USS SHAW (DD-373)
The second USS Shaw, DD 373, was laid down on 1 October 1934 at the United States Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa.; launched on 28 October 1935; sponsored by Miss Dorothy L. Tinker; and commissioned on 18 September 1936, Lt. Comdr. E.A. Mitchell in command. John Shaw was born at Mt. Mellick, Queens County, Ireland, in 1773. In 1790, he came to the United States, settled in Philadelphia and entered the merchant marine.    Appointed lieutenant, USN in 1798, he first served in Montezuma in Commodore Truxtun's squadron in the West Indies during the early part of the naval war with France. In 1799, he assumed command of the schooner Enterprise in which, during the next year, he captured seven armed French vessels and recaptured several American merchantmen. By the time he was relieved of command due to ill health in October 1800, he had made Enterprise one of the most famous vessels of the Navy.    During the Barbary Wars, Shaw commanded frigate John Adams in the Mediterranean under Commodore Rodgers from May to November 1804; and frigate United States during the War of 1812.    Captain Shaw died at Philadelphia 17 September 1823.    Following commissioning, Shaw remained at Philadelphia until April 1937 when she crossed the Atlantic on her shakedown cruise. Returning to Philadelphia on 18 June, she commenced a year of yard work to correct deficiencies before completing acceptance trials in June 1938. Shaw conducted training exercises in the Atlantic for the remainder of the year. She then transited to the Pacific and underwent overhaul at Mare Island from 8 January to 4 April 1939.    Shaw remained on the west coast until April 1940 participating in various exercises and providing services to carriers and submarines operating in the area. In April she sailed for Hawaii where she participated in Fleet Problem XXI, an eight phased operation for the defense of the Hawaiian area. She remained in the Hawaiian area until November when she returned to the west coast for overhaul.    Back in the Hawaiian area by mid-February 1941, Shaw operated in those waters until November when she entered the Navy Yard at Pearl Harbor for repairs, drydocking in YFD-2.    On 7 December, Shaw was still drydocked. During the Japanese attack, she took three hits: two bombs through the forward machine gun platform, and one through the port wing of the bridge. Fires spread through the ship. By 0925, all fire fighting facilities were exhausted, and the order to abandon ship was given. Efforts to flood the dock were only partially successful; and, shortly after 0930, Shaw's forward magazine blew up. (continued) USS Shaw DD-363 Photographic History

USS Shaw during the Pearl Harbor Attack

Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941 --
USS Shaw during the Pearl Harbor Attack

Among the drydocked ships in the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard when the Japanese attacked was the destroyer USS Shaw (DD-373). Raised out of the water in the floating drydock YFD-2, along with the old harbor tug Sotoyomo (YT-9), Shaw attracted the unwelcome attention of several dive bombers of the second strike wave. These hit her with three bombs at about the same time as they were attacking the then-nearby battleship Nevada. The bombs all hit the forward portion of the ship. The resulting fires proved uncontrollable, and Shaw was ordered abandoned. As efforts were underway to flood the drydock about a half-hour after she was hit, her forward ammunition magazines detonated in a spectacular blast, completely removing her bow. The blast also punctured YFD-2 and Sotoyomo. Both soon sank, the drydock partially and the tug completely, leaving Shaw's after portion afloat, with an intense fire raging at its front.