USS Meade ( DD - 602 ) USS " Meade " ( DD - 602 ) was a in the United States Navy during World War II . She was the second ship named for Richard Worsam Meade and Robert Leamy Meade . " Meade " was laid down by Bethlehem Steel Corporation , Shipbuilding Division , Staten Island , New York , 25 March 1941 , launched 15 February 1942 , sponsored by Mrs . Moray Nairne Wootton , and commissioned at Brooklyn Navy Yard 22 June 1942 , Lieutenant Commander R . S . Lamb in command . Southwest Pacific Service . After shakedown out of Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , " Meade " sailed in the screen escorting to the southwest Pacific . After arriving Tongatapu 14 September , she guarded carrier task groups defending the sea lanes between Allied bases in the South Pacific and American forces in the Solomon Islands . Operating out of Nouméa , New Caledonia , she served during the months in late 1942 during the protracted struggle for control of Guadalcanal . As escort for and YT ‑ 130 , " Meade " cruised off Guadalcanal during the costly but decisive night cruiser battle 13 November . She reached Tulagi the 14th , and following the night battleship battle 14 to 15 November , she crossed Ironbottom Sound and for the better part of an hour blasted four beached enemy transports north of Tassafaronga with 5 ‑ inch rapid fire . The transports previously had suffered aerial strafing and bombing attacks , and " Meade ' s " concentrated gunfire left them wrecks " blazing with many internal explosions . " Thence she cruised the waters between Savo Island and Guadalcanal and rescued 266 men from destroyers and sunk during the fierce fighting of the previous night . After returning to Tulagi , she joined the search off San Cristobal 16 November for survivors from . Between 22 November and 16 December , " Meade " operated as escort for during salvage operations . She screened damaged cruiser to Sydney , Australia and guarded en route to the New Hebrides . She continued escort operations between Guadalcanal and bases in New Caledonia and the New Hebrides . During the Battle of Rennell Island , 29 to 30 January 1943 , she screened escort carriers of TF 18 . Aleutians Campaign . " Meade " departed the South Pacific 18 March for the Aleutians , arriving 15 April . During 4 months of patrol and escort duty in the North Pacific , she provided shore bombardment and fire support during the invasion and occupation of fog ‑ shrouded Attu Island 11 May . Before departing the Aleutians , she also took part in the bloodless occupation of Kiska Island , previously evacuated by the Japan ese . Tarawa . After overhaul at Puget Sound , she steamed via Pearl Harbor to Wellington , New Zealand , 29 October for duty with the 5th Fleet Assault Force . She departed Efate , New Hebrides , 13 November and sailed as part of the fire support group of the southern task force ( TF 53 ) for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands . She screened cruisers and provided shore bombardment support during the bitterly contested assaults on Betio Island , Tarawa , 20 November . Two days later , " Meade " made an underwater sound contact while screening to westward of the transport area . Between 1530 and 1736 , " Meade " and launched five intensive depth charge attacks . " Meade " s final barrage forced to surface , and both destroyers directed " a devastating fire upon the target with all batteries . " Five minutes later , " Meade " checked her fire and at 1751 , " Frazier " rammed the sub , hitting her port quarter abaft the conning tower . " I ‑ 35 " settled and sank , stern first , at 1754 . The destroyers launched boats to recover four survivors . One was killed during a brief exchange of gunfire ; as " Meade " s boat returned with a second , seriously wounded prisoner , an American dive bomber mistook it for a submarine conning tower and bombed it with a 500 ‑ pound delayed fuze bomb . It landed 3 feet away , and the underwater explosion lifted the boat out of the water and holed it . " Meade " recovered the motor whaleboat crew who were " shaken up somewhat . " Marshall Islands . " Meade " returned to Pearl Harbor 7 December and during the next 6 weeks trained for the invasion of the Marshall Islands . She sortied with TF 52 on 22 January 1944 , and on the 30th participated in heavy bombardment of enemy installations on Taroa island , Maloelap Atoll . Arriving off Kwajalein Island the 31st , she screened battleship s and cruiser s during intensive shore bombardments . In addition she provided scheduled and spotter ‑ directed gunfire against installations on 1 and 2 February , destroying blockhouses , pillboxes , and machinegun emplacements . She remained in the Kwajalein area until 16 February , thence sailed via Majuro to Pearl Harbor , arriving the 24th . Caroline Islands . " Meade " returned to Majuro 8 March for screening duty with the fast carriers of TF 58 . After supporting shore bombardment and airstrikes against , Mille Atoll , Marshalls , 18 March , she screened the carriers westward to the Caroline Islands . Between 30 March and 2 April TF 58 carried out intensive airstrikes against enemy positions on Yap , Woleai , and the Palaus . She supported similar strikes in western New Guinea 21 to 24 April , then protected the mighty carriers during heavy air raids against Truk and Ponape , Carolines , 29 to 30 April . She returned to the Marshalls 4 May . Between 12 May and 10 July " Meade " operated out of Majuro while conducting shore bombardments and blockade patrols against bypassed islands in the Marshalls , including Wotje , Maloelap , Mille , and Jaluit . Departing Majuro 11 July , she steamed via Pearl Harbor to the west coast , arriving San Francisco 26 July . After overhaul at Mare Island , she returned to Pearl Harbor 20 September . During the next 2 months she provided training facilities for the Pacific Fleet Torpedo and Gunnery School , then sailed 1 December in the screen for . Philippines Campaign . Arriving Ulithi , Carolines , 9 December , " Meade " returned to the Marshalls 15 to 19 December escorting two merchant ships . Thence , between 25 December and 16 January 1945 she completed two escort voyages between Eniwetok and Guam . Departing the Marshalls 21 January , she steamed via Ulithi to the Philippines where she arrived the 28th for duty with the 7th Fleet . As a unit of DesDiv 27 , she escorted LST s and merchant ships from Leyte Gulf via Mindoro and Subic Bay to Lingayen Gulf , Luzon , 8 to 13 February . For more than 2 months " Meade " operated out of Lingayen Gulf , patrolling the approaches of the gulf and the coast of western Luzon for enemy submarines and aircraft . She returned to Leyte Gulf 5 May . Assigned to TG 78 . 3 , " Meade " enter Macajalar Bay , Mindoro , 10 May and laid down fire support during unopposed amphibious landings . She departed the area the 15th , and escorted ships to Cebu and Mindanao before returning to Leyte 20 May . She continued escort runs to the southern Philippines until 9 July ; a month later she sailed for Subic Bay , arriving there just prior to Japanese capitulation . End of World War II and fate . Between 31 August and 9 September , " Meade " completed an escort voyage to Okinawa and back . She sailed 20 September for French Indochina ; closed the coast of Table Island in the Gulf of Tonkin the 23rd ; and delivered provisions and medical supplies to French military personnel . After returning to Manila Bay 29 September , she completed her duty in the Philippines and departed for the United States 2 November . Steaming via San Diego , California and the Panama Canal , she reached Norfolk , Virginia , 9 December . Two days later she began extensive overhaul . On 4 March 1946 she sailed to Charleston , South Carolina . " Meade " decommissioned there 17 June 1946 , and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 June 1971 , and sunk as a target in February 1973 . Her ship ' s bell was removed prior to the sinking and is now on display at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk , VA . Awards . " Meade " received nine battle star s for her World War II service .