USS Gleaves ( DD - 423 ) USS " Gleaves " ( DD - 423 ) , the lead ship of the " Gleaves " - class of destroyer s , is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Admiral Albert Gleaves , who is credited with improving the accuracy and precision of torpedoes and other naval arms . " Gleaves " was launched by the Bath Iron Works , Bath , Maine , 9 December 1939 , sponsored jointly by Miss Evelina Gleaves Van Mtre and Miss Clotilda Flornce Cohe , granddaughters of Admiral Gleaves ; and commissioned 14 June 1940 , at Boston Navy Yard , Lieutenant Commander E . H . Pierce in command . World War II . Atlantic convoys . Departing for shakedown training soon after commissioning , " Gleaves " operated off the Atlantic coast and in Caribbean waters until returning to Boston 19 March 1941 to prepare for convoy duty . She departed Newport on her first voyage 23 June 1941 . and saw her convoy arrive safely at Iceland . After patrolling in Icelandic waters for a time , she returned to Boston 23 July . Subsequently , " Gleaves " made four other convoy voyages to Iceland , Ireland , and North Africa protecting the vital flow of supplies to the European Theater . As the pace of German submarine attacks increased , she made more and more attacks on U - boat s , but recorded no confirmed kills . On 11 May to 12 May 1942 , despite the efforts of " Gleaves " and the other escort vessels , seven ships of the convoy ONS - 92 were lost in two separate attacks by a large wolfpack . European invasions . After returning to Boston 31 March 1942 , " Gleaves " departed 10 May for participation in the Allied landings in Sicily . After engaging in support and convoy operations in the battle zone , " Gleaves " and accepted the surrender of the Italian garrison on the island of Utica 5 August 1943 , and later landed occupation troops on the island . She also drove off a group of five enemy E - boat s attempting to attack shipping in the harbor of Palermo , Sicily . As Allied preparations for the invasion of Italy reached a climax , " Gleaves " bombarded the Italian mainland . In September 1943 she helped clear the way for the Salerno landing forces . Following the assault , " Gleaves " convoyed shipping in the Mediterranean area in support of the drive north from Salerno . When German air and land forces combined in a determined attempt to stop the landings at Anzio in January 1944 , " Gleaves " was again on hand to lend decisive gunfire support and antiaircraft cover . In May of that year she attempted to search out and destroy German submarine " U - 616 " but other ships of the group sank the U - boat . Survivors from the sunken U - boat were picked up by " Gleaves " 17 May . " Gleaves " next took part in the invasion of southern France in August 1944 . She escorted the Rangers in their initial landings ; bombarded shore installations in support of the main assault ; and screened heavier units of the fleet off shore . Sent to San Remo on patrol and support duty , " Gleaves " helped in the bombardment of shore installations there 1 October firing on shipping in the harbor of Oneglio , Italy , with hits on two cargo ships on the night of 1 October to 2 October , Gleaves was attacked and succeeded in destroying one of three small explosives - laden German motor boats moving down the coast to San Remo . The other two were temporarily driven off . Returning to her station off San Remo , " Gleaves " was attacked two more times before she , by violent maneuvering , depth charges , and well - placed gunfire , left five boats sunk in her wake . The following morning she returned to the area to find a sixth boat disabled ; and captured it with two operators on board , who provided the Allies much valuable information . In December 1944 , " Gleaves " was assigned as fire support ship near Allied positions on the Franco - Italian frontier , and ably performed this duty until sailing for the United States in February 1945 . After a period of outfitting at New York and training activities in the Caribbean , she departed 30 June 1945 from Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , for the Pacific , arriving at Pearl Harbor 4 August . Post war . After the war ' s end , " Gleaves " proceeded westward to Saipan and Nagasaki , Japan , with the occupation forces . She distinguished herself for outstanding rescue and salvage work during the powerful typhoon which swept through the Philippine Sea during September and October . While repairing her machinery at Adak , Alaska , 23 November , " Gleaves " received word that steamer " Adabelle Lyke " , in the Pacific was suffering from a smallpox epidemic . The veteran " can do " destroyer put to sea at top speed from Adak on 25 November with the vital vaccine . She met the stricken steamer next day and transferred the life - saving supplies . Her duty in the North Pacific terminated , " Gleaves " transported 300 veterans from the Aleutian Islands to Seattle , Washington , on " Magic - Carpet " duty , arriving 10 December 1946 . She then moved to San Francisco and on 2 January 1946 departed for Charleston , South Carolina At Charleston , where she arrived 18 January 1946 , " Gleaves " decommissioned 8 May 1946 , and was placed in reserve at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania She was later moved to the Reserve Fleet at Orange , Texas , where she remained through 1967 . " Gleaves " was stricken from the naval register on 1 November 1969 and sold 29 June 1972 and broken up for scrap . " Gleaves " received five battle star s for World War II service . In popular culture . " Gleaves " is mentioned in a song " Wolfpack " by Swedish power metal band Sabaton . The theme of the song is the attack of the wolf pack " Hecht " on the convoy ONS - 92 .