USS Schenck ( DD - 159 ) USS " Schenck " ( DD - 159 ) was a " Wickes " - class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II . She was named for Rear Admiral James F . Schenck , USN ( 1807 – 1882 ) . " Schenck " was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden in New Jersey on 26 March 1918 , launched on 23 April 1919 by Miss Mary Janet Earle and commissioned on 30 October 1919 , Commander N . H . Goss in command . Service history . " Schenck " was attached to the U . S . Atlantic Fleet and , after shakedown , operated between New York and Chesapeake Bay . Between July and September 1920 , she patrolled off the east coast of Mexico ; and , in early 1921 , she participated in fleet exercises in the Caribbean . Her crew was reduced to 50 % of her authorized complement at Charleston , South Carolina , on 7 November 1921 ; and she was decommissioned at Philadelphia on 9 June 1922 . " Schenck " was recommissioned on 1 May 1930 , and trained reservists during the summer . In January 1931 , she joined the fleet in the Caribbean for Fleet Problem XII and , the following year , also participated in Fleet Problem XIII off Hawaii . Due to the increased tension in the Far East resulting from Japan ese military action in Manchuria and at Shanghai , China , she remained in the Pacific with the Scouting Fleet until June 1932 . " Schenck " again returned to the Pacific in February 1933 for Fleet Problem XIV and remained there until April 1934 , when she reentered the Caribbean for more fleet exercises . Then , with intervening periods of overhaul and rotating reserve at Norfolk , " Schenck " trained naval reservists and Naval Academy midshipmen in cruises along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from May 1935 until the outbreak of war in Europe . World War II . On 9 September 1939 , " Schenck " commenced Neutrality Patrol duty off the east coast ; and , after overhaul , moved to Key West for further patrols . During the summer of 1940 , she made two midshipman cruises from Annapolis . She then carried out more patrols in the Caribbean , between 22 August and 8 December 1940 , between 15 January and 18 March 1941 , and between 27 June and 14 July 1941 . Training and repairs filled intervals between her patrols . On 15 September 1941 , " Schenck " arrived at NS Argentia , Newfoundland , for duty escorting convoys carrying vital materiel to England . She left Argentia with her first convoy on 29 September ; and when the United States entered World War II , the destroyer had escorted two convoys to a guarded rendezvous with British escorts off Iceland and escorted a ship back to Argentia . She remained on the convoy route between Argentia and Iceland until April 1943 , fighting heavy weather and German submarine s . During two long periods , 19 February to 9 May 1942 and 18 August 1942 to 23 March 1943 , she was based in Iceland escorting convoys in and out of Icelandic ports . Twice her convoy was attacked ; on 15 August 1942 , and from 6 to 8 February 1943 . The weather also took its toll , frequently causing minor structural damage to the old ship ; and , on 13 March 1943 , a gale caused her to drag anchor and collide with SS " Exterminator " in an Icelandic port . " Schenck " was then sent to Boston for repairs . Mid - Atlantic . Reassigned to more southerly routes , " Schenck " resumed convoy escort duties on 28 April 1943 , and , during the summer , escorted convoys between east coast ports , the Caribbean , and North Africa . She returned to Chesapeake Bay with a convoy on 26 October 1943 , and , after overhaul and training , joined a hunter - killer group built around . The group conducted patrols against enemy submarines near the Azores between 24 November 1943 and 2 January 1944 . The high point of " Schenck ' s " war service came on Christmas Eve , 1943 , when the group located a concentration of U - boat s . After stalking radar and sound contacts for most of the night and making six attacks , " Schenck " heard an underwater explosion and saw an oil slick which marked the end of . Almost immediately , another submarine sank " Schenck " s squadronmate , . " Schenck " continued her ASW operations and was later commended by the task group commander for her role in preventing a concentrated wolf pack attack on " Card " ; for her continued aggressive action after the sinking of " Leary " , despite having only fourteen depth charges left ; and for her skillful rescue of " Leary " s survivors . In February and March 1944 , " Schenck " made one more round - trip convoy voyage from the east coast to Casablanca , and , between 17 April and 10 June , she escorted on troop - carrying voyages along the east coast . Between 10 July and 29 August , she provided training services for submarines at Bermuda and then entered the Brooklyn Navy Yard where she was stripped of her armament . Subsequently , she was assigned for duty under Commander , Air Force , Atlantic Fleet , as a torpedo target ship for aircraft . Reclassified AG - 82 effective 25 September 1944 , she provided target services for student pilots off Quonset Point , Rhode Island , until the end of the war . This service is not without its dangers . The ship was twice holed by exercise torpedoes which failed to run at set depth and once struck by a low - flying aircraft . " Schenck " was decommissioned at the Boston Naval Shipyard on 17 May 1946 , stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 5 June 1946 and sold for scrap to the Boston Metals Company at Baltimore in Maryland on 25 November 1946 . Awards . " Schenck " received one battle star for her World War II service .