USS Meredith ( DD - 434 ) USS " Meredith " ( DD - 434 ) , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Jonathan Meredith , a United States Marine Corps Sergeant who served during the First Barbary War . " Meredith " was laid down 1 June 1939 by Boston Naval Shipyard ; launched 24 April 1940 ; sponsored by Miss Ethel Dixon Meredith , and commissioned 1 March 1941 , Lieutenant Commander William F . Mendenhall , Jr . , in command . Service history . Atlantic . Following shakedown in Cuban waters , " Meredith " returned to Boston on 8 June 1941 and was assigned to Destroyer Division 22 . Departing Boston on 6 July , she engaged in patrol duty , exercises , and flight operations along the southern coast until 20 September . From 28 September to 31 January 1942 , " Meredith " was based at Hvalfjörður , Iceland , where she patrolled between Iceland and the Denmark Straits . On 17 October 1941 , she rescued survivors of torpedo ed British steamer " Empire Wave " . Following the attack on Pearl Harbor , " Meredith " engaged in escort and antisubmarine patrol between Iceland and the Denmark Straits , until she departed Halfjordur late in January , escorting a convoy to Boston . She sailed from Boston for Norfolk , Virginia on 18 February 1942 , screening , and there joined in Task Force 18 ( TF 18 ) . Pacific . The force left Norfolk 4 March on a mission as secret as it was important , passed through the Panama Canal , and reached San Diego on 21 March . Departing San Francisco on 2 April , the force rendezvoused with TF 16 , 13 April and sailed for the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo . On 18 April , the United States Army bomber s were launched for this first carrier - based attack on Japan , and " Meredith " made course for Hawaii , arriving 25 April . Between 13 May and 21 June " Meredith " escorted fleet oiler s bound for New Caledonia , patrolled off Bulari Passage and escorted , returning to Pearl Harbor . Following gunnery and tactical practice , " Meredith " departed Pearl Harbor on 15 August 1942 for Samoa , arriving Pago Pago 30 August . " Meredith " next escorted Transport Force 2 to the Solomon Islands with reinforcements landed on Guadalcanal 20 September , then sailed for patrol duty in the New Hebrides . Departing Espiritu Santo on 12 October 1942 , " Meredith " , now commanded by Commander Harry E . Hubbard , was underway as part of a convoy with , , , , and , each pulling a barge carrying barrels of aviation gasoline and 500 pound bombs to the United States forces on Guadalcanal . Two days later it was learned that a Japanese carrier task force was in the vicinity and all ships except " Meredith " and " Vireo " turned back . Despite the fact that " Meredith " was equipped only with surface - search and not air - search radar , Commander Hubbard decided to press on to deliver the critically needed aviation gas . " Meredith " was sighted by a Japanese patrol plane on the morning of 15 October , and shortly after midday took aboard the 68 man crew of " Vireo " to depart the area at high speed . However , while preparing to torpedo " Vireo " to keep her out of Japanese hands , " Meredith " was attacked by a force of 38 bombers , torpedo planes , and escort fighters from . In the first three minutes of the attack , " Meredith " was struck by a bomb that exploded beneath her bridge , destroying all communications , steering control , and gun direction . A second bomb struck the forward port side , and a torpedo exploded below the ready ammunition reader locker , igniting the ship ' s pyrotechnics and setting fire to fuel oil leaking from her bunkers . " Meredith " fought fiercely , and brought down three of her attackers , but she was struck by an estimated 14 bombs and seven torpedoes . " Meredith " rolled over and sank in 10 minutes at Lat . 11 - 53 S . , Long . 163 - 20 E . Of the crew of 261 on board that day , only eight officers and 73 enlisted men survived the attack and the three ensuing days of exposure to the open sea and sharks until they were rescued by , and . Six members of the Meredith ' s crew managed to swim to the Vireo , and were rescued by naval PBY on the 19th of October . Awards . " Meredith " received one battle star for World War II service .