USS Harry F . Bauer ( DM - 26 ) USS " Harry F . Bauer " ( DD - 738 / DM - 26 / MMD - 26 ) was a " Robert H . Smith " - class destroyer minelayer in the United States Navy . She was named for Lieutenant Commander Harry F . Bauer ( 1904 – 1942 ) . " Harry F . Bauer " was launched as destroyer DD - 738 by Bath Iron Works , Bath , Maine , 9 July 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Gladys Boyd Bauer , widow of Lt . Comdr . Bauer ; converted to minelayer DM - 26 and commissioned 22 September 1944 , Commander Richard Claggett Williams , Jr . , in command . The executive officer was Robert M . Morgenthau . World War II Service . Following shakedown training out of Bermuda and minelayer training off Norfolk , Virginia , " Harry F . Bauer " sailed 28 November 1944 via the Panama Canal arriving San Diego , California 12 December . After additional training both there and at Pearl Harbor she departed Hawaii on 27 January 1945 as a unit of Transport Group Baker for the invasion of Iwo Jima , next stop in the island campaign toward Japan . As Vice Admiral Richmond K . Turner ' s invasion troops stormed ashore 19 February , " Harry F . Bauer " acted as a picket vessel and carried out antisubmarine patrol to protect the transports . As the campaign developed , the ship also conducted shore bombardment , destroying several gun emplacements , tanks , and supply dumps . She proceeded to Ulithi on 8 March to prepare for the last and largest of the Pacific island operations , the Battle of Okinawa . " Harry F . Bauer " arrived off Kerama Retto 25 March and helped screen minecraft during preliminary sweeps of the invasion area . Under intensive air attack during this period , she shot down several Japan ese planes , three on the night of 28 – 29 March alone . On the day of the assault , 1 April 1945 , she joined the picket ships offshore , and for over two months of antisubmarine and anti - aircraft duty was under almost continuous attack . A torpedo crashed through her ballast tank 6 April , but failed to explode , and she again shot down three aircraft on the night of 29 April 1945 . While in company with 6 June , she was attacked by eight aircraft . Each ship accounted for three ; one crashed close aboard " Harry F . Bauer " , flooding two compartments . Although damaged herself , the ship escorted the crippled " J . William Ditter " to Kerama Retto . Survey of her damage during repairs revealed an unexploded bomb in one of her flooded compartments . After repairs at Leyte , " Harry F . Bauer " arrived at Okinawa on 15 August , the day of the Japanese surrender . With the prospect of massive minesweeping in Japanese waters incident to the occupation , she sailed 20 August for the East China Sea , where she engaged in minesweeping operations until arriving Sasebo 28 October . Sailing for the United States 1 December she arrived San Diego 22 December . Post World War II and fate . Sailing to Norfolk 8 January 1946 , " Harry F . Bauer " began operations with the Atlantic Fleet . These consisted of antisubmarine cruises in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea , tactical training and fleet maneuvers . During October – November 1948 she took part in 2nd Fleet exercises in the Atlantic , and in June – July 1949 participated in a Naval Academy training cruise with . In 1950 " Harry F . Bauer " made her first cruise to the Mediterranean Sea , departing 9 September and returning to Charleston , South Carolina 1 February 1951 . During the years that followed she continued with tactical operations , that took her to the Caribbean and Northern Europe . She ended active steaming in September 1955 and decommissioned 12 March 1956 at Charleston , entering the Atlantic Reserve Fleet , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . " Harry F . Bauer " was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 August 1971 and sold for scrap on 1 June 1974 . " Harry F . Bauer " received a Presidential Unit Citation for the Okinawan campaign and four battle star s for World War II service . As of 2009 , no other ship has been named " Harry F . Bauer " .