USS Mahan ( DD - 364 ) The second USS " Mahan " ( DD - 364 ) was the lead ship of the Mahan - class destroyer s of the United States Navy . She was named for Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan , a leading 19th century naval historian and strategic theorist . " Mahan " began her Navy service in 1936 . She was first assigned to the Atlantic Fleet and then transferred to Pearl Harbor in 1937 ; spending the rest of her naval service in the Pacific . " Mahan " was at sea with Task Force 12 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 . Their mission to Midway Island was aborted to participate in the initial post - attack efforts in search of the enemy strike force . Unable to locate them , the task force returned to Pearl Harbor . Early in World War II , " Mahan " played a role in carrying out raids on the Marshall Islands and Gilbert Islands . In the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands , Admirals Chester Nimitz and William Halsey commended the destroyer group ( of which " Mahan " was a member ) for a stellar effort in screening the carriers and against heavy odds . In the campaign to retake New Guinea ’ s northeast coast from the Japanese , " Mahan " took part in the amphibious landings at Salamaua , Lae , and Finschhafen . She participated in the landings at Arawe and Borgen Bay ( near Cape Gloucester ) , New Britain , and provided support for the landing of troops at Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Islands . In the latter stages of the war in the Pacific , the Japanese kamikaze was relentless in plaguing the operations of the US Navy . On 7 December 1944 , a Kamikaze squadron overwhelmed " Mahan " at Ormoc Bay , Leyte , in the Philippine Islands . " Mahan " was disabled by the Kamikaze attack , abandoned and sunk by a US desroyer . Characteristics . " Mahan " displaced at standard load and at deep load . The ship ’ s overall length was , the beam was , and her draft was . She was powered by General Electric geared steam turbines , driving two shafts that developed the total of for a maximum speed of . Her four Babcock and Wilcox water - tube boilers generated the super - heated steam needed for the turbines . " Mahan " carried a maximum of of fuel oil , giving her a range of at . Her peacetime complement was 158 officers and enlisted men . The wartime complement increased to approximately 250 officers and enlisted men . " Mahan " and class had the tripod foremast and the pole mainmast . To improve the anti - aircraft field of fire , the tripod foremast was constructed without nautical rigging . Their silhouette was similar to the larger , whose construction immediately preceded them . The " Mahan " s were fitted with the first emergency diesel generators , which replaced storage batteries of earlier classes . Gun crew shelters were built for the superimposed weapons fore and aft . A third quadruple set of torpedo tubes were added , so that one mount was on the centerline and two in the side positions . This required relocating one 5 " / 38 caliber gun to the after deckhouse . The class incorporated a new generation of land - based propulsion machinery , which was simpler and more efficient to operate . Armament . The main battery of " Mahan " consisted of five 5 " / 38 caliber guns , equipped with the MK 33 gun fire control system . The 5 " / 38 caliber guns were dual purpose gun s : configured for both surface and aircraft targets . Her anti - aircraft battery had four water - cooled . 50 caliber machine gun s . " Mahan " was fitted with three , quadruple torpedo tube mounts for twelve - 21 inch torpedoes , guided by the MK 27 torpedo fire - control system . The ship ' s stern was rigged with depth charge roll - off racks . In the spring of 1942 , the " Mahan " - class destroyers began a wartime armament refitting process , yet most of the class was not fully refitted until sometime in 1944 . " Mahan " , herself , was refitted in June 1944 at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard , but the extent of her refit is unknown . The notable refits to the " Mahan " class included the removal of one 5 " / 38 gun ; typically replaced with two twin Bofors 40 mm guns and five 20 mm Oerlikon guns . Ironically , early 1942 found two of the class with six Oerlikon guns , while some had four . Construction and service . " Mahan " was built by the United Dry Docks , Inc . , successor to Morse Dry Dock and Repair Company , Staten Island , New York . Her keel was laid down on 12 June 1934 ; launched on 15 October 1935 , and sponsored by Miss Kathleen H . Mahan , the admiral ' s great - granddaughter . The ship was commissioned on 18 September 1936 , with Commander J . B . Waller in command . " Mahan " shoved - off for the Caribbean and South American ports within two months after she was commissioned , combining her initial training and shakedown cruise with a goodwill tour . She remained in the Atlantic area until July 1937 ; then headed to the southern California coast for fleet training , before steaming to her new station at