USS Heywood L . Edwards ( DD - 663 ) USS " Heywood L . Edwards " ( DD - 663 ) was a of the United States Navy , named for Lieutenant Commander Heywood L . Edwards ( 1905 – 1941 ) , captain of , the first U . S . Navy ship sunk in World War II . " Heywood L . Edwards " was launched by Boston Navy Yard 6 October 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . Louise S . Edwards , mother of Lt . Comdr . Edwards ; and commissioned 26 January 1944 , Comdr . J . W . Boulware in command . World War II . Marianas and Palaus . " Heywood L . Edwards " conducted her shakedown beginning 25 February off Bermuda and after gunnery exercises off the Maine coast departed to join the Pacific Fleet . Sailing from Boston , Mass . 16 April , she transited the Panama Canal , stopped at San Diego , Calif . , and arrived Pearl Harbor 8 May . There " Edwards " , took part in training maneuvers with Task Force 52 ( TF 52 ) under Vice Admiral Richmond K . Turner , helping to weld the coordinated amphibious force which was to sweep across the Pacific . The ships got underway from Pearl Harbor 29 May for the Marianas with " Heywood L . Edwards " acting as screening unit for the transport group , and during the initial landings on Saipan 15 June the destroyer took up patrol station to seaward of the invasion beaches . From 21 – 30 June she closed the beaches to deliver vital fire support for the advancing Marines , and continued that highly effective duty until 2 July . " Edwards " then joined cruiser for the bombardment of Tinian , another island objective of the Marianas campaign . The destroyer returned to her gunfire support role off Saipan 6 July , and the next night , 7 July , she was called upon to rescue a group of soldiers cut off from the American lines and stranded on the beach . " Heywood L . Edwards " put over her whaleboat and made four shuttle trips over the treacherous reefs to rescue the 44 men , transferring them to a nearby LCI . Between 19 and 21 July she fired more bombardment missions off Tinian in support of the impending landing there , returned to Saipan fire support duties for a few more days , and got underway from the Marianas 30 July for Eniwetok . With the Marianas secured , the next objective in the push across the Pacific was the capture of advance bases for the invasion of the Philippines . " Heywood L . Edwards " took part in the Peleliu operation , departing 18 August for training exercises with amphibious forces on Florida Island and sailing for the western Carolines 6 September . Arriving 11 September , the destroyer maintained an antisubmarine patrol around the heavier bombardment units until 13 September , when she was detached to provide close support for underwater demolition team s ( UDTs ) working on beach obstructions . On 15 September , the day of the assault on this strategic island , " Edwards " provided fire support to forces ashore , illumination fire at night , and succeeded in knocking out an ammunition dump next day as the struggle continued . She encountered a group of barges loaded with reinforcements shortly after midnight 23 September , and after illuminating them with star shell opened with her main battery . By dawn she had sunk 14 of the barges , aided by landing craft , and had helped prevent the landing of some 650 Japanese troops . Philippines . The landing a success , " Heywood L . Edwards " proceeded to Manus Island , Admiralty Islands , where she arrived 1 October . There she joined with Rear Admiral Jesse B . Oldendorf ' s fire support and bombardment group for the historic return to the Philippines , departing for Leyte 12 October 1944 . She conducted pre - invasion bombardment 18 – 20 October and provided gunfire support for the landings 20 October . This work continued for 4 days under frequent enemy air attack . Then " Edwards " joined once more with Rear Admiral Oldendorf ' s force for the impending Battle of Surigao Strait , as the Japanese made a desperate attempt to destroy the landing force . As Oldendorf ' s masterfully deployed forces waited at the end of Surigao Strait , " Heywood L . Edwards " headed section 3 of Destroyer Squadron 56 ( DesRon 56 ) , screening the left flank of the cruiser line . Torpedo boat s and destroyers made the initial attacks , farther down the strait , and just after 03 : 00 25 October " Edwards " and her unit were ordered to attack . In company with and the destroyer steamed down the port side of the enemy