USS Du Pont ( DD - 152 ) USS " Du Pont " ( DD – 152 ) was a in the United States Navy during World War II , later reclassified as AG - 80 . She was the second ship named for Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont . " Du Pont " was launched 22 October 1918 by William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ; sponsored by Miss C . S . Du Pont , great - grandniece of Rear Admiral Du Pont ; and commissioned 30 April 1919 , Commander W . Baggaley in command . Service history . " Du Pont " sailed from Newport 6 May 1919 to patrol off the Azores during the historic first transatlantic airplane flight , made by Navy seaplanes , then visited Brest , France , before returning to New York 15 June . She sailed 10 July for the Mediterranean and on the 27th reported to Commander , U . S . Naval Forces , European Waters , at Constantinople , Turkey . She carried mail and passengers in connection with relief in eastern Europe , and investigated conditions in Lebanon , Syria , Egypt , and Greece . Returning to New York 21 July 1920 , she was placed in reserve and operated with 50 percent of her complement in training duty along the Atlantic coast until placed out of commission at Philadelphia 19 April 1922 . Recommissioned 1 May 1930 , " Du Pont " operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean , in practice and exercises and on reserve training cruises . Between 13 March and 29 March 1931 she escorted with President H . C . Hoover embarked for visits to Ponce , Puerto Rico , and St . Thomas , Virgin Islands , then returned to tactical exercises with the fleet and occasional duty as a plane guard . Between 9 January and 22 October 1932 , " Du Pont " cruised to the west coast , returning to Norfolk to join Rotating Reserve Squadron 19 . She operated from Boston training Naval Reservists until assigned temporary duty on patrol off Cuba from September 1933 until February 1934 . On 15 August 1934 , " Du Pont " returned to active commission . She left Charleston , South Carolina , 15 September , served as target vessel and plane guard in the Caribbean , then arrived at San Diego 9 November . Based there she served in training and tactical development with the fleet , cruising to Alaskan waters and Pearl Harbor on a problem during 29 April 1935 – 10 June 1935 . She sailed from the west coast 27 April 1936 for the annual fleet problem held that year in the Canal Zone , then transited the Panama Canal , and arrived at Jacksonville , Florida , 7 June for Naval Reserve training duty along the east coast . Arriving at Philadelphia Navy Yard 29 September 1936 , " Du Pont " was placed out of commission 14 January 1937 . World War II . With the outbreak of war in Europe , " Du Pont " was recommissioned 16 October 1939 for duty on the Neutrality Patrol . She patrolled along the east coast , trained reservists , and spent several periods training with submarine s out of New London . Between 7 July 1941 and 26 February 1942 , she escorted five vital convoys to NS Argentia , Newfoundland , and Iceland , continuing escort and antisubmarine patrol duty in the Atlantic as far north as Argentia and south to the Caribbean . " Du Pont " , 15 March 1942 , rescued 30 survivors from a torpedoed merchantman . From 8 May 1942 to 19 January 1943 , she guarded convoys from New York and Norfolk to Key West and Guantanamo Bay . After overhaul , " Du Pont " returned to the Caribbean to escort tanker convoys between Aruba , Netherlands West Indies , and Guantanamo Bay until 17 May 1943 when she sailed from Aruba to the Mediterranean . She arrived at Algiers , Algeria , 1 June , and put into Casablanca 5 days later . The destroyer sailed on 9 June for New York in the escort for , rescuing four men from downed aircraft during hunter - killer operations en route . She arrived at New York 6 July . Between 17 July and 12 September 1943 , " Du Pont " made two voyages to the United Kingdom on convoy escort duty . On 25 September , she sailed from Norfolk for an antisubmarine patrol with a hunter - killer group centered on " Card " . On 6 October she joined the screen for during exercises in Casco Bay and Long Island Sound . The group sailed from Norfolk 14 November to give close support to a Gibraltar - bound convoy . On the return passage one of " Bogue " s planes sighted and bombed surfaced , 12 December . " Du Pont " and continued the attack , driving the submarine to the surface on the morning of the following day . The destroyers opened fire and after the submarine ' s conning tower exploded , rescued 46 survivors including the captain as sank in . " Du Pont " shared in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded the " Bogue " task group for distinguished success in operations against submarines . " Du Pont " escorted a convoy to Gibraltar and back to Boston between 25 January and 9 March 1944 , and then returned to escort duty in the Caribbean . She left Norfolk 11 June in the screen of sailing by way of Casablanca to Avonmouth , England , arriving 28 June . " Du Pont " returned to Boston 13 July with " Albemarle " who was carrying casualties from the Normandy invasion . Auxiliary service . After overhaul and refresher training , " Du Pont " put into Charleston Navy Yard 16 September 1944 to undergo conversion to an auxiliary vessel . Reclassified AG - 80 , 25 September 1944 , she sailed from Charleston 9 October and arrived at Key West 2 days later to act as target ship for Fleet Air Wing 5 . She rescued two downed aviators 24 November and 2 days later , transferred her doctor to a Norwegian merchantman to render emergency treatment . She continued to serve off Florida aiding aviation training until 1 April 1946 when she arrived at Boston . " Du Pont " was decommissioned 2 May 1946 and sold 12 March 1947 . Awards . In addition to the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to TG 21 . 13 , " Du Pont " received three battle star s for World War II service .