Details
Not launched until September 1942, this destroyer saw enough action in 3 years to earn 4 battle stars. The McLanahan (DD-615) was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, and escorted a convoy to Algeria in April 1943. Joining Task Force 81 for Operation Husky, she helped to screen the invasion force at Gela. She was at Naples in May 1944 for the Anzio offensive, and by the end of July she was part of Operation Anvil (the invasion of Southern France), August found her providing fire power for forces landing near St. Raphaël, and in January 1945, she joined "Le Grand Garde" bombarding the Ligurian coast from Monte Carlo to Genoa. Off San Remo in February, a large calibre missi le exploded off her port quarter killing 1 crewman, wounding 8 and putting 1 gun out of commission. Her Captain, Medical Officer and 12 other crewmen were awarded the Croix de Guerre. She was heading for the Pacific when Japan surrendered.