Pearl Harbor . When the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 , " Mahan " was at sea with the carrier , three cruisers , and four destroyers as part of Task Force 12 . " Lexington " s mission was to ferry Marine aircraft to reinforce Midway Island . After news of the attack on Pearl Harbor , the Task Force Commander received orders to terminate the ferry mission and directed to search for the Japanese ships . Unable to locate them , the task Force returned to Pearl Harbor on 12 December 1941 . " Mahan " put to sea in late December with 103 Marines to reinforce the Marine detachment at Johnston Island ( about 750 nautical miles ( 860 miles or 1 , 390 km ) west of Hawaii ) , and evacuated 47 civilians to Hawaii the following month . A convoy assignment took " Mahan " to Samoa , where she joined Task Force 17 . It included the carrier , two cruisers , and five destroyers . The Task Force carried out raids on Jaluit Atoll , Mili Atoll and Makin atoll ( Butaritari ) in the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands . By late February 1942 " Mahan " had moved on to Canton Island ; temporarily assigned to offshore patrol duty . By early April , " Mahan " was at sea with a convoy bound for San Pedro , California . From there , she steamed north to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for overhaul , docking on 18 April 1942 . " Mahan " was back operating in the waters off Pearl Harbor in August 1942 . By Mid - October she had steamed out of Pearl Harbor as part of Task Force 16 , with the carrier , the battleship , two cruisers , and seven destroyers . On 24 October they joined up with Task force 17 , composed of the carrier , four cruisers , and six destroyers . The two carrier groups formed Task Force 61 , under the command of Rear Admiral Thomas C . Kinkaid and ordered to the Santa Cruz Islands ; there able to strike the Japanese if they moved on Guadalcanal . The Task Force dropped anchor safely off the Santa Cruz Islands . On the morning of 26 October , " Enterprise " s search planes spotted the much larger Japanese carrier force and the epic Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands was set in motion . When the conflict subsided , the Navy had lost 74 aircraft , the carrier " Hornet " , and one destroyer , while " Enterprise " , " South Dakota " , one cruiser , and one destroyer had been damaged . The Japanese lost about a 100 aircraft , but their ship casualties were much less . Admirals Nimitz and Halsey expressed satisfaction with the battle Kinkaid ’ s force had put up against heavy odds . The destroyers in the " Hornet " and " Enterprise " screens were commended for a stellar effort . But while en route to Noumea , New Caledonia , a Japanese submarine contact caused the battleship " South Dakota " and the destroyer " Mahan " to change course and they collided . Both ships were seriously damaged . Temporary repairs were made to " Mahan " at Noumea and she headed back to Pearl Harbor for a new bow . With her new bow , " Mahan " left Pearl Harbor on 9 January 1943 for the South Pacific . In the subsequent months , she escorted Convoys between New Hebrides and the Fiji Islands ; performed patrol assignments off New Caledonia , and engaged in operations in Australian waters . By August , her base of operations had become Milne Bay , New Guinea . It was one of two staging areas ( Buna , Papua New Guinea , the other ) for retaking the Japanese held northeast coast of New Guinea . The task began in August 1943 , with plans laid to strike Lae , New Guinea . Two weeks before it took place , " Mahan " and three other US destroyers cleared - out the Lae approaches and the waters between Salamaua and Finschhafen ; then bombarded the Japanese installations at Finschhafen . Early September the Lae Task Force , under Admiral Daniel E . Barbey , left Milne Bay for Lae with 8 , 000 Australian troops . By the evening of 4 September , the landing of the troops was completed . By 11 September , Salamaua was in control of the allies , and Lae was taken by 16 September . " Mahan " along with other US destroyers had provided the cover for the amphibious landings . Vanquished at Lae , the Japanese pulled back to Finschhafen — the place chosen for the next attack on New Guinea by the American - Australian offensive . Scheduled for 22 September , the assault force , under Admiral Barbey , left Buna , New Guinea , 21 September escorted by US destroyers ; stopping at Lae to pick up an Australian infantry brigade . Additional US destroyers were attached to the force , but had preceded the convoy to the rendezvous point . On 22 September , before daylight , the amphibious force stormed the beach at Finschhafen and by noon all the troops were ashore . As the destroyers were withdrawing from the area , ten enemy torpedo planes winged across the water and targeted " Mahan " and five other US destroyers . Returning fire , the destroyers shot down eight of the ten planes and two fled the area . By 2 October , Finschhafen , New Guinea , was in the hands of the allies . On 14 