USS Johnston (DD-557)

During World War II in the Pacific, the USS Johnston (DD-557) was a Fletcher-class destroyer , commissioned on 27 October 1943. Throughout her career, her commanding officer was, Commander Ernest B. Evans,

She was very active in the Pacific during 1944, participating in the Marshalls, Marianas, Palaus and Leyte campaigns. On 15 May, while operating in the Solomons Islands, Johnston assisted in sinking the Japanese submarine I-176.

At the Action off Samar, she was closest to the enemy when they first appeared, laying a smokescreen as ordered, and, as she came into range, firing her 5" guns at cruisers. In torpedo range before her sister ships, she hit Japanese heavy cruiser, IJN Kumano and blew off her bow.

She then took several hits from 14" battleship and 6" cruiser guns, losing one engine.

It was like a puppy being smacked by a truck. The hits resulted in the loss of all power to the steering engine, all power to the three 5-inch guns in the after part of the ship, and rendered our gyro compass useless."

As the rest of the destroyers caught up and began their torpedo runs, she was out of torpedoes, and had had her speed reduced, but Evans called out, "We'll go in with the destroyers and provide fire support." Coming out of the smoke, they encountered a Kongo-class battleship, whose fire missed them but they hit with 5-inch fire on the potentially vulnerable superstructure. Cdr. Evans then saw the escort carrier USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) under fire from a Japanese cruiser, and ordered "'Commence firing that cruiser, draw her fire on us and away from Gambier Bay. Evans was driven to an alternate command post on the stern. Eventually, from the after-action report,

By 9:30 we were going dead in the water; even the Japanese couldn't miss us. They made a sort of running semi-circle around our ship, shooting at us like a bunch of Indians attacking a prairie schooner. Our lone engine and fire room was knocked out; we lost all power, and even the indomitable skipper knew we were finished. At 9:45 he gave the saddest order a captain can give: 'Abandon Ship.' ... At 10:10 Johnston rolled over and began to sink. A Japanese destroyer came up to 1,000 yards and pumped a final shot into her to make sure she went down. A survivor saw the Japanese captain salute her as she went down. That was the end of Johnston.

Evans, who was seen alive in the water but was not rescued, received a posthumous Medal of Honor.