Ellet (DD-398) was launched 11 June 1938 by
Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company,
Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Miss Elvira Daniel Cabell, granddaughter of Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr.; and commissioned 17 February 1939. In September and October 1939
Ellet operated off the
Grand Banks on
Neutrality Patrol, then with Destroyer Division 18 out of
Galveston with the
West Gulf Patrol. Based at
San Diego, after 26 February 1940, she joined in
Battle Force maneuvers as far as
Hawaii. In the summer of 1941 her home port became
Pearl Harbor and in October she brought home an
Army survey expedition from
Christmas Island to
Honolulu. When the
Japanese
attacked Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941,
Ellet was returning from reinforcing
Wake Island in the screen of TF 8 with which she remained throughout December. After a convoy escort voyage to the west coast, she guarded a troop convoy back to Christmas Island in February. In April she screened Carrier TF 16, which launched
B-25's in the famous Halsey-
Doolittle Raid on
Tokyo and other Japanese cities and returned to Pearl Harbor the 25th. The same ships raced 5 days later to reinforce the carriers headed for the
Battle of the Coral Sea. It was won before ''Ellet's
force got there, so TF 16 returned to Pearl Harbor. TF 16 sailed from Pearl Harbor 28 May 1942 once more to join Task Force 17 (TF 17). Together they turned back the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Midway on 4, 5 and 6 June. The Japanese lost four carriers, many aircraft, and a number of irreplaceable aviators. Ellet'' returned to Pearl Harbor on 13 June to prepare for invading the
Solomons, the first American land offensive of the war.
Ellet arrived off
Guadalcanal 7 August 1942 for pre-invasion bombardment, patrolled the transport area, and fought off air attacks. On 9 August she rescued 41 officers and 451 men from
Quincy (CA-39) and 1 man from
Astoria (CA-34), sunk in the
Battle of Savo Island the night before, then joined
Selfridge (DD-357) in the duty of sinking the hulk of
HMAS Canberra, hopelessly battered in the same battle. While escorting transports deadheading back to Nouméa,
Ellet was detached 12 August to screen the
Enterprise (CV-6) task force covering reinforcement and supply of the Solomons. She got back to Pearl Harbor 10 September. Out of
Espiritu Santo Ellet patrolled to the Solomons with TF 16 from November 1942 until May 1943, then returned to Pearl Harbor. Back at Espiritu Santo 1 July, she hurried to
Tulagi for the consolidation of the northern Solomons. She sailed for overhaul on the west coast in September 1943. By the end of January 1944,
Ellet was back in action, screening carriers about to invade the
Marshalls. After a week in Pearl Harbor for repairs, she saw action in
New Guinea, supporting the operations at
Hollandia in April. Upon her return to Pearl Harbor she joined the
5th Fleet for the invasion of the
Marianas, screening diversionary raids on the
Bonins, and carriers in the assaults on
Saipan and
Guam.
Ellet arrived at
Ulithi Atoll 13 October 1944 and was sent to scout neighboring
Ngulu Atoll for a proposed secondary fleet anchorage. Troops landed at Ngulu 16 October. When
Montgomery (DM-17) struck a mine the 17th,
Ellet came to the rescue with pumps then towed her in to Ulithi lagoon. At October's end,
Ellet joined the
Marianas Patrol and Escort Group. She bombarded
Iwo Jima, in December 1944 and the following January. Based on Guam and Saipan, she escorted convoys and patrolled on air-sea rescue station until July 1945. When hostilities ended,
Ellet was repairing at
Mare Island. She was decommissioned there 29 October 1945, and sold 1 August 1947. ==Honors==