USS Bangust ( DE - 739 ) USS " Bangust " ( DE - 739 ) was a built for the United States Navy during World War II . She served in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys . She returned to the States at war ' s end with a near - record setting number of eleven battle star s . ( earned the highest number for destroyer escorts : twelve . ) She was named in honor of Joseph Bangust who was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for his actions in the air against the Japanese early in the war . The ship was laid down on 11 February 1943 at Los Angeles , California , by the Western Pipe and Steel Company ; launched on 6 June 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . Stephen W . Gerber ; and commissioned at her builder ' s yard on 30 October 1943 , Lt . Comdr . Charles F . MacNish , USNR , in command . World War II service . After fitting out , " Bangust " reported for shakedown training on 21 November 1943 , and conducted these operations from San Diego , California . Deemed ready to join the fleet upon the completion of her shakedown on 18 December , " Bangust " underwent post - shakedown availability at the Naval Drydocks , San Pedro , California , and ultimately reported to Commander , Western Sea Frontier , for duty on 9 January 1944 , as she cleared San Pedro for San Francisco , California . Departing thence on 13 January for Hawaiian waters , in company with , " Bangust " arrived at Pearl Harbor on 19 January . " Bangust " , " flagship " for the Commander , Escort Division ( CortDiv ) 32 , sailed on her first escort mission on 25 January . She stood out of Pearl Harbor in company with , , and , all bound for the Ellice Islands . The task unit was dissolved when it arrived in Funafuti on 2 February , and " Bangust " continued on to the Gilbert Islands that same day . The destroyer escort reached Makin on the 5th and then moved to Tarawa the next day . On 8 February , she sailed in company with to rendezvous with and three merchantmen for the voyage to Majuro in the Marshall Islands . " Bangust " and " Greiner " , however , received new orders on the 10th that sent them back to Tarawa , where they arrived that same day . After that false start , the warship got underway again on the 18th with elements of Marine Night Fighter Squadron VMF ( N ) - 532 embarked . She rendezvoused with and and then headed for Kwajalein in the Marshalls . " Bangust " and her traveling companions made Roi Namur at Kwajalein on the 21st , and the two escorts returned to Tarawa on the 24th . Assigned to the Commander , Task Group ( TG ) 57 . 7 on 1 March for local escort and patrol duties , she operated in the immediate vicinity of Tarawa harbor until 7 March 1944 . Between 8 and 18 March , " Bangust " s embarked division commander served as senior officer present afloat ( SOPA ) at Tarawa , and the warship remained anchored there during that time . Soon thereafter , on 19 March , " Bangust " joined to escort to Apamama lagoon , arriving the same day . Assigned hunter - killer duties . Three days later , " Bangust " , along with " Eisele " , sailed for Pearl Harbor as escort for , , and " LST - 29 " . Relieved of this duty later the same day , however , " Bangust " was ordered to proceed to Majuro instead . Reaching Majuro on the morning of 24 March , the destroyer escort received a hunter - killer assignment from the Commander , Service Squadron ( ServRon ) 10 . The destroyer escort arrived on the scene of an earlier submarine attack and conducted anti - submarine warfare operations in the area until returning to Majuro on the 27th . Two days later , " Bangust " escorted fleet oilers to a fueling rendezvous with the fast carriers carrying out Operation Desecrate One , the carrier support for the unfolding operations against Hollandia , Dutch New Guinea . Returning to Majuro on 5 April after having completed her mission , " Bangust " then departed the Marshalls on 10 April , escorting out of those waters before being detached from that duty to return to her base of operations . Back at Majuro on 14 April , " Bangust " spent the next few weeks engaged in a succession of local escort missions between Majuro and Kwajalein , taking to Kwajalein between 18 and 19 April , shepherding and ATR - 44 to Majuro between 21 and 23 April , and standing out to rendezvous with to escort that ship into Majuro on 26 and 27 April . Operating on harbor entrance patrol on 29 and 30 April , " Bangust " then joined and in putting to sea on 3 May to fuel at sea from TG 50 . 