The next month , " Conyngham " participated in the landing at Saidor , New Guinea , and sailed to San Francisco for overhaul . Returning to duty in May 1944 , she screened battleships in the Marianas Islands and remained there until August . " Conyngham " played a role in the landings at Leyte Gulf and ended the war at Subic Bay . Decommissioned in December 1946 , " Conyngham " was used in the atomic weapons test at Bikini and sunk July 1948 . She received 14 battle stars for her World War II service . " Cassin " . USS " Cassin " began naval service in August 1936 , but alterations kept her from sea until March 1937 . The next year , she joined forces at Pearl Harbor for annual fleet exercises . In April 1940 , " Cassin " was assigned to a Hawaiian unit . When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 , " Cassin " was in dry - dock with the battleship and the destroyer . Both destroyers were at the southern end of the dock when an incendiary bomb struck " Downes , " starting unstoppable fires on both destroyers . Later , " Cassin " slipped off her blocks and rolled over on the burning " Downes " . " Cassin " was decommissioned , but enough of her was salvaged for another warship . " Cassin " was rebuilt and commissioned again in February 1944 . She reported to Pearl Harbor in April and pulled escort duty until August . In October , " Cassin " took part in the shelling of Marcus Island to destroy enemy installations . After participating in the bombardment of Iwo Jima in November 1944 and January 1945 , she escorted an ammunition ship to the newly invaded Iwo Jima . There , " Cassin " did radar picket and air - sea rescue duty . With the war over , she took part in guarding the air evacuation of released prisons of war from Japan . In November 1945 , " Cassin " deployed to Norfolk , Virginia , and decommissioned there in December 1945 . She was sold for scrap in November 1947 . " Cassin " received six battle stars for her World War II service . " Shaw " . USS " Shaw " crossed the Atlantic on her shakedown cruise in April 1937 , and returned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard in June . There , she began a year of yard work before completing acceptance trials . For the remainder of the year , " Shaw " conducted training exercises in the Atlantic . Sailing to the west coast , she was at the Mare Island Navy Yard from January to April 1939 . By April 1940 , " Shaw " moved on to Hawaiian waters , then back to the west coast in November for overhaul . She returned to Hawaii in February 1941 , and later entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for repairs . On 7 December 1941 , " Shaw " was still in dry dock when the Japanese attacked . She was hit by three bombs and severely damaged , with most of the ship ’ s crew ashore . Temporary repairs were made at Pearl Harbor and in February 1942 " Shaw " sailed to the west coast to complete them . With repairs completed , " Shaw " returned to Pearl Harbor in August 1942 . She was then assigned to Task Force 61 and took part in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands in mid - October . Reassigned to a unit of the 7th Amphibious Force , " Shaw " escorted reinforcements to Lae and Finchhafen , New Guinea , for the remainder of October and part of November . In late December , she escorted units engaged in the assault on Cape Gloucester , New Britain , where " Shaw " sustained casualties and damage . Thirty - six men were injured ; three later died of their wounds . Temporary repairs were made at Milne Bay , New Guinea , and permanent repairs completed at San Francisco in May 1944 . " Shaw " then returned to Pearl Harbor . With Task Force 52 , she participated in the offensive to regain the Japanese - held Mariana Islands . In January 1945 , with the San Fabian Attack Force , " Shaw " saw action at Manila Bay in the Philippine Islands . She returned to the United States in April : stopping first at San Francisco for repairs , then routed to New York via Philadelphia for deactivation . " Shaw " was decommissioned in October 1945 and sold for scrap in July 1946 . " Shaw " received 11 battle stars for her World War II service . " Tucker " . USS " Tucker " was commissioned as a US Navy destroyer in July 1936 . After her shakedown cruise , she joined the destroyer forces attached to the US Battle Fleet based in San Diego , California . In February 1939 the ship took part in a naval exercise in the Caribbean , personally observed by President Franklin D . Roosevelt from the cruiser . After exercises in Hawaiian waters during the spring of 1940 , " Tucker " operated between the west coast and Hawaii until the end of the year . By February 1941 , she was back in Pearl Harbor . " Tucker " went on a goodwill tour that included Auckland , New Zealand , during March , before returning to Pearl Harbor . There , she participated in exercises at sea before sailing on to San Diego . By November 1941 , " Tucker " was once again in Pearl Harbor . When the Japanese attacked on 7 December 1941 , " Tucker " was berthed