USS Lang ( DD - 399 ) The first USS " Lang " ( DD - 399 ) was a " Benham " - class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II . She was named for John Lang . History . " Lang " was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company , Kearny , New Jersey , 5 April 1937 ; launched 27 August 1938 ; sponsored by Mrs . William D . Leahy , wife of Admiral William D . Leahy , Chief of Naval Operations ; and commissioned 30 March 1939 , Lieutenant Commander Felix L . Johnson in command . " Lang " departed New York 12 August 1939 guarding President Franklin D . Roosevelt ’ s passage to Campobello , Newfoundland , and Nova Scotia . The President came on board the 24th at Sandy Hook , New Jersey , for transit to Fort Hancock . In November , the destroyer left Newport , Rhode Island , for Galveston , Texas , and duty on the Gulf Patrol . Transferred to the Pacific , she reached San Diego 18 March 1940 and Pearl Harbor 2 April , where she participated in fleet problems and training exercises . She voyaged between the west coast and Hawaii throughout the remainder of 1940 and into early 1941 engaged in escort duties and training . In June 1941 she returned to the Caribbean and Atlantic coast for carrier and antisubmarine training . In December she acted as screen and plane guard during flight operations for " Yorktown " and " Ranger " off the Maine coast and Bermuda . 1942 . She next sailed to Port Royal , Nova Scotia , for patrols with ships of the Royal Navy , then sailed for the British West Indies in January 1942 . In transit she answered a distress call from torpedoed SS " Empire Wildebeeste " , and rescued 34 survivors . She left Bermuda 18 March for Casco Bay , Maine , and thence sailed 26 March escorting TF 39 which included carrier " Wasp " . The force rendezvoused with three British ships 3 April and entered Scapa Flow , Scotland , the next day . The destroyer then became a part of Force “ W ” , sailing between England and the Mediterranean to deliver desperately needed Spitfire s to the island of Malta . After two such missions , " Lang " returned to Norfolk 28 May and was transferred to San Diego a month later . As flagship for DesDiv 15 , part of TF 18 , " Lang " departed San Diego 1 July to join in shore bombardment exercises off Tonga in preparation for the Guadalcanal - Tulagi landings . Three weeks later she screened " Wasp " as the carrier launched her aircraft in the first American land offensive of the Pacific war . 1943 . Operating from the New Hebrides , " Lang " carried out patrol and escort missions in the continuing effort to reconquer the Solomons . On 22 and 24 January 1943 she bombarded Japanese positions near Kokumbona , Guadalcanal . In July , " Lang " and four other destroyers sailed for Kula Gulf escorting six APDs to the New Georgia landings . Early on the 18th , the American force sighted and attacked three Japanese destroyers forcing them to retire behind a smokescreen . The ships completed their mission and sailed for Purvis Bay , Florida , from which " Lang " and two other destroyers escorted five LCIs to the landings at Onaiavisi , New Georgia , 31 July . During enemy air attack here " Lang " downed one aircraft . " Lang " ' s next mission , in company with five other destroyers , was to destroy enemy forces in Vella Gulf , part of the “ Tokyo Express ” route . On the nights of 6 August and 7 August her task group sank three Japanese destroyers , " Kawakaze " , " Arashi " , and " Hagikaze " , which had been attempting to reinforce Kolombangara . Two nights later the vessels conducted a sweep in the same area and drove off three groups of Japanese troop barges . After 3 months of continued escort duty . " Lang " joined TF 50 for the invasion of the Gilberts 23 to 30 November , bombarded Nauru 9 December , and early in the new year bombarded Roi , Namur , and Abraham . 1944 . Then she joined TF 58 for the occupation of Kwajalein , returning to escort duties 15 March 1944 . During the summer she again operated with TF 58 during the Marianas campaign , screening the fast carrier force . She returned to Tulagi on 17 August after the victory in the Marianas . " Lang " next sailed to Wewak , New Guinea , 31 August to lay a minefield and bombard shore positions . She then escorted two reinforcement convoys bound for Morotai 16 September to 3 October through heavy enemy air attacks . On 8 October she took torpedoed " Shelton " ( DE - 407 ) in tow , and brought her in to Morotai before the ship capsized and sank . " Lang " departed Hollandia 10 October for the Leyte Gulf operation . Though she came under six kamikaze attacks , the ship suffered no damage and shot down one enemy plane . She departed the battle area for Manus on 31 October , and on Christmas Day sailed with TF 78 for the Lingayen Gulf landings , where she was attacked by kamikazes . " Lang " downed one plane . She returned to Leyte Gulf 16 January 1945 to escort a resupply echelon to Lingayen , patrolled the entrance to Lingayen until 28 January , then sailed to train in the Solomons for the Okinawa assault . Departing Ulithi 27 March as flagship for ComDesDiv 4 , " Lang " screened the transports of TF 53 to Okinawa . Under air attack from 12 April to 29 April , " Lang " again incurred no damage and accounted for another kamikaze . From 29 April to 17 May she screened three escort carriers providing direct air support for Okinawa operations , and then screened other flight operations near Okinawa to 11 June . " Lang " departed the Pacific battle zones in June and arrived in San Francisco 3 July for repairs . En route to New York she rescued two downed pilots 25 August . She decommissioned 16 October 1945 ; was sold to George Nutman , Inc . , Brooklyn , New York , 20 December ; and scrapped 31 October 1947 . Honors . " Lang " received 11 battle star s for World War II service .