17 before returning the same day . Escorting out of local waters on 4 , 5 and 6 May , the destroyer escort then returned to Kwajalein on the 8th . Shifting back to Majuro on the 10th , " Bangust " lingered there until she sailed for Hawaiian waters on the 16th . Ship repairs at Honolulu . Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 22 May , " Bangust " entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard the following day and underwent repairs and alterations there until 3 June . Among the items of work accomplished were alterations to sound gear , her SL radar , and repairs to the ship ' s auxiliary boiler . She sailed for the Marshalls on 4 June , proceeding independently . At a point some from her destination , Roi , " Bangust ' s " radar picked up a contact at 2325 on 10 June 1944 . Having received no reports of any Japanese or Allied submarines on her projected track , the destroyer escort tracked the contact continuously until the ship ' s lookouts spotted a ship emerging from a rain squall off the starboard bow at 2345 . Poor visibility made identification difficult ; but , as the range narrowed to , " Bangust ' s " lookouts deemed the stranger as either a small surface craft or a submarine . Sinking of Japanese submarine RO - 111 . After the radar " pip " disappeared at 2348 , " Bangust " stood toward the contact and fired a spread of starshell to illuminate the area , but without result . Just past midnight , " Bangust " gave the underwater challenge , which drew no response , and then launched four successive " hedgehog " barrages , the last of which triggered a series of six explosions . After these had subsided , another , larger , explosion shook the ship . That shock indicated to the destroyer escort ' s sailors that she herself had been torpedo ed . Damage control parties immediately set about their task but only found a small leak in the forward engine room where a weld had been started . Aft , torpedomen checked the depth charge racks , thinking that a " K - gun " might have been fired accidentally , but found no charges missing . The ship ' s sonar operator then reported hearing two additional , but rather weak , explosions , along with hissing and gurgling noises . A strong smell of diesel oil hung in the air in the vicinity of the final attack . Postwar accounting would confirm that " Bangust " sunk Japanese submarine . " Bangust " lingered in the area , continuing the search until 1700 on 11 June . Greiner , accompanied by the motor minesweepers and and the submarine chaser arrived on the scene and relieved " Bangust " of hunter - killer operations so that she could resume her voyage to Roi Namur , which she reached later the same day . After serving on harbor entrance patrol off Roi on 13 June , " Bangust " joined and Weaver to screen a convoy bound for Eniwetok . Reaching that place on the 15th , the destroyer escort refueled and rejoined the convoy soon thereafter , heading towards the Marianas . Arriving in the fueling area established in the waters east of Saipan , " Bangust " covered the oilers as they carried out their vital logistics service to the fleet until 20 June . At that time , she was detached to escort three of the petroleum carriers back to Eniwetok . Reaching her destination with her charges on the 24th , the destroyer escort remained there until the 29th , when she assumed harbor entrance patrol duties off the entrance to Eniwetok . Dropping anchor back at Eniwetok on 30 June , " Bangust " remained there until the 13th , when she joined " Capps " and " Weaver " in providing cover for the departure of and " Lackawanna " . On 15 July , she joined TG 50 . 17 and soon operated in the vicinity of the Guam and Saipan , screening the oilers keeping the " fleet that came to stay " fueled during the operations to capture Guam . Completing this duty on 23 July , " Bangust " escorted her charges back to Eniwetok , arriving there three days later . Unsuccessful attack on submarine . Underway for the Marianas again , this time in company with , the destroyer escort rejoined TG 50 . 