USS Palmer ( DD - 161 ) USS " Palmer " ( DD - 161 ) was a " Wickes " - class destroyer of the United States Navy , later converted to a minesweeper and reclassified as DMS - 5 . She was named for Rear Admiral James Shedden Palmer USN ( 1810 – 1867 ) . " Palmer " was laid down on 29 May 1918 by Fore River Shipbuilding Company , Quincy , Massachusetts ; launched on 18 August 1918 ; sponsored by Mrs . Robert C . Hilliard ; and commissioned on 22 November 1918 , Commander R . R . Stewart in command . Service history . Assigned to the Pacific Fleet , " Palmer " joined in fleet operations until decommissioning at San Diego on 31 May 1922 . There she was in reserve until recommissioning on 7 August 1940 . Converted to a minesweeper with the designation DMS – 5 on 19 November , she returned to the Atlantic and joined Mine Division 19 ( MinDiv 19 ) out of Norfolk for escort duty in the Atlantic and Caribbean . She sortied on 24 October 1942 , screening Task Force 34 ( TF 34 ) to the invasion of North Africa , arriving on 7 November off Fedala , where she made an exploratory sweep before taking station in the anti - submarine screen . The next day , " Palmer " seized French trawler " Joseph Elise " , and engaged an enemy shore battery . " Palmer " served on patrol and escort off North Africa until 12 December , and then returned to Atlantic escort duty through 1943 , plying coastal , Caribbean and Northwestern Atlantic routes . Ordered to the Pacific , she trained out of San Diego , and then joined TF 53 at Pearl Harbor , sailing with it on 22 January 1944 for the assault on Kwajalein . " Palmer " remained in the Marshalls until 12 February laying buoys and screening transport s , then made escort voyages to Pearl Harbor and Majuro . The commanding officer of " Palmer " in World War II was Captain William Edward Mcguirk . He was captain until the ship went down from the attack of Japanese planes . Preceding the invasion force by two days , " Palmer " arrived off Saipan for a five - hour sweep on 13 June , and then screened transports during the landings . Screening duty to Eniwetok caused her to miss the Battle of the Philippine Sea , but she returned to Saipan for screening duties from 22 June – 8 July . " Palmer " arrived off Guam on 22 July , the day after the island was invaded , to screen transports off Apra for five days . Returning to Pearl Harbor , " Palmer " prepared for the return to the Philippines , a vast operation in which the aging converted destroyers would once again prove themselves . Staging at Manus , her force arrived in Leyte Gulf on 17 October to sweep the main channels and transport areas during the three days before the landings . After escorting the transports through the safe channels , the minesweepers made a quick sweep in Surigao Strait , then returned to Manus on 23 October , the eve of the Battle for Leyte Gulf . Fate . Replenished , " Palmer " cleared Manus on 23 December for Lingayen Gulf , where she was to repeat the successful operations carried out at Leyte . Harassed en route by enemy ships and planes , " Palmer " and her force successfully penetrated Lingayen Gulf early on 7 January 1945 , and began their sweep under enemy air attack . At about 15 : 45 , a violent explosion occurred , knocking out " Palmer " s port low - pressure turbine . She began recovering sweeping gear and left formation to make repairs . At 18 : 40 , a Japan ese twin - engine bomber flew low overhead and dropped two bombs , which hit portside . A huge fire , threatening the magazines , billowed skyward , and " Palmer " sank in six minutes . Of her crew , 2 were killed , 38 wounded , and 26 missing in action . Awards . " Palmer " received five battle star s for World War II service . As of 2005 , no other ship in the US Navy has been named " Palmer " .