at East Loch undergoing tender overhaul . She was undamaged , and returned fire on the Japanese forces . After the hostilities , " Tucker " patrolled off Pearl Harbor ; then spent the next five months escorting convoys between the west coast and Hawaii . She later escorted the tender to Tutuila , American Samoa , Suva , Fiji Islands , and to Noumea , New Caledonia . " Tucker " then escorted Wright back to Suva , arriving there during the month of June 1942 . From Suva , she escorted the cargo ship Nira Luckenbach to Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides , in August . " Tucker " entered the harbor by the western entrance , striking a mine ( s ) that demolished her . The crew abandoned ship and was rescued by nearby vessels . Efforts to save her were in vain ; she eventually jack - knifed and went to the bottom . " Tucker " had steamed into a minefield placed there by US forces , but she was never informed of its existence . Three men were killed and three more were listed as missing . She was removed from the Navy list in December 1944 . " Tucker " received one battle star for her World War II service . " Downes " . USS " Downes " entered the service of the US Navy in January 1937 . The following November , she sailed from Norfolk , Virginia , to San Diego , California . While based there , " Downes " participated in exercises along the west coast , the Caribbean and in Hawaiian waters until April 1940 . Pearl Harbor became her homeport . During the spring of 1941 , " Downes " joined a cruise to Samoa , the Fiji Islands , and Australia , then visited the west coast later in the year . When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 , " Downe " s was in dry - dock with battleship " Pennsylvania " and destroyer " Cassin " . Both destroyers were at the southern end of the dock when an incendiary bomb struck " Downes " , starting unstoppable fires on both ships . Later , " Cassin " slipped her blocks and rolled over onto the burning " Downes " . She was later decommissioned , but enough of " Downe " s was salvaged for another warship . " Downes " was rebuilt and recommissioned in November 1943 . During March 1944 , she escorted a convoy to Pearl Harbor and on to Majuro in the Marshall Islands . By July , " Downes " began escort duty from Eniwetok to Saipan in support of the invasion of the Mariana Islands . Then she patrolled off Tinian during its invasion , and gave fire support during mop - up operations there . Afterward , " Downes " took part in the bombardment of Marcus Island to create a diversion and destroy Japanese installations . Admiral Halsey later expressed his approval for accomplishing the desired results . During the Battle of Leyte Gulf , " Downes " screened carriers during the air strikes on the Japanese fleet . She served in Iwo Jima from June 1944 until the end of the war . With the War ’ s end , " Downes " was ordered to return to the United States and arrived at Norfolk in November 1945 . She was decommissioned in December 1945 and sold in November 1947 . " Downes " received four battle stars for her World War II service . " Cushing " . USS " Cushing " reported to the Pacific Fleet in August 1936 , soon after her Navy service began . She joined the unsuccessful search for the missing aviatrix Amelia Earhart during the month of July 1937 . Then she moved on to San Diego for training exercises , continuing to operate on the west coast for the next several years . " Cushing " was under overhaul at the Mare Island Navy Yard when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941 . Following the attack , she did convoy duty between the west coast and Pearl Harbor , and later operated off Midway Island on antisubmarine patrol . In August 1942 , " Cushing " sailed to Pearl Harbor for training exercises and later joined operations around Guadalcanal . With Task Force 61 , " Cushing " took part in the bitterly contested Battle of Santa Cruz in October 1942 . Outnumbered , the force stalled the Japanese from their advance toward Guadalcanal . At the Battle of Guadalcanal , " Cushing " was perhaps the first US ship to strike the enemy on that November day in 1942 . In the fighting that followed , she sustained several hits amidships and slowly began to lose power . Yet , " Cushing " was able to fire six torpedoes , by local control , at a Japanese battlewagon , with unknown results . By this time , she was dead in the water , an easy target for repeated enemy shelling . The results were disastrous and the order given to abandon ship . Six officers and 53 men were lost . Of the survivors rescued , 56 had been wounded and ten of them suffered fatal injuries . " Cushing " remained afloat until her magazines blew up , sinking the abandoned destroyer . " Cushing " received three battle stars for her World War II service . " Perkins " . USS " Perkins " was commissioned in September 1936 and San Diego , California , became her home port . She operated in the eastern Pacific prior to World War II , and was at the Mare Island Navy Yard