USS Sims ( DE - 154 ) USS " Sims " ( DE - 154 / APD - 50 ) , a of the United States Navy , was named in honor of Admiral William Sowden Sims ( 1858 – 1936 ) , who pushed for modernization of the navy . She is the second ship in the United States Navy to be named . " Sims " was laid down on 7 September 1942 at the Norfolk Navy Yard , Portsmouth , Virginia ; launched on 6 February 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . Anne H . Sims , and commissioned on 24 April 1943 , with Lieutenant Commander Charles G . Raible in command . Service history . After fitting out , " Sims " completed her shakedown off Bermuda . She was then assigned to Task Group ( TG ) 21 . 6 escorting tankers from Curaçao to Derry , Northern Ireland . After two such runs , the western terminus was changed to New York , and the escort made eight more trips escorting tankers from New York to Derry . In the 20 crossings , only one tanker was sunk by a U - boat . On 23 September 1944 , " Sims " entered the Boston Navy Yard for conversion into a " Charles Lawrence " - class high speed transport . The work completed , " Sims " ( now designated APD - 50 ) departed Boston on 6 December 1944 for Norfolk , Virginia . She served as a training ship there until 24 January 1945 when she put to sea . After transiting the Panama Canal , and a brief shakedown period at San Diego , the transport arrived at Pearl Harbor on 20 February . " Sims " sailed for the Philippine Islands on 5 March and arrived there on the 21st . A week later , the transport stood out of Leyte Gulf as part of Task Unit 51 . 13 . 16 , bound for the invasion of Okinawa . Except for two fast convoy trips to Ulithi , she remained off Okinawa from 1 April to 27 May . During this period , the ship was part of the anti - aircraft and anti - submarine screen around the island . She shot down an attacking Japanese bomber on 16 April . On 3 and 4 May and again on 13 and 14 May , " Sims " assisted in the search for survivors of picket destroyers hit by kamikaze aircraft . On the evening of 18 May , two kamikaze planes made a combined attack . Both planes , hit by anti - aircraft fire , crashed into the water on her port side with a violent explosion that lifted and shook the entire ship . The shock caused serious oil leaks and considerable damage to machinery and equipment . The crew repaired the damage , and " Sims " continued patrolling . On the 24th , she was again attacked by a kamikaze . The plane , even though hit by anti - aircraft fire , crashed close aboard to starboard . " Sims " was sprayed with shrapnel which wounded 11 of her crew . Later that day , a fire and rescue party was sent on board which had been hit by a kamikaze . Fires prevented flooding her magazine , and she had been abandoned . " Sims " ' party helped bring the fires under control , and " Barry " was taken under tow by a tug . " Sims " departed Okinawa on 27 May with a convoy which she escorted to Saipan before continuing on to Leyte for damage repairs . The transport was back on patrol off Okinawa on 26 June . On 14 August , " Sims " rendezvoused at sea with the Tokyo Bay Occupation Force south of Japan . The ship landed a group of British Marines and Royal Navy personnel at the Yokosuka Naval Base on 30 August . The following day , she landed a company of United States Marine s at the Tateyama Naval Air Station and stood by and took them off again when they were relieved by 8th U . S . Army units on 3 September . " Sims " then made a voyage to Iwo Jima , after which she operated in the Japanese home waters until 28 November . On that date , she stood out of Tokyo Bay en route to the eastern seaboard of the United States . The transport disembarked 208 passengers at San Diego , California , on 17 December 1945 , and continued to New York for pre - inactivation overhaul . " Sims " was decommissioned at Green Cove Springs , Florida , on 24 April 1946 and placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . She remained inactive until struck from the Navy List on 1 June 1960 . Her hulk was sold to the North American Smelting Company , Wilmington , Delaware , on 14 April 1961 and scrapped . Awards and honors . " Sims " received one battle star for World War II services .