USS Buck ( DD - 420 ) The second USS " Buck " ( DD - 420 ) , a World War II - era " Sims " - class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy , was named after Quartermaster James Buck , a Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient . Early career . " Buck " was launched 22 May 1939 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard ; sponsored by Mrs . Julius C . Townsend , wife of Rear Admiral Townsend , and commissioned 15 May 1940 , Lieutenant Commander Horace C . Robison in command . After shakedown training , " Buck " joined the Atlantic Fleet for a brief period before augmenting the Pacific Fleet from February until June 1941 . On 1 July , as part of Task Force ( TF ) 19 , " Buck " got underway for NS Argentia , Newfoundland , where she joined a convoy carrying the US 1st Provisional Marine Brigade to Reykjavík , Iceland . After landing the Marines there on 7 July , the destroyer began convoy escort duty between Iceland and the United States . World War II . Atlantic convoys . With the entry of the United States into World War II " Buck " continued to serve as a convoy escort , steaming from the seaports of the eastern United States to ports in Newfoundland , Iceland , Northern Ireland , North Africa , and the Caribbean . As a convoy escort warship , " Buck " screened ships from enemy attack , pursued unidentified surface and underwater contacts and shepherded merchantmen to keep them in formation while underway . While escorting a convoy during a dense fog off Nova Scotia on 22 August 1942 , " Buck " was struck starboard side aft by the New Zealand troop - transport " Awatea " while trying to escort another vessel to her correct position in the convoy . The impact broke " Buck " ' s keel and sliced about two - thirds through the fantail . Seven sailors were killed in the collision . As the starboard propeller was wrecked , and the port propeller damaged , the destroyer maintained steerageway only with difficulty as the crew tried to secure the fantail with lines and wires . When the port propeller fell off a few hours later , leaving the destroyer helpless , the fantail was cut loose since wave action was battering and chafing the hull . To make matters worse , as destroyer " Ingraham " ( DD - 444 ) closed to assist she was mortally damaged by a collision with oiler " Chemung " ( AO - 30 ) . After rescuing the survivors from " Ingraham " , the oiler managed to take " Buck " under tow until relieved by " Cherokee " ( AT - 66 ) . " Buck " reached Boston on 26 August , where she underwent repairs until November . Upon completion of yard work she returned to Atlantic convoy escort duty that winter , guarding convoys to European waters into June 1943 , when she was ordered to the Mediterranean for patrol duty out of Tunisian and Algerian ports . European invasions . Assigned to the Western Naval Task Force on 8 July , " Buck " performed bombardment , screening , and patrol duties during Operation Husky , the invasion of Sicily ( 10 July 1943 ) . On 10 July , the destroyer escorted a landing convoy of LCT s to the beach before retiring to escort follow - on convoys to Sicily . On 3 August , while escorting a convoy of six cargo ships from Sicily to Algeria , " Buck " spotted the Italian submarine " Argento " making a reconnaissance patrol off the Sicilian coast . The destroyer pursued and forced the submarine to surface after three depth charge attacks . The Italians quickly abandoned ship under the destroyers ' heavy gunfire and the submarine sank at , with " Buck " taking 45 of her crew of 49 as prisoners . After escorting a convoy back to the United States , the destroyer returned to the Mediterranean in late September 1943 in support of Operation Avalanche , the landings at Salerno , Italy . Following the landings , the destroyer patrolled off the coast to protect the delivery of reinforcements and supplies to southern Italy . While on patrol off Salerno , Italy , on 9 October , " Buck " was ambushed just after midnight by German submarine U - 616 commanded by Siegfried Koitschka and hit forward starboard by at least one and possibly two torpedoes . The warship flooded quickly , settling down forward and sinking within four minutes . Although most of the depth charges were set to safe before the destroyer was abandoned , a severe underwater explosion killed and wounded sailors in the water . Spotted by friendly aircraft the next morning , 97 survivors were rescued by " Gleaves " ( DD - 423 ) and the British " LCT - 170 " the following evening . Buck received three battle stars for World War II service .