17 in the fueling area off Saipan on 2 August . A sound contact on 3 August enlivened her tour with the logistics ships this time around , as she conducted hunter - killer operations in hopes of nabbing her second enemy submarine . A five - charge pattern fired at the contact yielded no result ; however , so she abandoned the hunter - killer work and rejoined the convoy . " Bangust " , and were detached on 11 August and ordered to anchor at Saipan . Later assigned duty as off - shore patrol , " Bangust " operated in this role on the 12th . Following her relief the following day , the warship served a brief tour of screening duty with CortDiv 65 . Upon completion of that work , she returned to Saipan in company with . " Bangust " screened a convoy to Eniwetok without incident between 16 and 19 August and , then , enjoyed a brief period of upkeep and availability from 20 to 25 August in Eniwetok Atoll . During this time , Commander , CortDiv 32 shifted his command pennant from " Bangust " to " Waterman " on the 23rd . Underway again on the 26th , " Bangust " escorted a convoy to Manus , arriving there on the 31st . There , she replenished , and her ship ' s company carried out voyage repairs between 1 and 9 September . After conducting escort missions for another oiler unit , the warship set course for Seeadler Harbor , arriving there on 15 September . Underway again three days later , " Bangust " escorted three task units , again composed of oilers , to a fueling rendezvous with the warships of the U . S . 3rd Fleet , joining TG 38 . 3 on 26 September . Then assigned to TG 30 . 8 , the warship escorted a task unit back to the Admiralties , reaching Manus on 1 October . " Bangust " underwent more voyage repairs and preparations for her next operations until the 9th and then sailed in company with on the 10th , bound for Kossol Passage . Reaching her destination on the 13th , " Bangust " dropped anchor and remained there until the 18th , when she got underway in company with , bound for the Admiralties . Reaching Manus on 21 October , the destroyer escort then sailed in company with on the 25th , escorting a task unit bound for the Western Carolines . The ships reached Ulithi on 28 October without incident . " Bangust " remained at Ulithi for the next several days , pulling several tours of local off - shore patrol duty before her departure on 12 November as escort for a fueling group bound for a rendezvous with the fleet . Plane - guarding for a carrier . Following this tour , " Bangust " plane - guarded for , before being detached to carry out other screening duties before she received orders to Ulithi on 22 November . Reaching her destination on the 24th , the warship resumed duty as CortDiv 32 flagship on 28 November . At sea on 10 December with TG 30 . 8 , the destroyer escort turned back the same day , arriving at Ulithi on the 11th for repairs to her sound gear . Searching for typhoon survivors . On 12 December 1944 , " Bangust " commenced a tour of escort duty with the 3rd Fleet . On 18 and 19 December , a typhoon damaged a number of ships and sank three destroyers . " Bangust " stood by the battered destroyer during the night of the 18th , and later took part in search efforts to locate survivors of two of the three destroyers that had sunk , and , giving up the search on the 23rd . Supporting Philippine operations . Proceeding back to Ulithi , " Bangust " reached her destination on Christmas Day 1944 . Two days later , the Commander , CortDiv 32 shifted his pennant to . " Bangust " sailed from Ulithi on 3 January 1945 as escort for another refueling group but turned back after only a day and saw safely back into Ulithi for repairs on the 5th . Underway once more on the 7th , " Bangust " entered Leyte Gulf on the 14th , and the Sulu Sea the following day , before she ultimately joined up with TG 30 . 8 on the 16th in the South China Sea . Proceeding thence to Ulithi via Leyte Gulf , " Bangust " reached her destination on the 18th . From there , she shepherded the oiler to San Pedro Bay , Leyte . " Bangust " got underway for a fueling rendezvous on the 21st in company with " Neches " , and joined up with other fleet oilers and escorts en route . Detached along with , and , the destroyer escort was ordered to proceed to the Western Carolines , dropping anchor in Ulithi lagoon on 25 January . Four days later , Commander , CortDiv 32 broke his pennant in " Bangust " . After completing voyage repairs , " Bangust " sailed on 8 February 1945 with elements of TG 50 . 8 , a fueling group , and the oilers in this unit fueled the ships of TGs 58 . 1 , 58 . 4 and 58 . 5 on 19 February , and TGs 58 . 2 and 58 . 3 on the 20th . Departing the task group on the 21st , " Bangust " then escorted a task unit back to the Western Carolines , reaching Ulithi on the 23d , where she immediately joined another task unit , and ultimately rejoined TG 50 . 