USS Little ( DD - 79 ) USS " Little " ( DD - 79 / APD - 4 ) , a " Wickes " - class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II . She was the first Navy ship named for George Little ( 1754 – 1809 ) . " Little " was laid down by Fore River Shipbuilding Corporation , Quincy , Massachusetts , 18 June 1917 , launched 11 November 1917 , sponsored by Mrs . Samuel W . Wakeman , and commissioned 6 April 1918 , Commander Joseph K . Taussig in command . Service history . " Little " departed Norfolk 5 May 1918 for convoy escort duty with Patrol Force , Coast of France , and operated from Brest until she sailed for home 26 December . During this period she escorted President Woodrow Wilson ’ s party to the Continent to attend the Paris Peace Conference . The ship arrived Boston 18 January 1919 for drydock and operations with Destroyer Force , Atlantic . She escorted the President ’ s party back into New York 6 to 8 July , and then engaged in tactical exercises , she was transferred to Reserve Status with ComDesRon 3 at Philadelphia 17 November where she remained until 4 January 1921 . The ship then operated along the $ 3 coast until she returned to Philadelphia and decommissioned 5 July 1922 . Converted to a high - speed transport by having two boilers removed and converted to troop quarters , " Little " was redesignated APD - 4 , 2 August 1940 , and recommissioned 4 November 1940 , Lieutenant Commander . K . Earl in command . She sailed for the Caribbean in February 1941 for maneuvers with the U . S . Atlantic Fleet , and then steamed to San Diego where she arrived 9 March for amphibious training . The ship returned to the east coast in late summer , and arrived at Norfolk 1 December for drydocking . As flagship for TransDiv 12 she departed for San Diego 14 February 1942 for repairs and alterations . Upon completion of amphibious landing exercises in April , she steamed for Pearl Harbor . A short cruise to Midway Island in late June preceded her departure to New Caledonia 7 July for the Solomons campaign . Supplies for American troops on Guadalcanal had been badly disrupted by the Battle of Savo Island 9 August 1942 . High - speed destroyer - transports were called upon to remedy this shortage . As she discharged stores and Marine Raiders on the Guadalcanal beaches 30 August , " Little " witnessed the destruction of by enemy aircraft . The three remaining APDs , " Little " , , and , continued to support and help supply the Marines . On 4 September , " Little " and " Gregory " brought a detachment of marine raiders to Savo Island on an unfounded rumor that enemy forces had occupied it . The troops were returned to Lunga Point , Guadalcanal . That night was unusually dark , so Division Commander Hugh W . Hadley decided to patrol off Lunga Point rather than attempt to negotiate Tulagi Harbor with no visible landmarks . About 0100 September 5 , " Little " observed gun flashes to the east and believed this to be an enemy submarine . Moments later a Navy PBY Catalina flying over Savo Sound released a string of five flares to illuminate what he also thought was a submarine . The flares illuminated the APDs instead . A surprised Japanese surface destroyer force , engaged in shelling Henderson Field after delivering a " Tokyo Express " shipment of troops and supplies to Guadalcanal and the source of the flashes presumed to have come from a submarine , shifted their guns toward the APDs , and searchlights stabbed through the darkness . Though outgunned , " Little " opened fire on enemy destroyers , , and , but took direct hits from salvos which left her helpless and ablaze by 0115 . " Gregory " had suffered the same fate . The Japanese , to assure their kill , steamed between the two stricken ships firing shells and strafing survivors . " Gregory " sank stern first about 0140 . " Little " went down on an even keel about 2 hours later . Fleet Admiral Chester W . Nimitz paid sincere tribute to these gallant ships : " With little means , the ships performed duties vital to the success of the campaign . " Awards . " Little " received two battle star s for World War II service .