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USS Porter (DD-356) was the lead ship in her class of destroyers in the United States Navy. She was the third Navy ship named for Commodore David Porter and his son, Admiral David Dixon Porter.

She was lost off Guadalcanal when hit by a torpedo. Although many believe she was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-12, Japanese records don't support this. More likely, an errant torpedo from a ditching U.S. TBF Avenger hit Porter and caused the fatal damage.

(DD–356: displacement 1,850 tons; length 381’0”; beam 36’2”; draft 10’5”; crew 238; armament -  eight 5” guns, eight 40mm, eight 21” torpedo tubes, 2 dct.; cl. Porter).

The third Porter (DD–356) was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J., 18 December 1933; launched 12 December 1935; sponsored by Miss Carlile Patterson Porter; and commissioned at Philadelphia 25 August 1936, Comdr. Forrest B. Royal in command.

After shakedown in waters off northern Europe, Porter visited St. John’s, Newfoundland, for coronation ceremonies in honor of George VI in May 1937 and was at the Washington Navy Yard during the Boy Scout Jamboree, June–July 1937. Then reassigned to the Pacific Fleet, she transited the Panama Canal and arrived at San Francisco 5 August 1937. She operated continuously with the Pacific Fleet until the outbreak of World War II, homeported at San Diego.

On 5 December 1941, Porter got underway from Pearl Harbor, escaping the Japanese attack by two days. She patrolled with cruisers and destroyers in Hawaiian waters before steaming in convoy 25 March 1942 for the west coast.

She operated off the west coast with TF 1 for the next 4 months. Returning to Pearl Harbor in mid-August, she trained in Hawaiian waters until 16 October when she sortied with TF 16 and headed for the Solomons. On 26 October 1942, TF 16 exchanged air attacks with strong Japanese forces northeast of Guadalcanal in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. During the ensuing action, Porter was torpedoed by a submarine and, after the crew had abandoned ship, was sunk by gunfire from Shaw. Her name was struck from the Navy List 2 November 1942.

Porter earned one battle star for World War II service.

Sources: Public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

and pictures from my father's 1943 Naval Recognition Manual

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