8 on 26 February . She returned to Ulithi on 5 March . Supporting the invasion of Okinawa . " Bangust " returned to the forward areas on 25 March , conveying the vital oilers to their rendezvous with the fast carrier task groups of Task Force ( TF ) 58 . The warship screened in and around the fueling areas until detached on 5 April . Returning to Ulithi on the 9th , the ship underwent voyage repairs at that fleet base until the 16th , when she resumed her operations with the oilers fueling the ships taking part in the operations off Okinawa . Joining TG 50 . 8 on 19 April , " Bangust " operated on antisubmarine screening station and carried out plane guard duties as required . Detached on 7 May , " Bangust " sailed for Guam and reached Apra Harbor , there , on the 10th . Closing out her availability a day early , the warship got underway on 20 May to rendezvous with TG 50 . 8 — later redesignated TG 30 . 8 — on 24 May . Convoying a task unit of oilers to the fueling rendezvous , " Bangust " remained at sea with these logistics ships until 7 June , when she was detached to return to Guam . Arriving back at Apra Harbor on the 10th , the warship then underwent minor repairs and maintenance , replenished ammunition , and provisioned while her crew enjoyed a period of recreation . On 23 June , " Bangust " made the short run from Guam to Saipan and remained there , awaiting further orders , through 3 July 1945 . Supporting air strikes on Japan . On 4 July , " Bangust " sailed in company with the escort carriers , , and , and their screen , , and , to rendezvous with TG 30 . 8 — the task group assigned the job of logistics support to the fast carriers of TF 38 , during the strikes on Tokyo and other areas of northern Japan . After making the rendezvous on 5 July , " Bangust " operated with TG 30 . 8 until detached on 18 to return to Ulithi , where she arrived on 23 July . Underway on 25 July 1945 , " Bangust " carried out an antisubmarine sweep to cover the exit of the heavy ships from Ulithi , and then proceeded to sea to join TG 30 . 8 on 29 July . End - of - War activity . Following Japan ' s mid - August capitulation , " Bangust " remained at sea with TG 30 . 8 . On 27 August , having already embarked a prize crew , she headed for a rendezvous point to take the surrender of . Escorted by four General Motors FM " F4F Wildcat " fighters and , " Bangust " made the rendezvous the following day . Leaving Japanese submarine " I - 14 " off Sagami Wan on 28 August , " Bangust " moved alongside the submarine tender , , inside Sagami Wan proper to disembark the crew of the Japanese submarine ; on 30 August , the destroyer escort then fueled from . Underway for Tokyo Bay on 31 August 1945 , " Bangust " arrived there later the same day . She paused there only briefly , however , for she sailed the following day for Saipan , reaching her destination on 5 September . Underway two days later , " Bangust " , in company with " Kyne " , shaped course back to Japan with a convoy of four merchantmen . Reaching Tokyo on 13 September and delivering her charges , the destroyer escort shifted to Yokosuka Ko the following day . " Bangust " sailed for the United States on 2 October 1945 in company with other ships in her division and , after a brief stop at Pearl Harbor between 10 and 13 October , reached San Pedro , California , on 20 October . Reporting to Commander , Western Sea Frontier , for two weeks maintenance and onward routing , " Bangust " departed the west coast on 6 November . Reaching the Panama Canal Zone on 16 November , the destroyer escort transited the Panama Canal and departed Panama waters on the 17th , bound for the east coast of the United States . Post - War service . The destroyer escort reached the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 22 November 1945 and , after pre - inactivation overhaul , was decommissioned on 14 June 1946 at Green Cove Springs , Florida . Earmarked for deferred disposal status on 21 March 1947 , " Bangust " was taken to Charleston Naval Shipyard in June 1947 . Towed there by on 17 and 18 June , the ship remained in the yard until 13 August when , under tow of she was taken back to Mayport , Florida , arriving the next day . Inactivated on 20 October 1947 , " Bangust " was transferred to the government of Peru on 26 October 1951 under the terms of the Mutual Defense Assistance Program ( MDAP ) . Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 18 April 1952 . She was renamed " Castilla " ( D - 61 ) and served as such until she was stricken and broken up in 1979 . Awards . " Bangust " earned eleven battle stars for her World War II service .