when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 . In mid - December , she escorted a convoy to Pearl Harbor , returned to Mare Island for new radar gear , and sailed back to Pearl Harbor in the latter part of January 1942 . The following month , " Perkins " departed Pearl Harbor and joined Australian , New Zealand , and other US ships in the ANZAC Squadron , charged with protecting the eastern approaches to Australia and New Zealand . She continued operations with ANZAC until spring . In May 1942 , " Perkins " participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea . After that , propeller problems took her to New Zealand and to Pearl Harbor , where the repairs were completed . While at Pearl Harbor , additional radar gear and 40mm guns were installed . By November 1942 " Perkins " was with Task Force 67 , led by Rear Admiral Carleton H . Wright . When the force was ordered to intercept the Japanese and stop them from supplying Guadalcanal , the night Battle of Tassafaronga took place . Undamaged in the encounter , " Perkins " headed for Tulagi where she bombarded the Guadalcanal coast and served on escort assignments until January 1943 . She joined Task Force 76 , an amphibious group , in March . In September 1943 , " Perkins " bombarded Lae , New Guinea , and supported the landings there . She took part in the successful landings at Finschafen , New Guinea . Late in November , " Perkins " was bound from Milne Bay to Buna , steaming independently , when an Australian troopship rammed her . Within a short time , " Perkins " broke in two and sank ; nine of the crew went down with her . A court of inquiry found the captain , the navigator , and the officer of the deck at fault for the collision . " Perkins " received four battle stars for her World War II service . " Smith " . USS " Smith " began her US naval service in September 1936 , and operated on the west coast for the next five years . From the start of World War II until April 1942 , she was based in San Francisco , California , attached to a destroyer squadron . In June , " Smith " was in Pearl Harbor , engaged in training exercises , then escorted a convoy back to San Francisco . After overhaul and sea trials in the bay area , " Smith " returned to Pearl Harbor in August . By October she was part of Task Force 61 , participating in the Battle of Santa Cruz . In the course of the battle , a Japanese torpedo plane crashed into her ; the explosion ignited the forward part of the ship . The crew eventually extinguished the fires , and " Smith " was able to retain her position in the screen . When the air cleared , 28 were dead and 23 wounded . She was patched up enough in New Caledonia to make her way to Pearl Harbor , where she was under overhaul until February 1943 . The next few months , " Smith " performed anti - submarine patrols , did convoy duty , and participated in Navy exercises . In September and October , she was part of the amphibious landings at Lae and Finschafen , New Guinea . In late December 1943 " Smith " was attached to Task Force 76 , and took part in landing a Marine division at Cape Gloucester , New Britain . In January 1944 , " Smith " participated in the amphibious landing near Saidor , New Guinea , led by Rear Admiral Daniel E . Barbey . In February , she bombarded designated targets in preparation for the landing at Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands . By the middle of March , " Smith " sailed to the west coast for overhaul . Completed in June , she returned to Pearl Harbor for training exercises and gunnery practice . Attached to the 7th Fleet in October , " Smith " sailed to the Leyte Gulf in the Philippine Islands . There , she was positioned northeast of Ponson Island as a fighter director ship for the landing at Ormoc Bay in December 1944 . During January 1945 , " Smith " supported the landings in Lingayen Gulf , Philippine Islands . In late June , she bombarded Balikpapan , Borneo , in preparation for the landing by an Australian unit . The next month " Smith " returned to the Philippines , followed by a trip to Japan in August 1945 . In September she sailed to San Diego , then returned to Pearl Harbor in January 1946 and assumed an inactive status . " Smith " was decommissioned in June 1946 and struck from the Navy list in February 1947 . " Smith " received six battle stars for her World War II service . " Preston " . USS " Preston " was in the service of the US Navy from October 1936 until November 1942 . Following shakedown , she served briefly under the Chief of Naval Operations , then joined the US Fleet . " Preston " did peacetime training exercises into the month of December 1941 , and performed patrol and escort duties along the west coast until June 1942 . After that , she screened the carrier to Hawaii , followed by four months of exercises : patrol and escort work in Hawaiian waters . In October she became part of Task Force 61 , and participated in the battle of Santa Cruz . In mid - November 1942 , " Preston " sailed to the western end of Guadalcanal to intercept another run by the