USS Farenholt ( DD - 491 ) USS " Farenholt " ( DD - 491 ) was a " Benson " - class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II . She was the second ship named for Admiral Oscar Farenholt . " Farenholt " was launched 19 November 1941 by Bethlehem Steel Company , Staten Island , New York ; sponsored by Miss N . L . Garland , great - grandniece of Admiral Farenholt ; and commissioned 2 April 1942 , Lieutenant Commander E . T . Seaward in command . Service history . " Farenholt " sailed from San Diego , California 1 July 1942 for Tongatapu , Tonga Islands , where between 18 and 23 July she joined in shore bombardment exercises . Sailing in the task force centered around , " Farenholt " took part in the invasion of Guadalcanal 7 August , the first American land offensive of the war . She screened " Wasp " as the aircraft carrier launched air strikes supporting the Marines in the initial days of this long and bitter struggle , and acted as flagship for Destroyer Squadron 12 . After replenishing at Noumea from 3 to 8 September , she returned to the " Wasp " group , covering the transportation of reinforcements from Espiritu Santo to Guadalcanal . When her force was attacked by two Japan ese submarine s 15 September , she rescued 143 survivors of torpedoed " Wasp " , including the task force commander and the commanding officer of the carrier . " Farenholt " returned to Espiritu Santo with the survivors next day , then sailed to Nouméa to screen occupation troops to Funafuti . Back at Espiritu Santo 6 October 1942 , she joined a force whose mission was to intercept and destroy Japanese shipping and to prevent the reinforcement of Guadalcanal by the nightly Tokyo Express runs into the island . On the night of 11 / 12 October , her force contacted the Japanese in the Battle of Cape Esperance , sinking a Japanese destroyer . Three American ships , one of which later sank , were damaged in the action . One of these was " Farenholt " who received three hits , and suffered three killed , 43 wounded . Although her torpedo tubes were inoperative , she continued to fire on the Japanese ships until the close of the action , scoring hits on a cruiser and a destroyer . Flooding through shell holes on her waterline , " Farenholt " was saved when oil , water , and topside weights were shifted to list the ship 9° to starboard , bringing the holes out of the water ; she made Espiritu Santo 13 October under her own power . " Farenholt " sailed to repair battle damage at Pearl Harbor , and returned to Espiritu Santo 3 March 1943 . After a month of patrol duty and training exercises in the New Hebrides , she sailed 3 April for escort operations in the Solomon Islands . Off Lunga Point on the night of 6 April , she engaged enemy bombers , and the next day , escorting six ships eastward through Sealark Channel , was under attack by 14 torpedo bombers , at least one of which she splashed . One of her men was wounded by a near miss . Once more she replenished at Espiritu Santo , and then joined in training operations , resuming escort missions to and from the Solomons 30 April . On 13 May she drove off a bomber attack which wounded one of her men , and on 30 June engaged shore batteries on the coast of New Georgia at Munda to protect transports landing troops on the island of Rendova across the channel . As the assault shipping retired from Rendova late that day , guarded by " Farenholt " and six other destroyers , a flight of Japanese torpedo planes attacked . " Farenholt " joined in the general barrage which splashed many of the attackers , maneuvered to avoid two torpedoes , and was struck by a third which failed to explode . When was sunk , " Farenholt " took aboard the task force commander , Rear Admiral Richmond K . Turner . As the New Georgia operation continued , with new landings at various points on the large island , " Farenholt " escorted support shipping north from the lower Solomons and fired shore bombardment until 16 July 1943 . After a brief period alongside a tender at Espiritu Santo , she operated out of that port and Efate on escort and patrol duty between Nouméa and Guadalcanal , sweeping against Japanese shipping , and bringing troops and supplies to Vella Lavella . In October , she sailed for a 6 - day visit at Sydney , Australia , returning to Purvis Bay 29 October , and 2 days later joining the screen of the carrier striking force operating northeast of Bougainville in the initial landings . Along with their direct support of the assault and the ensuing battle , the carriers launched air strikes on Buka and Rabaul . From November through February 1944 , " Farenholt " continued her operations in support of the Bougainville and New Britain operations , escorting reinforcements and supplies to Empress Augusta Bay , searching for enemy shipping , and bombarding Choisoul , many points on Bougainville , and the Shortland Islands . She covered landings on Green Island 14 February , fighting off a dive bomber attack in which she downed at least one plane . On the night of 17 / 18 February , her squadron made a daring dash down St . George Channel to fire on shipping in Blanche Bay and bombard Rabaul , sinking two merchantmen and inflicting much damage on shore installations . A similar attack on Kavieng 25 February provoked heavy counterfire from shore , and " Farenholt " was holed at the waterline on her starboard side . Once again her crew saved their ship , controlling flooding with skill and determination . Temporary repairs were made at Purvis Bay , and " Farenholt " sailed for a much needed west coast overhaul . She sailed for action once more 16 June 1944 , and after training briefly at Pearl Harbor , arrived off Guam 21 July to screen the transports landing assault troops . She patrolled off Guam until 10 August , then sailed back to Eniwetok to prepare for the Palaus operation , major in itself as well as being the most important preliminary to the liberation of the Philippines . Through September , she screened carriers for preliminary strikes on the Palaus and the southern Philippines , bombarded a radar station on Cape San Augustine , Mindanao , supported the unopposed landings on Morotai and the bitterly contested assault of Angaur , and sailed with the carriers as they launched raids on Manila and photographic reconnaissance flights over Leyte and Samar . Between 28 September 1944 and 13 October she replenished at Manus , then rendezvoused with the fleet carriers once more in time to screen during flights flown in support of the assault landings at Leyte 20 October . After fueling on the 21st , her group shaped course for Ulithi , to be called back on the 24th for its role in the decisive Battle for Leyte Gulf . " Farenholt " s squadron , however , was detached to rendezvous with and , damaged in the air battles off Taiwan earlier in the month and still making their retirement toward Ulithi . The group arrived at Ulithi 27 October . With Commander , Destroyer Squadron 12 assigned to command the Western Carolines and Marianas Patrol and Escort Group , " Farenholt " served as station ship at Ulithi and Kossol Passage and escorted convoys between those points and to ocean rendezvous until 5 May 1945 . Three days later she reached Okinawa , and for the next month carried out the usual varied destroyer duties around the embattled island , screening and escorting shipping of all kinds , rescuing downed pilots and survivors of damaged and sunken ships , bombarding shore targets , and operating with carriers as they launched air strikes on Japanese positions and bases , especially those in the Sakishima Gunto from which " kamikaze s " were flown . She sailed north to San Pedro Bay , arriving 19 June , to join the logistics group supporting the fast carriers in their air strikes against the Japanese home islands . On 28 July , " Farenholt " returned to Okinawa for screening duties until 22 September , when she sailed with an Army general aboard to accept the Japanese surrender of islands in the southern Ryukyus and in the Sakishima Gunto . From 20 October to 31 October , she Voyaged from Buckner Bay to Sasebo escorting a transport , then sailed for San Diego and Charleston , South Carolina , arriving 8 December . She was placed out of commission in reserve at Charleston 26 April 1946 . After more than twenty - five years in the Reserve Fleet , " Farenholt " was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in June 1971 and sold for scrapping in November 1972 . Awards . " Farenholt " received 11 battle star s for World War II service .