History of DD-407
From DANFS
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/

DD-407’s first assignment, following commissioning, was in the Pacific as plane-guard for the famous namesake of Andrew STERETT’s first command, the carrier Enterprise (CV-6).

 

STERETT proceeded to the North Atlantic in 1941 where she convoyed transports, including the Queen Mary, on their final leg of their transatlantic crossing. In March of 1942 STERETT was the flagship of Destroyer Division 15 and participated in the defense of Malta, receiving a battle star for her actions.

 

By June of 1942 STERETT found herself enroute to the South Pacific. She participated in the invasion of Guadalcanal. During the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942, the Australian cruiser Canberra and the US cruisers Vincennes and Quincy were sunk off Guadalcanal by a Japanese task force. STERETT had just prior to that, withdrawn with the carrier Wasp for refueling to the south. STERETT remained assigned as escort to the Wasp until 10 September 1942. She then escorted transport ships bound for Guadalcanal and Tulagi out of Espiritu Santo. STERETT often played hide and seek with the "Tokyo Express" while providing gunfire support for the marines holding the airfield on Guadalcanal.

 

On 10 November 1942, STERETT was assigned to cruiser Task Force 67. TF67 set sail from Espiritu Santo bound for Guadalcanal and hopefully an interception of a major Japanese force. This was Japan’s big push to recapture Guadalcanal. During the day on 12 November, the Japanese launched an air raid against Guadalcanal. During this raid the cruiser San Francisco had a Japanese plane crash into her aft gun director. STERETT helped in the downing of 20 of the original 21 bombers that attacked the fleet and were bound for Guadalcanal.

 

On the evening of 12 November 1942 STERETT was in a column of ships, Task Force 67.4, on an intercept of a major Japanese surface fleet bound for Guadalcanal. STERETT was fourth in line behind the destroyers Cushing and Laffey. Behind STERETT was the destroyer O’Bannon, followed by the cruisers Atlanta, Helena, San Francisco, Portland and Juneau. Bringing up the rear were the destroyers Aaron Ward, Barton, Monssen, and Fletcher. TF 67.4 averted a near collision with the Japanese force under cover of darkness. The Japanese force included the battleships Hiei and Kirishimi, the cruiser Nagara and thirteen destroyers. The battle that ensued was often referred to as more of a bar-room brawl than a naval engagement. Despite the Americans advantage of radar, the two forces collided in the dark and a close quarters melee began.

 

When the two forces engaged each other at 0124 on 13 November 1942, STERETT passed the battleship Hiei at a range of 3000 yards. STERETT began pumping five inch shells into Hiei’s bridge area. At such tight quarters the Japanese battleships could not depress their 14 inch guns low enough to target the U.S. destroyers. In the confusion neither force was able to coordinate their efforts. It became each ship for themselves.

 

STERETT engaged the battleship Hiei, the cruiser Nagara and single-handedly sunk one Japanese destroyer. She was one of the last ship to exit the area following the battle. STERETT sustained eleven hits, three of which were from 14 inch shells. 28 STERETT sailors were buried at sea on the journey back to Espiritu Santo and four of her crew were reported missing. She was officially credited with just the one kill of the destroyer but unofficially claimed partial credit for the destruction of the Hiei and the Nagara. The bridge wing sported the silhouettes of all three ships. This would not be the last time that a ship named STERETT would decorate her bridge with kills that she was not officially recognized for.

 

STERETT received the Presidential Unit Citation for her heroism that night off Guadalcanal. STERETT returned to Mare Island Naval Shipyard in San Francisco Bay for repairs on 11 December 1942. While there she had her two aft five inch mounts and her torpedo mounts replaced. STERETT was also fitted with new 40mm anti-aircraft guns to augment her 20 mm mounts. A PPI radar scope for her SG radar was also installed. DD-407 departed Mare Island on 10 February 1943 bound for Pearl Harbor and the south Pacific.

 

STERETT resumed convoy duty in the Russell Islands. On 6 August 1943 in Vella Gulf, STERETT and five other destroyers surprised four Japanese destroyers that were headed for Kolombaraga with reinforcement troops, part of the infamous "Tokyo Express". In a devastating torpedo and gunnery assault, three Japanese destroyers were sunk and the fourth driven off. STERETT survived unscratched.

 

STERETT made a brief trip to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for repairs on 24 April 1944 and was back in the Marshall Islands by 30 May 1944. After patrols off Guam, Rota, Yap, Palau and Ulithi, STERETT was once again sent stateside to Puget Sound on 20 August 1944. U.S. ships at this time were constantly being modified and refitted as new technology and equipment became available. She departed Puget Sound on 13 October and once again headed for the Pacific theater. STERETT was there when the invasion of the Philippines was started. On 27-29 December 1944 STERETT made a run from Leyte to Mindoro. STERETT’s AA (Anti-Aircraft) crews downed five enemy aircraft and drove several others. These Kamikaze attacks were becoming a common and troublesome problem.

 

On 1 April 1945, STERETT participated in the invasion of Okinawa. While on picket duty off Okinawa on 9 April 1945, STERETT had a Japanese Kamakazi Val bomber get through her defenses and strike the waterline on the starboard side below the bridge. STERETT suffered no personnel casualties and was able to limp to Kamera Retto under her own power. After temporary repairs, STERETT headed for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. While there, STERETT received additional anti-Kamikaze armament. This consisted of Mk63 radar and gun-fire director improvements. Her torpedo mounts were removed and replaced with 40 mm gun mounts.

 

STERETT was in San Diego for sea-trials and preparing to head back to the Pacific when Japan surrendered. On 25 September 1945 STERETT set sail with Mississippi (BB-41), North Carolina (BB-55) and Enterprise (CV-6) bound for New York via the Panama Canal. She arrived in New York on 17 October 1945. She was decommissioned on 2 November 1945 and struck from the Navy list on 25 February 1947. STERETT (DD-407) was sold for scrap on 10 August 1947 to the Northern Metal Co. of Philadelphia.

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