USS English ( DD - 696 ) USS " English " ( DD - 696 ) , an " Allen M . Sumner " - class destroyer , named for Rear Admiral Robert Henry English , a submariner who commanded the and was awarded the Navy Cross and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal . Rear Admiral English was still serving when killed in a flying boat accident in California 21 January 1943 . " English " was launched 27 February 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co . , Kearny , New Jersey ; sponsored by Ensign Eloise W . English , USNR ( W ) , daughter of Rear Admiral English ; and commissioned 4 May 1944 , Commander James Thomas Smith in command . Service history . World War II . " English " arrived in the Hawaiian Islands 3 September 1944 for final training , and service as plane guard during the qualification of aviators in carrier operations . On 17 December , she sailed from Pearl Harbor for Ulithi , where on 28 December she joined the screen for mighty carrier TF 38 . She put to sea 2 days later for air strikes to neutralize Japanese bases on Formosa , Luzon , Okinawa , and the Indo - China coast in coordination with the invasion of Lingayen Gulf . " English " returned to Ulithi to replenish between 26 January 1945 and 8 February , then sailed to Saipan to meet and escort her to a rendezvous with newly designated TF 58 . She screened the carriers as they launched the series of strikes accompanying the Iwo Jima operation , hitting Tokyo both before and after the assault , Iwo Jima itself , and Okinawa . After taking on fuel and stores at Ulithi from 4 March 1945 to 14 March , " English " sortied with TF 58 for strikes on Kyushu heralding the Okinawa operation . When was heavily damaged by bombing on 19 March off Kyushu , English screened the carrier ' s retirement from the action area , then rejoined the screen for strikes on Okinawa and nearby islands in the days preceding the assault . On 1 April , she closed Okinawa to provide fire support for the invading troops , returning to the carrier screen for continued strikes on shore targets and Japanese shipping . She left the task force to bombard Minami Daito Shima on the night of 10 May . The next day , " English " went close alongside , damaged by a " kamikaze " , to help in fighting fires , and to take off Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher and his staff , whom she transferred to another carrier . " English " put in to San Pedro Bay , Philippines , from 1 June to 1 July for repairs and exercises , then sailed again with TF 38 for the final pounding series of air strikes on the Japanese homeland . She closed the coast of Honshū on 18 July to hunt Japanese shipping in Sagami Wan and to bombard targets on Nojima Saki . Post - World War II . In Tokyo Bay from 10 to 19 September , " English " voyaged to escort occupation shipping from the Marianas , then after 2 months of occupation duty cleared Sasebo for the long passage to Boston , where she arrived 26 April 1946 . " English " operated out of Boston , and later Charleston and New Orleans , for exercises and to train members of the Naval Reserve , cruising along the east coast and in the Caribbean . From 23 April 1949 , she was home ported at Norfolk , from which she sailed 6 September for her first tour of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean . She returned to Norfolk 26 January 1950 for exercises off the Virginia Capes and in the Caribbean . Korean War . Alerted for distant deployment upon the outbreak of the Korean war , " English " departed Norfolk 6 September 1950 for the Panama Canal , San Diego , Pearl Harbor , Midway , and Yokosuka , where she arrived 5 October . She supported the withdrawal from Hungnam , then proceeded with two corvettes of the Royal Thai Navy to shell Communist positions at Choderi and Chonjin . On 7 January 1951 , one of these , HMTS " Prase " , grounded in a heavy snowstorm , and after arduous attempts to salvage her , " English " destroyed the corvette with gunfire . On 20 January 1951 " English " began duty as direct fire - support ship for a division of the Korean army , blasting positions at Kanson , Kosong , and Kangnung to support the Korean advance ashore . She served on blockade at Chongjin and Wonsan , where in 20 consecutive days on the firing line she silenced 20 attacks by Communist shore batteries . After a final period of service screening carriers on both coasts of Korea , she sailed from Yokosuka 11 May eastbound for Norfolk . Service , 1951 - 1970 . From her return to Norfolk 9 June 1951 , " English " resumed local training operations , and in the winter of 1952 joined in cold - weather exercises off Newfoundland and Nova Scotia . On 26 August 1952 she departed for North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) operations in which she visited British ports , steaming on to a tour of duty in the Mediterranean from which she returned to Norfolk 5 February 1953 . In the fall of 1954 she visited Lisbon , Portugal . On 31 October 1954 , while at sea for a major fleet exercise , she was in collision with the destroyer , but though " English " lost 50 feet ( 15 . 25 meters ) of her bow , she suffered no casualties . Skillful seamanship brought her into port under her own power , and she was repaired in time to join in large - scale exercises in the Caribbean early in 1955 . From May to August 1955 , " English " made a good will cruise to ports of northern Europe , and between 28 July 1956 and 4 December 1956 served again in the Mediterranean , visiting Bahrain in the Persian Gulf . With the eruption of the Suez Crisis in October – November 1956 , she aided in evacuating American citizens from the troubled area , and patrolled the eastern Mediterranean to serve with the United States Sixth Fleet . Returning to Norfolk in April she spent the remainder of 1959 and all of 1960 in conducting an intensive program of antisubmarine warfare exercises . " English " sailed for the Mediterranean and the Sixth Fleet in September 1961 , returning to Norfolk nine months later . William Mahan was the Captain ; J . B . Allen the Executive Officer . First port of call was Suda Bay , Crete . During her deployment she also called at Naples , Leghorn , and La Spezia , Italy ; Barcelona , Spain ; and Toulon , France . In October 1962 , " English " sailed and served duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis . Primarily acting as " plane guard " for the attack aircraft carrier s and , she operated for over 30 days at sea without replenishment . Decommissioning . " English " was decommissioned on 15 May 1970 and stricken from the Navy List the same day . Republic of China service , 1970 - 1999 . On 11 August 1970 , " English " was transferred to the Republic of China . She served in the Republic of China Navy as ROCN " Huei Yang " until decommissioned on 16 August 1999 . Final disposition . The Republic of China Navy sank " Huei Yang " as a target on 14 October 2003 . Awards . " English " received four battle star s for World War II service , and four for Korean war service .