USS Robert H . Smith ( DM - 23 ) USS " Robert H . Smith " ( DD - 735 / DM - 23 ) was the lead ship of her class of destroyer minelayer s in the United States Navy . She was named for naval officer Robert H . Smith . Construction . " Robert H . Smith " was laid down 10 January 1944 by Bath Iron Works , Bath , Maine ; launched 25 May 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Robert Holmes Smith ; redesignated DM - 23 on 19 July 1944 ; and commissioned 4 August 1944 , Commander Henry Farrow in command . Following shakedown off Bermuda , the new destroyer minelayer transited the Panama Canal with a $ 3 - bound convoy 28 November , arriving at San Pedro 9 December and Pearl Harbor 21 December . Iwo Jima . On 27 January 1945 , " Robert H . Smith " sailed as escort for a convoy of the 5th Amphibious Corps bound for Iwo Jima . During final amphibious rehearsals off Saipan , she rescued the crew of a downed B - 29 . She arrived off Iwo Jima early in the morning of D - day , 19 February 1945 . For most of the next 3 weeks , she served on radar picket station 50 miles north of the island , controlling CAP and reporting radar contacts . She also bombarded Japan ese shore positions and acted as a screening ship for the night retirement formations . Ulithi . " Robert H . Smith " departed Iwo Jima 9 March ; escorted a group of merchantmen as far as Saipan ; and then sailed for Ulithi , arriving there 13 March . On 25 March she arrived off Kerama Retto with a group of minesweepers . During the pre - assault period , when she was twice attacked by kamikaze s , " Robert H . Smith " acted as support ship for minesweepers , as radar picket ship , and as screening ship in night retirement formations . During the landings she screened the transport area ; then departed 5 April with a convoy for Guam . On her return 21 April , she undertook 6 weeks of radar picket duty , undergoing numerous air attacks and downing five planes . On 4 June " Robert H . Smith " completed her radar picket duty . She spent a few more days screening the Okinawa transport area and supporting the amphibious attack on Iheya Point . East China Sea . On 13 June " Robert H . Smith " began a long series of operations supporting minesweeping groups clearing an East China Sea area near Miyako Jima in the southern Ryukyu Islands . Air Support was provided by a group of escort carrier s with " Robert H . Smith " acting as primary fighter director ship . The operation lasted until 25 June . The next area to be swept was located in the central part of the East China Sea about 100 miles east of Shanghai . In that operation the ship acted as radar buoy layer and small craft supply ship , in addition to her fighter director activities . Okinawa . In July , " Robert H . Smith " departed Okinawa for a large minefield in the northern part of the East China Sea about 100 miles southwest of Kyūshū . However , scarcely a third of the area had been swept when the Japanese offer of surrender was accepted . Yellow Sea . " Robert H . Smith " and other ships were suddenly recalled and sent to the Yellow Sea to sweep a channel to the occupation ports of Korea for the 7th Amphibious Corps . It later became the task of " Robert H . Smith " to lead the transport convoy through that channel on 7 September 1945 . The group then proceeded to Sasebo to clear mines from the sea approaches to the ex - Japanese naval base for transports carrying occupation troops for Kyushu , Japan . After working in the Sasebo area for a few weeks , during which the ship was forced to ride out several typhoons , she joined a group of larger minesweepers in an operation in the Van Diemen Strait just south of Kyushu . She then operated with a minesweeping force in the Yellow Sea , and made a courier run from Sasebo to Kiirun to support minesweepers working in the straits of $ 3 , returning to Sasebo by way of Shanghai . End of World War II and fate . On 17 January 1946 " Robert H . Smith " sailed for the United States , reaching San Francisco 7 February 1946 . On 29 January 1947 , she was placed out of commission in reserve and attached to the San Diego Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet . She remained a part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet until 1971 , when after being surveyed , she was found to be unfit for further service . " Robert H . Smith " was stricken from the Navy list 26 February 1971 . " Robert H . Smith " earned five battle star s for World War II service . As of 2009 , no other ship in the United States Navy has been named " Robert H . Smith " .