column and ran through a hail of gunfire to launch torpedoes . Two hits were obtained on Japanese battleship with on the American side damaged but afloat . After this intrepid attack , the Japanese steamed into Oldendorf ' s trap . As the destroyers retired , his heavy units pounded the enemy line , allowing only cruiser " Mogami " ( later sunk by aircraft ) and destroyer to escape . As morning broke over Surigao Strait , " Heywood L . Edwards " took station on the port bow of the cruisers in search of enemy cripples , patrolled the eastern entrance to the strait for a day , then returned to take up station in Leyte Gulf . With the American victory complete at sea , " Heywood L . Edwards " remained in the invasion area until 25 November , patrolling and protecting the shipping building up in the gulf . She arrived Manus for a much - needed rest and repair period 29 November . Soon underway again , however , she sailed 15 December , and after training exercises in the Palau Islands departed 1 January with Oldendorf ' s group for the second important phase of the Philippine invasion , at Lingayen Gulf . Fighting off kamikaze suicide planes as they steamed , the ships arrived Lingayen Gulf 6 January , and " Edwards " downed two of these aircraft during a strong attack that day . She then took up her fire support duties for UDT teams , and with the landings 9 January covered troops on the beachhead and fired at strong points ashore . She continued these assignments in addition to protecting arriving and departing convoys until 22 January , when she departed for Ulithi . Iwo Jima and Okinawa . Next on the relentless timetable of Pacific victory was Iwo Jima , seen as a key base for B - 29 operations against the mainland of Japan . " Heywood L . Edwards " participated in landing rehearsals 12 – 14 February 1945 and screened heavy units during the pre - invasion bombardment . As the Marines stormed ashore on Iwo Jima 19 February she began firing support missions , aiding the hard fighting ashore until 27 February , when she sailed for Saipan . The destroyer then sailed on to Ulithi and formed with the supporting forces for the coming invasion of Okinawa . The task force for this landing departed Ulithi 21 March , and after her arrival 4 days later " Heywood L . Edwards " covered the UDT teams ' reconnaissance of Kerama Retto . As those islands were captured 27 March in preparation for the larger landings , the destroyer found herself in the midst of heavy suicide attacks and shot down many of the kamikazes . She covered the UDT landings on Okinawa 30 March , bombarded an airfield ashore that afternoon , and 1 April joined in the bombardment of the assault areas . During the next weeks of bitter fighting ashore , naval forces effectively sealed off the island from any possible reinforcement and effectively supported the troops with gunfire . " Edwards " and the other vessels had to fight off continuing suicide attacks and other menaces . When destroyer ran aground on a reef 18 May , " Heywood L . Edwards " knocked out shore batteries which had opened on the stricken ship . She then continued performing fire support and radar picket duties off Okinawa until 28 July , when she sailed for Leyte Gulf . She had helped to carry out one of the most prolonged and successful fire support operations in the history of amphibious warfare . The destroyer departed Leyte 2 August , and after a time at Saipan and Eniwetok she got underway again 29 August . Sailing toward Japan , " Heywood L . Edwards " covered the initial occupation of the Ominato area 6 September 1945 and departed that port 22 October for the United States , via Pearl Harbor . She arrived Seattle 10 November , decommissioned 1 July 1946 , and entered the Long Beach Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet . JDS " Ariake " ( DD - 183 ) . " Heywood L . Edwards " was brought out of reserve in 1959 , and along with her sister ship " Richard P . Leary " was loaned to Japan ( ironically , given the ship ' s extensive Pacific theatre history ) under the Military Assistance Program . She served in the Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force as JDS " Ariake " ( DD - 183 ) until 1974 . " Ariake " was broken up for scrap in 1976 . Awards . " Heywood L . Edwards " received seven battle star s for her service in World War II and a Navy Unit Commendation for her outstanding part in the great amphibious operations of 1944 – 45 .