USS Hughes ( DD - 410 ) USS " Hughes " ( DD - 410 ) was a World War II - era in the service of the United States Navy , named after Commander Edward Merritt Hughes . " Hughes " was laid down on 15 September 1937 by Bath Iron Works , Bath , Maine ; launched on 17 June 1939 ; sponsored by Mrs . Edward M . Hughes , widow of Commander Hughes ; and commissioned at Boston Navy Yard , on 21 September 1939 , Lieutenant Commander Donald J . Ramsey in command . Service history . Inter - War Period . Following shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico , " Hughes " joined the Atlantic Fleet . From July 1940 to December 1941 , " Hughes " served in the Atlantic , first on patrol off Martinique to watch Vichy French Forces there and then on Neutrality patrol off Iceland . During this time , she became the first American destroyer to escort a British convoy all the way to England . World War II . Following the attack on Pearl Harbor , warships were urgently needed in the Pacific and Hughes sailed from Norfolk , Virginia on 18 December 1941 , arriving San Diego , California in company with , on 30 December . She departed San Diego on 12 January 1942 as an escort for ships bringing reinforcements to Samoa . " Hughes " then sailed from Samoa as part of a carrier striking force built around carrier " Yorktown " . She screened the carrier in strikes on Jaluit , Makin , Mili , and Canton Islands , then supported the combined – " Yorktown " Task Force 17 ( TF17 ) , as it attacked Japan ese bases at Lae and Salamaua on 10 March 1942 . Missing the Battle of the Coral Sea while escorting a tanker carrying fuel to Nouméa , " Hughes " reached Pearl Harbor in time to participate in the Battle of Midway . " Hughes " , while protecting " Yorktown " during this action , shot down two torpedo planes and assisted in shooting down two others . After " Yorktown " was hit on 4 June , " Hughes " continued an all - night vigil to prevent her capture . When the carrier was torpedoed by a submarine on 6 June , " Hughes " helped damage the attacker with depth charges , and rescued the survivors when " Yorktown " sank the next day . After a brief time as convoy escort , she joined American Forces at Guadalcanal , where she screened throughout the campaign . During the Battle of Santa Cruz . " Hughes " splashed one Japanese plane and assisted in downing two more . Despite her valiant efforts , " Hornet " was hit and sunk on 27 October 1942 . Joining TF 16 on 10 November 1942 , " Hughes " participated in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal by screening . " Hughes " continued screening operations until the end of February 1943 . Following a refit and brief convoy duty , " Hughes " was detached from the South Pacific and sailed to Pearl Harbor , departing on 18 April for the Aleutian Islands and arrived on the 24 . Bombardments of Kiska from 6 – 22 July were high points of her months in northern waters . After Kiska was occupied , " Hughes " departed the Aleutians for overhaul on 25 August in San Francisco , California . Following overhaul , Hughes sailed for Pearl Harbor on 26 October to prepare for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands . She sailed on 10 November as part of the screen for the escort carriers covering the invasion of Makin Atoll . When was sunk on 24 November , " Hughes " rescued 152 of the survivors . She began screening the transport group on 27 November , and 2 days later departed for Pearl Harbor , and arrived there on 7 December 1943 . On 13 January 1944 , " Hughes " joined TF 53 for the invasion of the Marshall Islands . She joined in the preinvasion from 3 – 11 February 1944 . The destroyer continued to support the escort carriers during the strikes against Palaus on 31 March . " Hughes " took part in the invasion of Hollandia , New Guinea on 23 April , acting as a screen for the escort carrier group which provided air cover for the landings at Aitape and Tanahmerah Bay . " Hughes " remained off New Guinea as a convoy escort and fire - support ship of the 7th Fleet until 25 September , when she departed for the invasion of the Philippines . During this time , " Hughes " participated in the invasions of Biak , Noemfoor , Cape Sensapor , and Morotai , serving as flagship of Rear Admiral William M . Fechteler during the latter campaign . During the invasion of Leyte , " Hughes " was the flagship of Rear Admiral Arthur Dewey Struble commanding the tiny task group detailed to capture the small islands of Dinigat and Homohon guarding the entrance to Leyte Gulf . Following the successful conclusion of this operation , " Hughes " screened Philippine bound convoys , making frequent trips to and from New Guinea until 6 December 1944 , when she reembarked Admiral Struble and departed for the invasion of Ormoc Bay , Leyte . Following this operation , " Hughes " was serving as a picket destroyer off the southern tip of Leyte when she was hit by a " kamikaze " on 10 December 1944 . Badly damaged with one engine room demolished and much of her other machinery destroyed , " Hughes " was towed to San Pedro Bay , Leyte , where , after temporary repairs , she departed for Humboldt Bay , New Guinea on 19 December en route to Pearl Harbor , where she arrived on 23 January 1945 . Following more repairs , she sailed for San Francisco , arriving San Francisco Naval Shipyard on 2 February . " Hughes " remained there for the next 3 months undergoing extensive overhaul . After a long testing period , " Hughes " was declared combat ready and departed for Adak Island in the Aleutians on 4 June 1945 . Assigned to the Northern Pacific Force , she remained in the Aleutians until the end of the war , harassing enemy shipping and bombarding Japanese bases . " Hughes " then served as part of the patrol force off Northern Honshū until relieved on 20 October . She sailed for the United States 10 days later with Destroyer Squadron 2 . She was decommissioned on 28 August 1946 , and was used as a target ship in the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb test . Following the test she was towed to sea and sunk off Kwajalein on 16 October 1948 , and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 26 November 1948 . Awards . " Hughes " earned 14 battle star s for World War II service .