USS Bagley

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Named in honor of Ensign Worth Bagley (1874-1898), an American sailor killed in the Spanish-American War, the USS Bagley (DD-386) was the first destroyer in her class. Built at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia and commissioned in June 1937, she displaced 1,646 tons and 2,245 tons fully loaded. Driven by a power plant of four boilers, two steam turbines, and two propellers, her top rated speed was 38.5 knots. She could cruise for 6,500 nautical miles at 12 knots. The ship carried four 5-inch guns mounted in four turrets — two forward and two aft, four .50-caliber machine guns, and 16 21-inch torpedo tubes in four 4-tube mounts.

Her sea duty began in her first year in the Atlantic. She steamed for the Pacific in July 1938, and she was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked the US Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941. In the early months of the war, the Bagley performed escort duties and went with the American carrier task forces when they attacked Japanese bases in the southern Pacific in February and March 1942.

She was part of the Guadalcanal invasion fleet and fought the Japanese in the Battle of Savo Island. During the next 1.5 years, the destroyer escorted convoys and patrolled for Japanese submarines. In mid-1943, she was participated in the capture Woodlark Island and continued serving in the western area of New Britain during late 1943 and early 1944.

The Bagley steamed for the American west coast for an overhaul and then was with the fleet in the central and western Pacific. She participated in the Marianas invasion in June-July 1944 and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Later in 1944 and early 1945, she was at the invasion of the Palaus in September, the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October, and the Lingayen Gulf invasion in January 1945. In February-May 1945, she was at the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The destroyer accepted the Japanese surrender at Marcus Island in August 1945. When the war ended, she went to Japan as part of the American occupation of that country.

The Bagley returned to the United States in November 1945. The Navy decommissioned her in June 1946 and sold the destroyer for scrap in October 1947.