USS Shaw ( DD - 373 ) USS " Shaw " ( DD - 373 ) was a " Mahan " - class destroyer and the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain John Shaw , a Naval officer . Commissioned in 1936 , she was plagued by construction deficiencies and was not fully operational until 1938 . After training in the Atlantic , she was transferred to the Pacific and in dry dock in Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 . " Shaw " sustained major damage from multiple bomb hits during the Attack on Pearl Harbor . The spectacular explosion of her forward magazine provided one of the most iconic photographs of the attack . She was repaired within a few months of the attack , and served in the Pacific through the rest of World War II , earning eleven battle star s . " Shaw " was decommissioned in October 1945 and sold for scrap in July 1946 . History . " Shaw " was laid down on 1 October 1934 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ; launched on 28 October 1935 ; sponsored by Miss Dorthy L . Tinker ; and commissioned on 18 September 1936 , Lt . Comdr . E . A . Mitchell in command . Following commissioning , " Shaw " remained at Philadelphia until April 1937 when she crossed the $ 3 on her shakedown cruise . Returning to Philadelphia on 18 June , she commenced a year of yard work to correct deficiencies before completing acceptance trials in June 1938 . " Shaw " conducted training exercises in the Atlantic for the remainder of the year . She then transited to the Pacific and underwent overhaul at Mare Island from 8 January to 4 April 1939 . " Shaw " remained on the West Coast until April 1940 , participating in various exercises and providing services to carriers and submarine s operating in the area . In April she sailed for Hawaii where she participated in Fleet Problem XXI , an eight - phased operation for the defense of the Hawaiian area . She remained in the Hawaiian area until November when she returned to the west coast for overhaul . Back in the Hawaiian area by mid - February 1941 , " Shaw " operated in those waters until November when she entered the Navy Yard at Pearl Harbor for repairs , drydocking in YFD - 2 . Attack on Pearl Harbor . On 7 December , the USS " Shaw " was still drydocked , receiving adjustments to her depth charge mechanisms . During the Japanese attack , she took three hits : two bombs through the forward machine gun platform , and one through the port wing of the bridge . Fires spread through the ship . By 0925 , all fire - fighting facilities were exhausted , and the order to abandon ship was given . Efforts to flood the dock were only partially successful ; and , shortly after 0930 , her forward magazine exploded . Temporary repairs were made at Pearl Harbor during December 1941 and January 1942 . On 9 February , the USS " Shaw " steamed towards San Francisco where repairs were completed , including the installation of a new bow , at the end of June . Following training in the San Diego , California , area , the USS " Shaw " returned to Pearl Harbor on 31 August . For the next two months , she escorted convoys between the west coast and Hawaii . In mid - October , as a unit of a carrier force centered on the , the " Shaw " departed from Pearl Harbor and steamed westwardly . Rendezvousing with a carrier force centered on the , the two carrier groups united as Task Force 61 , and then moved north of the Santa Cruz Islands to intercept enemy forces headed to attack Guadalcanal . By mid - morning on the 26th , both carrier groups were under attack . As an accompanying ship , , stopped to pick up survivors from a downed torpedo plane , she was torpedo ed . " Shaw " went to " Porter " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s assistance . Half an hour later , she was ordered to take off " Porter " ' s crew and sink the disabled destroyer . Periscope sightings followed by depth charge attacks delayed execution of the mission . By noon , however , the transfer was completed . An hour later , " Porter " was gone , and " Shaw " left the scene to rejoin the task force . Two days later , the " Shaw " headed for the New Hebrides where she commenced escorting ships moving men and supplies to Guadalcanal . She continued that duty through November and December and into January 1943 . On 10 January , while entering Nouméa harbor , New Caledonia , the " Shaw " ran aground on Sournois Reef . She was freed on the 15th , but extensive damage to her hull , propellers , and sound gear necessitated temporary repairs at Nouméa - followed by lengthy repairs and rearmament at Pearl Harbor , which took through September . On 6 October , " Shaw " headed west again , reaching Nouméa on the 18th and Milne Bay , New Guinea on the 24th . Now a unit of the 7th Amphibious Force , " Shaw " escorted reinforcements to Lae and Finschhafen for the remainder of October and during November . Following an unsuccessful diversionary assault by Army troops against Umtingalu , New Britain on 15 December , " Shaw " recovered survivors from two rubber boats and escorted and back to Buna , New Guinea . On 25 December , the " Shaw " escorted units engaged in the assault against Cape Gloucester , where she provided gunfire support and served as fighter director ship . On the 26th , the " Shaw " sustained casualties and damage when attacked by two " Val s " . Thirty - six men were injured , three of whom later died of their wounds . The " Shaw " returned to Cape Sudest , New Guinea on the 27th ; transferred her wounded and dead to shore facilities there , and continued on to Milne Bay for temporary repairs . Permanent repairs were completed at Hunter ' s Point , California , on 1 May 1944 . The " Shaw " returned to Pearl Harbor on the 10th , joined the 5th Fleet there , and steamed towards the Marshall Islands on the 15th . She got underway from the Marshalls on 11 June with TF - 52 to engage in the assault on Saipan Island . Four days later , the attack began . For the next three and one - half weeks , the destroyer rotated between screening and " call fire " support duties of the Marines on shore . In mid - July , the " Shaw " was back in the Marshall Islands . On the 18th , the " Shaw " got underway to return to the Mariana Islands accompanying the Guam assault forces . During the action that followed , the " Shaw " performed escort and patrol duties . The " Shaw " departed the Marianas on 23 September . Following a tender repair availability at Eniwetok , she rejoined the 7th Amphibious Force on 20 October and headed for Leyte Gulf on the 25th . Convoy escort duties between the Philippines and New Guinea involved the " Shaw " until the invasion of Luzon took place at Lingayen Gulf on 9 January 1945 . From the 9th to the 15th , she performed screening , " call fire " support for the soldiers ashore , night illumination with star shells , and shore bombardment missions . Following this operation , the " Shaw " was involved in the recapture of Manila Bay , Luzon . After the Luzon operations , the USS " Shaw " supported the assault and occupation of Palawan Island during the period from 28 February to 4 March . In early April , the USS " Shaw " operated in the Visayas , setting two Japanese barges on fire off Bohol on 2 April . Damaged soon thereafter on an uncharted pinnacle , she underwent temporary repairs . On the 25th , she steamed towards the United States West Coast . The " Shaw " arrived at San Francisco on 19 May . Repairs and upgrades to her systems took into August . The work was completed on the 20th . The USS " Shaw " then departed for the East Coast of the United States . Upon her arrival at Philadelphia , the warship was routed to New York City for deactivation . Decommissioned on 2 October 1945 , her name was stricken from the Navy List two days later . Her hulk was scrapped in July 1946 . The USS " Shaw " earned eleven battle star s during World War II .