USS Charles S . Sperry ( DD - 697 ) USS " Charles S . Sperry " ( DD - 697 ) , an " Allen M . Sumner " - class destroyer , was named for Charles Stillman Sperry , the commanding officer of the . Sperry would later attain the rank of Rear Admiral . The " Charles S . Sperry " was launched 13 March 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , Kearny , N . J . ; sponsored by Miss M . Sperry ; commissioned 17 May 1944 , Commander H . H . McIlhenny in command ; and reported to the Pacific Fleet . Service history . United States Navy . World War II . After training in the Hawaiian Islands , " Charles S . Sperry " arrived at Ulithi 28 December 1944 to join the fast carrier force , TP 38 . For the remainder of the war , she sailed in the screen of the third group of this mighty force , variously designated TF 38 and TF 58 . She sortied with her group for the first time on 30 December , bound for the areas from which the carriers launched strikes against Japanese bases on Formosa and Luzon in preparation for the assault on Lingayen Gulf beaches . Continuing to neutralize Japanese airfields the force moved on to strike at targets in Indochina , on the South China coast , and on Okinawa before returning to Ulithi 26 January 1945 . " Sperry " sailed with TF 58 once more on 10 February 1945 , as the force began its familiar work in preparation for the invasion of Iwo Jima . An audacious raid against Tokyo itself was first on the schedule , the first carrier strikes on the heart of Japan since the Doolittle Raid . On 16 and 17 February , planes from the carriers guarded by " Sperry " roared over Tokyo , in attacks which inflicted substantial material damage , and great moral damage , to the Japanese war effort . " Sperry " forces offered direct support during the assault landings at Iwo Jima . Twice , on 19 February and on 20 – 21 February , the carrier force came under air attack from the enemy , but antiaircraft fire from " Sperry " and the other screening ships , combined with evasive maneuvering and a protective smoke screen , prevented damage to the great concentration of ships . A final round of air strikes was hurled at Tokyo and Okinawa before TF 58 returned to Ulithi 5 March . Once more designated TF 38 , the force cleared Ulithi 14 March 1945 for the Okinawa operation , which would keep " Sperry " and many other ships at sea almost continuously until 1 June . First came air strikes against Kyushu , for which the Japanese retaliated with heavy air attacks against the carrier force on 19 and 20 March . While was badly damaged in these attacks , " Sperry " and other escorts furnished effective antiaircraft fire which pre vented further harm to the force , and she shared in splashing several Japanese planes . " Sperry " turned south with her force for strikes against Okinawa . The destroyer joined in a bombardment of the Japanese airstrip on tiny but critically located Minami Daito Shima 27 March . Close air support was provided by TF 38 as the invasion began on 1 April 1945 , and " Sperry " served as plane guard and radar picket for her force . On 7 April , planes from the carriers she screened joined in sending , her accompanying cruiser , and four of eight guardian destroyers to the bottom . " Sperry " herself fired often , aiding in splashing planes of the " kamikaze " strikes hurled at her force on 11 , 14 , 16 , and 29 April , and 11 May . When and fell victim to " kamikazes " , " Sperry " stood by them , aiding in damage control , and rescuing men from the water . The destroyer remained in San Pedro Bay , Philippines , from 1 June to 1 July , and then sailed to support the carriers as they launched the final air strikes at the Japanese home islands . Cover for the first occupation landings and the evacuation of Allied prisoners of war from Japanese prison camps was flown by the carriers , and on 31 August , the great force arrived off Tokyo Bay for the surrender ceremonies held on 2 September . Post - World War II . " Sperry " remained in the Far East , taking part in exercises , on patrol , and carrying mail , until 30 December 1945 , when she departed Sasebo for the east coast , arriving at Baltimore 19 February 1946 . For the next year , she remained at Boston with a reduced crew , and in March 1947 , reported at New Orleans for duty as a training ship for members of the Naval Reserve until July 1950 . After overhaul at Norfolk , she sailed for the Far East , arriving off embattled Korea 14 October 1950 . Korean War . The destroyer operated almost continuously off Korea until June 1951 . For her first 2 weeks in action , she fired on shore installations at Songjin , screened shipping , and patrolled areas swept of mines to guard against their remaining . During November and December 1950 she continued her fire support and bombardments , covered the redeployments from Kojo , Wonsan , and Hung - nam , and screened salvage operations . On 23 December , while firing at Songjin , she was hit by three shells returned by an enemy shore battery , but suffered no casualties , and only minor damage , which was repaired at Sasebo early in January 1951 . She returned to the Korean firing line to cover salvage operations north of the 38th parallel and conduct bombardments along the coast . As operations leading to the classic blockade of Wonsan began , " Charles S . Sperry " entered the dangerous harbor 17 January 1951 to provide interdiction fire , and to cover the landings which secured the harbor islands . She cleared the Wonsan area 5 March for Songjin , where she joined in setting the siege , and until 6 June was almost constantly patrolling and firing on shore installations at Songjin . She then sailed for home , arriving at Norfolk 2 July . Service , 1951 - 1974 . Taking up the operating schedule of the Destroyer Force , Atlantic , " Charles S . Sperry " sailed from Norfolk through 1960 . In 1953 , 1955 , 1956 , 1958 , and 1959 she cruised in the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet . During her 1956 deployment , which coincided with the Suez Crisis , she escorted the transports which evacuated American nationals from Egypt . Midshipmen cruises and North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercises took her to northern European ports on several occasions , some of them in coordination with her Mediterranean deployments . Late in 1959 , " Sperry " began an extensive overhaul for rehabilitation and modernization , including the addition of a sophisticated remotely operated torpedo equipped anti - submarine helicopter known as Drone Anti Submarine Helicopter ( DASH ) . After completion of the this major refitting she operated on the east coast and was located in Newport RI in the late 1960s . In the summer of 1968 she cruised the Caribbean and was in San Juan , Puerto Rico in late June as the U S Navy ' s representative for the celebration of feast of St . John ( San Juan ) , a national holiday . Chilean Navy . On 8 January 1974 , " Charles S . Sperry " was transferred to Chile by sale . She was renamed " Ministro Zenteno " and designated Destroyer # 16 . After many years of active service in the Chilean Navy , the old destroyer was finally scrapped in 1990 . Awards . " Charles S . Sperry " received four battle star s for her service in World War II , and four battle stars for the Korean War .