USS Hutchins ( DD - 476 ) USS " Hutchins " ( DD - 476 ) , a " Fletcher " - class destroyer , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Lieutenant Carleton B . Hutchins ( 1904 – 1938 ) , a naval aviator who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor . " Hutchins " ( DD - 476 ) was launched by Boston Navy Yard , Boston , Mass . , 20 February 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs . C . B . Hutchins , widow of Lt . Hutchins ; and commissioned 17 November 1942 , Lieutenant Commander B . W . Herron in command . " Hutchins " was to be one of six Fletcher - class destroyers built with a catapult for a float plane but the plan was abandoned . 1943 . After completing shakedown cruise in Casco Bay , Maine , " Hutchins " got underway from Boston 17 March 1943 and escorted two tankers to Galveston , Tex . From there she proceeded through the Panama Canal to San Diego , where she arrived 11 April . Following an escort voyage to New Caledonia and Espiritu Santo , " Hutchins " arrived Pearl Harbor 30 May for armament alterations . While testing her guns in Hawaiian waters 25 June , an electrical failure caused the gun to fire into " Hutchins " ' stack , killing nine men and wounding twenty . While repairing at Pearl Harbor , the ship was fitted with the newest Combat Information Center ( CIC ) equipment . The ship returned to San Diego 11 July 1943 for training , and got underway with an LST group seven days later for the voyage to Adak Island in the Aleutians . She took part in the occupation of Kiska 15 August as the Japan ese gave up their Aleutians foothold , and in the months that followed patrolled the islands and engaged in fleet training maneuvers . " Hutchins " departed the bleak northern Pacific 18 November 1943 for the steaming and bitterly - contested coast of New Guinea . She arrived Milne Bay 19 December and soon afterward screened LSTs during the landings at Cape Gloucester . Designed to secure the important straits between New Britain and New Guinea , the landings began 26 December . " Hutchins " and the other screening vessels came under severe air attack in the days that followed , with " Hutchins " downing one aircraft and assisting with another . After escorting a support convoy to Cape Gloucester from Buna on mainland New Guinea , the destroyer steamed with another LST group to Saidor , farther up the coast of New Guinea . During a rain squall she collided with another destroyer in the congested assault area , and was forced to steam to Cairns , Australia 16 January 1944 for bow repairs . 1944 . " Hutchins " departed Cairns 22 February and , after important night tactical drills , sailed 28 February with Admiral Daniel E . Barbey ' s amphibious group for the Admiralties . Arriving next day , the ship carried out shore bombardment of Manus , the base which was to become so vital in the coming campaigns , and with Rear Admiral Victor Crutchley , RN , in HMAS " Shropshire " , established a patrol off Manus . During late March and April " Hutchins " and other destroyers made bombardment sweeps of Wewak and Hansa Bay , encouraging the Japanese in the mistaken belief that the next amphibious assault would be in that area . In reality it was planned for much farther up the coast , at Hollandia . Steaming from Cape Sudest 18 April , " Hutchins " arrived Hollandia 22 April and with other fleet units gave close gunfire support to the well - executed initial assault . She then retired to screen escort carrier s providing air cover and , near the end of April , bombarded Wakde Island . The versatile destroyer steamed south of Truk 10 May to pick up survivors of a B - 24 raid on the Japanese stronghold , returning south for the next step in New Guinea . " Hutchins " next took part in the Wakde - Sarmi operation 17 May . After shore bombardment and screening operations she moved on to Biak with its vital airbase site 10 days later . Early in June the destroyer operated with Task Forces 74 and To off Biak , and on the night of the 8th , the ships detected Japanese ships approaching from the northwest . The enemy destroyers cast off their troop - laden barges and with " Hutchins " and the rest of Adm . Crutchley ' s force in pursuit , retired rapidly . During a long stern chase the destroyers exchanged gunfire at long range ; Allied ships broke off the chase just before 