USS Leutze ( DD - 481 ) USS " Leutze " ( DD - 481 ) was a " Fletcher " - class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II . She was named for Admiral Eugene H . C . Leutze ( 1847 – 1931 ) . " Leutze " was laid down 3 June 1941 by Puget Sound Navy Yard , Bremerton , Washington ; launched 29 October 1942 ; sponsored by Miss Caroline Rowcliffe , granddaughter of Rear Adm . E . H . C . Leutze , daughter of Rear Adm . Gilbert Jonathan Rowcliff ; and commissioned 4 March 1944 , Commander B . A . Robbins , Jr . , in command . History . " Leutze " completed the necessary performance trials and continued the training of her crew on escort missions to Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok during June and July 1944 . On 2 August she departed Seattle for the war zone a sleek new destroyer and returned 1 year and 1 day later a battered veteran about to be scrapped . In this short interval she had played a part in five invasions and a major naval battle before a kamikaze ended her fighting days . After departing Seattle , Washington , the destroyer rehearsed in the Hawaiian and Solomon Islands for the invasion of the Palaus . Arriving off Peleliu 12 September ( D - Day - 3 ) , " Leutze " bombarded enemy positions ashore and suffered her first casualty when shrapnel from an enemy shell sprayed the ship . Withdrawn on the 24th , she joined Task Group 77 . 2 ( TG 77 . 2 ) at Manus Island , Admiralties , for the invasion of the strategically important Philippines . Action off Leyte began 18 October with little serious opposition to the preinvasion bombardment but rose to a crescendo climax with the Battle of Leyte Gulf 24 and 25 October . " Leutze " , first firing on an enemy plane two days earlier , suffered 11 casualties on the morning of the 24th when hit during an enemy bombing and strafing run . That night in Surigao Straits with Rear Adm . Jesse B . Oldendorf ’ s 7th Fleet support ships , she attacked with torpedo es the ships of Japan ’ s Southern Force under Adm . Shoji Nishimura . During this phase of the last major battle between surface ships , Nishimura lost two battleship s and three destroyers in a vain attempt to force his way through the Straits and attack the American invasion fleet . Thereafter with its surface fleet decimated , Japan again resorted to airstrikes . Although " Leutze " emerged unscratched , on a single day 1 November , four sister ships of her screen were crashed by suicide planes . After a period of tender overhaul , she steamed out of Kossol Roads 1 January 1945 for the invasion of Lingayen Gulf , Luzon , Philippines . En route the ship received ice cream for all hands for returning a sailor fallen overboard from " Makin Island " ( CVE - 93 ) . She arrived in Lingayen Gulf 6 January for fire support . While supporting this operation , " Leutze " 7 January sank a Japanese patrol vessel and 9 January a small suicide boat loaded with explosives . Careful preparations were made for the next assault . Iwo Jima , desired as an airfield site , was selected as the target . Practicing with underwater demolition team s at Ulithi and conducting exercises until beyond Saipan , " Leutze " arrived Iwo Jima 16 February . Despite intensive previous bombing and shelling , enemy fire was heavy . While protecting Navy frogmen on the 17th , she took , a shell on the after part of the forward stack . Remaining until the completion of her mission , she then transferred her seriously wounded commanding officer and three other injured and resumed station . Ordered back to Ulithi the next day for repairs , she returned to Iwo Jima early in March but only for 4 days , as much of this fleet was now needed for Operation Iceberg , the conquest of Okinawa . This last big amphibious operation of the war , unlike Iwo Jima , took place within range of Japanese land - based planes . While escorting battleship " New York " ( BB - 34 ) for the preinvasion shelling of 27 March , " Leutze " made two depth charge runs which apparently sank a midget submarine . On a second voyage with " Mobile " ( CL - 63 ) and " Oakland " ( CL - 95 ) , she arrived Okinawa 3 April . This was 2 days after D - Day but in time for the first of the Japanese operations “ Ten Go ” , the massed kamikaze attacks . Fate . Of the first wave of attacking aircraft to filter through the outer screen on 6 April , she splashed two and later knocked down a third . Disregarding the danger , she proceeded alongside to assist the thrice - hit and burning " Newcomb " ( DD - 586 ) . The fourth plane to hit this ship skidded across the deck and exploded its bomb against " Leutze " ’ s port quarter . The kamikaze almost severed her fantail and left seven crew members missing , one dead , and 30 wounded . Lt . Leon Grabowsky , " Leutze " ’ s acting commanding officer , received the Navy Cross for his part in aiding " Newcomb " , and in the fighting of his own ship . Recalling her firefighting parties from " Newcomb " , she maneuvered clear , brought her flooding under control and was towed to Kerama Retto anchorage for emergency repairs . Departing 10 July via Guam and Pearl Harbor , she reached Hunters Point Drydocks , San Francisco , 3 August . Following the end of the war , her repairs were halted . " Leutze " decommissioned 6 December 1945 , was struck from the Navy Register 3 January 1946 , and ultimately purchased for scrap by Thomas Harris , Barber , New Jersey , 17 June 1947 . Honors . " Leutze " received five battle star s for World War II service . Crew . Samuel N . Finney - Radarman 3rd class Calvin B Johnson - Seaman 1st Class