USS Emmons ( DD - 457 ) USS " Emmons " ( DD - 457 / DMS - 22 ) was a " Gleaves " - class destroyer of the United States Navy , named for Rear Admiral George F . Emmons ( 1811 – 1884 ) . " Emmons " was launched 23 August 1941 by Bath Iron Works Corp . , Bath , Me . , sponsored by Mrs . F . E . Reacock , granddaughter of Rear Admiral " Emmons " ; and commissioned 5 December 1941 , Lieutenant Commander T . C . Ragan in command . She was reclassified DMS - 22 on 15 November 1944 . 1942 - 1943 , Atlantic Service . " Emmons " sailed from Norfolk 31 January 1942 on her shakedown to Callao , Peru , where she embarked Peruvian officers for Valparaiso , Chile , returning to Boston via several ports in Ecuador . She patrolled in New England waters , and in April escorted " Ranger " ( CV - 4 ) across the Atlantic to the Gold Coast , where the carrier launched Army fighter plane s , brought for the base at Accra and other African air bases . The summer of 1942 found " Emmons " patrolling out of NS Argentia , Newfoundland , and escorting troopships from Boston to Halifax . At Halifax on 5 July she joined an Army transport and a merchantman , whom she shepherded to a midocean rendezvous with a British escort unit to take them safely into Iceland . " Emmons " sailed on to join the British Home Fleet in Scapa Flow on 16 July . She underwent training necessary to coordinate American and British procedures and tactics . Between 26 and 31 July , she escorted the battleship HMS " Duke of York " to Iceland and back to Scapa Flow , then had convoy escort duty on the Scottish coast . On 17 August she cleared Scapa Flow for Iceland where she made rendezvous with a convoy bound through the treacherous northern shipping lanes to Kola Inlet in the Soviet Union , from which she returned to Greenock , 30 August . " Emmons " returned to New York 9 September 1942 and trained in Casco and Chesapeake Bays , and at Bermuda , for the invasion of north Africa , for which she sailed from Bermuda 26 October . She screened carriers covering landings at Safi between 8 and 13 November , returning by way of Bermuda and Norfolk to Boston . After brief overhaul and coastwise escort duty , she went to Cristobal to await a convoy to New York . Meanwhile she passed through the Panama Canal 9 January 1943 to train briefly with officers of the Ecuadoran Navy . She guarded the passage of a convoy to north Africa in February returning to New York 11 March for training . On 2 April " Emmons " put to sea via Argentia for Scapa Flow , where she joined the British Home Fleet again 19 May . During the next 2½ months , " Emmons " joined in patrolling northern waters , guarding the movement of convoys across the North Atlantic , unceasingly alerted against the possible sortie of German ships from Norwegian bases . She also guarded British carriers in air attacks on Norway in July . Returning to Norfolk 9 August 1943 , she voyaged to Gibraltar between 3 November and 19 December in the advance scouting line guarding " Iowa " ( BB - 61 ) , carrying President Franklin D . Roosevelt to the Teheran Conference . 1943 - 1944 , Atlantic and Mediterranean . Between December 1943 and April 1944 , " Emmons " guarded carriers during their operations at Newport and in Casco Bay , aiding in the training of aviators . On 20 April she sailed from Maine waters for the Azores , and Mers - el - Kebir , Algeria , arriving 1 May for antisubmarine patrols . On 17 May , her group teamed with British aircraft to sink the German submarine " U - 616 " , and the next day , " Emmons " sailed for England , and final preparations for the invasion of France , 6 June . After guarding preassault mine sweeping , she joined in the heavy bombardment prior to the landing . She remained off the beachhead for three days as watchdog for the vast armada of ships lining up with men and supplies , then retired across the English Channel to Plymouth , England , screening " Texas " ( BB - 35 ) . Returning to the assault area 11 June , " Emmons " served in the screen guarding transports and supply ships from submarine attack . After replenishing at Portland , England , from 21 to 24 June , she kept watch around battleships and cruiser s on 25 June in the Task Force 129 Bombardment of Cherbourg supporting the U . S . First Army VII Corps victory at the Battle of Cherbourg . " Emmons " returned to Mers - el - Kebir 10 July 1944 with a transport convoy she had brought across from Portland , then had escort duty in the Mediterranean ports preparing for the assault on southern France . She sailed from Taranto , Italy , for the beachheads , 11 August , and on the 15th began preinvasion bombardment . She remained off the beaches all day to provide fire support to troops storming ashore . Escort duty took her away to Italian and Corsican ports , but she returned to patrol off the French Riviera until October . 1944 - 1945 , Transfer to Pacific and loss . " Emmons " put into Boston 9 November 1944 for conversion to a high - speed minesweeper , and after Atlantic training and exercises in the Hawaiian Islands , entered Ulithi to stage for the invasion of Okinawa . Her squadron put to sea 19 March 1945 for the dangerous , vital task of clearing Okinawa ' s waters to let assault ships close the beaches for the landings on 1 April . She then took up picket duty , and on 6 April , during one of the first of the massive kamikaze attacks , was a target as she sailed with " Rodman " ( DMS - 21 ) . One of the first planes to attack struck " Rodman " , and as " Emmons " circled the stricken ship to provide antiaircraft cover , both DMS s were overwhelmed by suicide - bent Japanese planes . Many were shot down , but " Emmons " was struck by five , almost simultaneously . One hit her fantail , the rest to starboard of her pilot house , of No . 3 gun mount on her waterline , aft , and the port side of her combat information center . Crippled and ablaze , with ammunition exploding wholesale , " Emmons " found damage control a desperate , losing struggle . That day her crew , who had already won the Navy Unit Commendation for Okinawa , lost 60 dead , 77 wounded . The rest had to abandon ship . Next day , the 7th , the hulk was sunk to prevent its falling into enemy hands . In addition to her Navy Unit Commendation , " Emmons " received four battle star s for World War II service . Vandalism of shipwreck . The Emmons made national headlines in September , 2010 when it was revealed the shipwreck had been vandalized by divers . The ship ' s plaque , or data plate , has been removed without permission of the U . S . Navy , which still maintains custody of the wreck . To many veterans this act is akin to robbing a grave . As one said , " that ship is a resting place ( for sixty men ) . Those men deserve our respect " . The " Emmons " lies in 147 feet of water off Okinawa ' s Kouri Island . It has become a popular dive site since its rediscovery in February , 2001 . On 7 April 2011 , the plaque was recovered by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and is the hands of proper authorities . The US Navy will determine how the plaque will be displayed .