December 1943 the amphibious force , led by Admiral Barbey , mustered at Buna , New Guinea , in preparation for the landing at Arawe , New Britain . With it was the bombardment group composed of " Mahan " and four other US destroyers . Setting sail on the 14th , the force dropped anchor off Arawe early the following morning . " Mahan " and her sister ships bombarded the Japanese shore defenses at the main landing point . The shelling from the 5 " / 38 guns and the bazooka - fired rockets sent the enemy into retreat . At mid - morning , the beachhead had been secured . Christmas Day of 1943 found " Mahan " steaming with the amphibious force , under Admiral Barbey , en route to Borgen Bay , near Cape Gloucester , New Britain . The entry to Borgen Bay held barriers of risk in its uncharted waters . Destroyers " Mahan " and were picked to sound out the channel and mark the way . They moved cautiously through the channel , while two minesweepers laid buoys in their wake . The amphibious force shadowed the buoys , and weaved their way through the cumbersome passage . On the morning of the 26th , the Marines landed on the beach without opposition . Later that afternoon , the Japanese struck forcibly but the Marines could not be dislodged . In late February " Mahan " was in action with the Seventh Fleet , supporting the landing of troops at Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Islands . The ships in support of the landing came under heavy fire , yet the troops made it ashore despite the conditions . Three weeks later , the Japanese forces at Los Negros were defeated . In the spring of 1944 , after extended wartime duty in the Pacific , the veteran destroyer was ordered to California for overhaul : mooring again at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard . " Mahan " left the yard in early July for Pearl Harbor , and took part in exercises there until 15 August . She returned to New Guinea on 20 October , via Eniwetok , Jaluit , Guam , Saipan , and Ulithi , and began escorting convoys between Hollandia ( Jayapura ) and Leyte . By the end of November 1944 , " Mahan " was doing anti - submarine patrol assignments off Leyte in the Philippine , Islands . Fate . The fate of " Mahan " was set in motion in November 1944 , when bad weather and hostile terrain bogged down the ground campaign to seize Leyte from the Japanese . The chief impediment to retaking all of Leyte was the Japanese ability to reinforce and resupply its headquarters at Ormoc City , on the west side of Leyte , and the Americans ' inability to counter this advantage . Thus , the unavoidable decision was made to attack Ormoc by amphibious means . On the morning of 7 December 1944 , three years to the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , troops of the 77th Infantry Division landed south of Ormoc City . At the same time , " Mahan " was patrolling the channel between Leyte and Ponson Island . The amphibious strike by the infantry met with little opposition , but nine Japanese bombers and four escort fighters converged on " Mahan " . In Kamikaze ( 1997 ) , Raymond Lamont - Brown wrote : “ Observers were to record of this , one of the most unusual and devastating of kamikaze assaults of 1944 , that the Japanese aircraft used torpedo - launching tactics , but when they had been hit . . . they switched to kamikaze attacks , diving on " Mahan " . . . ” During the assault , US Army fighters downed three Japanese aircraft and damaged two more ; " Mahan " blew four out of the sky but took three direct kamikaze hits . In At War With The Wind ( 2008 ) , David Sears observed : . . . " the most calamitous a direct hit to the superstructure near the No . 2 gun . " Awash in flames and explosions , Commander E . G . Campbell , the skipper , turned " Mahan " toward the picket line as the last hope of salvaging his ship . With that gone , he gave the order to abandon ship . Destroyers and rescued the survivors : one officer and five men were missing and thirteen seriously wounded or burned . " Mahan " had met her Waterloo at the Battle of Ormoc Bay and was sent to the bottom by a US Destroyer . Epilogue . Commander E . G . Campbell , the skipper of " Mahan " , had this to say about the performance of his officers and men : " The strain of standing there and battling back as one after another of the bombers came roaring in was terrific . Even so , not a single man jumped overboard to escape what at times looked like inevitable death . . . The fact that four of the nine planes were shot down , that no one abandoned ship until the word was given , that the entire engineering force stayed at their stations throughout the action , in spite of no information . . . that the damage control parties continued to function . . . that gun captains shifted to local control when the main - battery director was disabled , and that the ship was abandoned in an orderly manner , all testify to the high state of discipline and courage displayed by the entire crew . " Honors . " Mahan " received five battle star s for her World War II service .