USS Chauncey ( DD - 667 ) USS " Chauncey " ( DD - 667 ) was a " Fletcher " - class destroyer of the United States Navy , the third Navy ship named for Commodore Isaac Chauncey ( 1779 – 1840 ) . " Chauncey " was launched 28 March 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company , Kearny , New Jersey ; sponsored by Mrs . R . K . Anderson ; and commissioned 31 May 1943 , Lieutenant Commander M . Van Metre in command . Service history . World War II . Clearing Norfolk , Virginia , 28 August 1943 , " Chauncey " reached Pearl Harbor 19 September . She was assigned to the screen of a fast carrier task force for a punishing series of air strikes on Wake Island 5 and 6 October 1943 . While screening the carriers , " Chauncey " rescued three downed aviators from the water . After a brief return to Pearl Harbor , " Chauncey " sailed with another carrier task force for Espiritu Santo , arriving 6 November 1943 . The destroyer sailed 3 days later for the air raids on Rabaul of 11 November , in coordination with the Bougainville landings . After the first successful strike launched by the carriers , enemy planes came swarming out to seek vengeance , and a furious 46 - minute action , during which " Chauncey " s guns blazed almost continuously , resulted in a large number of splashed Japan ese aircraft . Chauncey , continuing to screen the same carrier force , now sailed north to begin the preassault air strikes on Tarawa , 18 , 19 , and 20 November . As the landings began on 20 November , the carriers launched combat air patrol , antisubmarine searches , and close support strikes , which continued until the island was secured after furious fighting ashore . During this operation , " Chauncey " again helped drive a Japanese counterattack from the air above the ships she guarded . With the Marshall Islands operation scheduled for the next month , " Chauncey " s force was assigned a strike at Kwajalein , center of Japanese air power in the Marshalls , and the shipping in its harbor . Air strikes were launched 4 December 1943 at Kwajalein and Wotje , but Japanese retaliation came in the evening , and " Chauncey " joined in the fire which splashed many enemy planes and drove them away just after midnight . Her task force sailed on to replenish and repair at Pearl Harbor . Bound for action once more , " Chauncey " sailed to Funafuti , where she made rendezvous with a seaplane tender whom she and another destroyer escorted up to Tarawa . After brief patrol duty there , she returned to Funafuti to prepare for the next operation , Majuro . " Chauncey " sailed on 22 January 1944 to screen escort carriers north to Majuro , assaulted on 30 January . The destroyer screened and patrolled at Majuro and Kwajalein during the assault and occupation of the atolls , and in mid - March returned to the South Pacific . After 10 days early in April on watchful patrol off newly occupied Emirau Island , " Chauncey " screened escort carriers into position to cover the Aitape landings 22 April , and guarded them as they provided close air support , sailed north to replenish at Manus on 28 April , and returned to their covering strikes off New Guinea until 12 May . Now " Chauncey " was assigned to guard the escort carriers assembling and rehearsing for the Marianas operation , and on 8 June 1944 , arrived at Kwajalein for final preparations . She got underway two days later to screen carriers supporting the landings on Saipan with preassault raids on 13 and 14 June , and air cover during the assault on 15 June . Next day " Chauncey " joined the group operating off Guam for bombardments and air strikes , and her guns aided in driving off enemy air attacks on the 16th and 17th . Returning to Saipan , she screened carriers there until the 25th , when she got underway to escort transports to Eniwetok . She returned to operate with the carriers off Saipan and Guam from early July , and on 9 July began her part in the continuous bombardment of Guam before the landings there 21 July . " Chauncey " continued to screen carriers covering operations on Guam through July , aside from an escort voyage to Eniwetok with unladen transports , and on 10 August , left Guam astern bound for Eniwetok and repairs at Pearl Harbor . She returned to Manus to prepare for the massive Philippine operation , and on 14 October sailed for Leyte guarding the Southern Attack Force transports . She offered close - in protection during the landings on 20 October , and that night patrolled watchfully around the transports , which remained dangerously close to shore in order to speed their unloading . On 22 October , 2 days before the opening of the decisive Battle of Leyte Gulf , " Chauncey " cleared to escort unloaded ships to Manus , from which she made two voyages to escort ships to Leyte and Palau during November . After overhaul and training off the west coast until late February 1945 , the destroyer returned to Pearl Harbor . Here she was joined by a carrier , whom she escorted to Ulithi , where " Chauncey " was assigned to mighty Task Force 58 for the preliminaries to the Okinawa operation . The force got underway 14 March for strikes on airfields on Kyūshū and shipping in the Inland Sea and at Kure and Kobe , " Chauncey " and other destroyers providing the essential screening services . Japanese retaliation came in a bombing raid on 19 March , when carrier was badly damaged but kept afloat by her crew ' s heroic work . " Chauncey " moved in to protect the stricken giant , and to guard her as she was towed and later steamed under her own power toward safety . Japanese air attacks were beaten off once more on the 20th and 21st , " Chauncey " firing with the others to splash many enemy planes . Her force launched prelanding strikes at Okinawa and nearby islands , and after the landings on 1 April 1945 , supported the ground forces and protected the transports . " Chauncey " continued her screening , and from 6 April , when the first great " kamikaze " attacks were hurled at American shipping off Okinawa , fired often to drive the would - be suicides off . She also served in shore bombardment and radar picket duty until 29 May , when she sailed for repairs and replenishment in San Pedro Bay , Philippine Islands . She then joined Task Force 38 for the final smashing air raids on Japan . Following the war , " Chauncey " remained in the Far East on occupation duty until 11 November , when she cleared Tsingtao , China for the west coast . She was placed out of commission in reserve at San Diego 19 December 1945 . Korean War . Upon the outbreak of the Korean War , " Chauncey " was recommissioned 18 July 1950 , and on 1 November , sailed to join the Atlantic Fleet . " Chauncey " operated from her home port at Norfolk , Virginia , along the east coast , and in the Caribbean , until 10 January 1953 , when she got underway for the west coast on the first leg of a round - the - world voyage . Reaching Sasebo , Japan , 11 February , " Chauncey " screened the carriers of TF 77 off Korea during the final months preceding the Korean Armistice , and in June sailed on to call at Hong Kong , Singapore , Colombo , Aden , Athens , Naples , Cannes , and Gibraltar before her return to Norfolk 6 August . " Chauncey " resumed her east coast and Caribbean operations until 14 May 1954 , when she was again decommissioned and placed in reserve . Awards . " Chauncey " received seven battle star s for World War II service , and two for Korean service .