02 : 30 and returned to the assault area . In July " Hutchins " took part in the Noemfoor landings , providing the all - important gunfire support , and operated with the nimble PT boat s in the Aitape area 15 – 25 July in harassing Japanese communications . She also took part 30 July in the landings at Sansapor , completing the brilliant series of amphibious hops along the northern coast of New Guinea . August 1944 was spent at Sydney and on fleet exercises off New Guinea , and , after a drydock period , " Hutchins " sailed from Humboldt Bay 12 September to take part in the Morotai landings , an important steppingstone to the Philippines . She bombarded airstrips 16 September and returned to Seeadler Harbor 29 September to prepare for the invasion of the Philippines . The giant invasion fleet sortied to arrive Leyte Gulf 20 October . " Hutchins " took part in preinvasion bombardment , gunfire support , and patrolled the entrance after the initial phases of the assault . As the Japanese fleet moved toward the Philippines in a gigantic three - pronged attempt to stop the invasion , " Hutchins " joined Admiral Jesse Oldendorf ' s surface forces waiting in Surigao Strait for Adm . Shoji Nishimura ' s Southern Force . In this major phase of the larger Battle for Leyte Gulf , " Hutchins " , flagship of Captain K . M . McManes ' Destroyer Squadron 24 ( DesRon 24 ) , was stationed on the right flank of the powerful array of firepower Oldendorf had assembled . As Nishimura steamed up the strait early 25 October his ships were harassed by PT - boats and then attacked by destroyers on both sides . " Hutchins " ' group steamed south , launched torpedo es at about 03 : 30 , and turned to close the range . As the large Japanese ships began to slow and scatter , the destroyers fired another spread of torpedoes , this time blowing up destroyer " Michishio " . After exchanging gunfire with the Japanese heavy ships , McManes brought " Hutchins " and the rest of the squadron out of range , their job done , so that the big guns of the waiting fleet could open fire . Oldendorf won a crushing night victory , and Japanese naval power was dealt a death blow . After the decisive actions of Leyte Gulf , " Hutchins " returned to screening . She ran onto an uncharted hulk 26 October and after helping to repel air attacks until 29 October , sailed for San Francisco via Pearl Harbor , arriving 25 November 1944 for repairs . 1945 . " Hutchins " returned to Pearl Harbor to resume her combat duty 26 January 1945 . Training exercises were carried out until 3 February when she steamed toward Saipan to join a carrier force for the Iwo Jima operation . Her carrier group arrived 3 days before the landings to pound Japanese defenses and continued to support the operation during February and March 1945 . With this important island in allied hands , " Hutchins " returned to Ulithi briefly before sailing 27 March for the giant Okinawa operation , last step on the long island campaign toward Japan . She screened a transport group during the landings 1 April and for 3 days following , undergoing numerous air attacks which she skillfully helped repel . Assigned to gunfire support 4 April , in the battle - filled days that followed " Hutchins " spent her days close to the beaches and her nights screening the larger ships during bombardment and air defense . " Hutchins " shot down several attacking planes during the great air attack 6 April , rescuing survivors from the stricken " Newcomb " ( DD - 586 ) , and was under severe attack again 12 – 13 April . Fate . While on close support operations 27 April , " Hutchins " was attacked by a Japanese suicide boat . The small fast boat slipped through the formation and dropped a large explosive charge close aboard . " Hutchins " was shaken violently by the explosion and her hull severely damaged , but no casualties were suffered and damage control parties brought flooding under control . The ship retired to Kerama Retto for temporary repairs , thence to Portland , Oregon , 15 July 1945 . Still undergoing repairs at war ' s end " Hutchins " was towed to Puget Sound 20 September 1945 . She decommissioned at Bremerton , Washington 30 November 1945 , and was sold for scrap in January 1948 to Learner & Co . , Oakland , California . Honors . " Hutchins " received six battle star s for World War II service .