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USS Fletcher (DD-445)

Summary
USS Fletcher (DD/DDE-445), named for Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher, was the lead , and served in the Pacific during World War II. She received fifteen battle stars for World War II service, and five for Korean War service. Fletcher was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Kearny, New Jersey, on 2 October 1941. She was launched on 3 May 1942; sponsored by Mrs. F. F. Fletcher, widow of Admiral Fletcher; and commissioned on 30 June 1942. Fletcher arrived at Nouméa, New Caledonia on 5 October 1942 from the east coast, and at once began escort and patrol duty in the Guadalcanal operation, bombarding Lunga Point on 30 October. Sailing from Espiritu Santo 9 November to cover the landing of reinforcements on the island, she joined in driving off an enemy air attack on the transports 12 November, claiming several enemy aircraft shot down. This was the opening phase of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, a 3-day air and surface action. Fletcher played an important part in the surface action off Guadalcanal 13 November, firing guns and torpedoes in the general melee which sank two Japanese destroyers and damaged the fast battleship , later sunk by carrier and Marine aircraft. Fletcher retired to replenish at Espiritu Santo, arriving the day after the battle, and after patrolling against submarines off Nouméa, sortied on 30 November 1942, with a force of cruisers and destroyers, to intercept a force of enemy transports and destroyers expected to attempt a reinforcement of Guadalcanal that night. Fletcher led the force through Lengo Channel, and made the first radar contact with the enemy off Tassafaronga Point just before midnight. The resulting Battle of Tassafaronga saw one Japanese destroyer sunk, and one slightly damaged, and four American cruisers badly damaged, though all but one were saved by prompt damage control. Fletcher rescued survivors of , using cork-floated cargo nets to take great groups of them from the water.
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