Japanese to bombard Henderson Field ( Guadalcanal ) . In the ensuing skirmish , " Preston " was hit by a salvo from a Japanese cruiser that put both fire rooms out of commission and toppled the after stack . Her fires made an easy target ; as they spread , the order was given to abandon ship . Afterward , " Preston " rolled onto her side , floated and sank , taking 116 of her crew with her . " Preston " received two battle stars for her World War II service . " Dunlap " . USS " Dunlap " became part of the US Navy in June 1937 . A year later , she served as an escort at Philadelphia for SS Kungsholm , which carried the crown Prince of Sweden . By April 1940 , Pearl Harbor was " Dunlap " ' s home port . When the Japanese attacked on 7 December 1941 , " Dunlap " was at sea bound for Pearl Harbor ; she entered port the following day . In January , she sortied for air strikes on the Marshall Islands , and in February she took part in a raid on Wake Island . Afterward , " Dunlap " patrolled the Hawaiian waters , escorted convoys between various ports on the west coast and returned to Pearl Harbor in October 1942 . In December , the destroyer moved on to Noumea , New Caledonia , and operated from that base until July 1943 . " Dunlap " saw action at Vella Gulf in the Solomon Islands , which was a nighttime torpedo clash . In " United States Destroyer Operations in World War II " ( 1953 ) , Theodore Roscoe wrote : " In the Battle of Vella Gulf , as this engagement was called , the enemy had not laid a hand on the American ships . " After overhaul in San Diego , " Dunlap " performed patrol duty out of Adak , Alaska , in November and December of 1943 and sailed to Pearl Harbor . From January until March of 1944 , she screened carriers in strikes on the Marshall Islands with the 5th Fleet . After that , " Dunlap " took part in strikes on the Soerabaja area of Java in May and returned to Pearl Harbor in June . The following month , she sailed to San Francisco to join the screen for USS Baltimore ( CA - 68 ) , which carried President Franklin D . Roosevelt for conferences and inspections with top Pacific commanders of Pearl Harbor and Alaskan bases . In early September 1944 , " Dunlap " participated in the shelling of Wake Island . In October 1944 , she lent a hand in the bombardment of Marcus Island . By January 1945 , " Dunlap " was involved in the shelling of Iwo Jima , Haha - jima , and Chichi - jima . On 3 September 1945 , Commodore Magruder accepted the surrender of the Bonin Islands by Lt . General Tachibana on board the destroyer . " Dunlap " sailed to Norfolk , Virginia , in November 1945 , where she was decommissioned in December 1945 and sold in December 1947 . She received six battle stars for her World War II service . " Fanning " . USS " Fanning " was occupied with sea trials and minor repairs for the first six months of her naval service . But in April 1938 , she escorted the light cruiser from Annapolis , Maryland , to the Caribbean with President Franklin D . Roosevelt aboard . " Fanning " sailed to New York for overhaul the following month ; in September she moved on to her new base in San Diego , California . Over the next three years , her duties took her to the east coast and eventually to Hawaii . Fanning was at sea on 7 December 1941 when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor , returning the following day . Underway for Tutuila in January 1942 , " Fanning " encountered a blinding rainstorm and collided with " Gridley " . Both destroyers suffered bow damage and were forced to return to Pearl Harbor . In April 1942 " Fanning " became part of Task Force 16 , which supported the Doolittle raid on their air strike against Tokyo , Japan . After the mission , she returned to Pearl Harbor . For the first nine months of 1943 , " Fanning " deployed against the Japanese on Guadalcanal , supported an occupation force on the Russell Islands , participated in patrol duty , and assisted in the protection of troops occupying Munda Island . In September , she was slated for an overhaul period on the west coast , then finished the year operating off the Aleutian Islands . By January 1944 , " Fanning " was operating with Task Group 58 . 4 in the Marshall Islands . In March , she was part of the Combined Far Eastern Fleet , launching strikes against Sabang , Indonesia . Detached from the Eastern Fleet in May , " Fanning " sailed to the west coast . In July she left San Diego , escorting USS " Baltimore " ( CA - 68 ) to Alaska with President Roosevelt on board . Her next assignment was with Task Group 30 . 2 , shelling Marcus Island in October 1944 to create a diversion and destroy enemy installations . During January 1945 , " Fanning " took part in the shelling of Iwo Jima , Haha - jima , and Chichi - Jima . The remainder of the war she was occupied with patrol and escort activities . In September 1945 , " Fanning " sailed for the United States , decommissioned at Norfolk , Virginia , in December 1945 and later sold . " Fanning " received four battle stars for her World War II service .