USS Harding (DD-625) (later DMS-28), a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Seth Harding. Harding was launched on 28 June 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Washington, sponsored by Mrs. Sherwood A. Taffinder. The ship was commissioned on 25 May 1943. Service history After shakedown out of San Diego, Harding sailed 1 July for Norfolk, via the Panama Canal. Arriving Hampton Roads on 19 July, she trained in Chesapeake Bay and off the East Coast. She joined a convoy at Norfolk on 16 August 1943 and for the next eight months was assigned antisubmarine patrol for merchant convoys in the Atlantic. During this period of guarding the sea Harding made three round trips to Casablanca. After escorting the battleship on training exercises, Harding sailed 18 April with a convoy for Europe, and began her first great combat operation — the invasion of Normandy. She spent the month of May training with other ships between Plymouth and Clyde. Then, early on 6 June 1944, Harding joined other naval units in the historic assault. Harding was assigned fire support station, and delivered close gunfire support to the troops ashore for the first hours of the landing. Her accurate gunfire destroyed pillboxes and machine gun emplacements, blasting a way for the troops. Harding also sent a boat ashore at Pointe du Hoc to take supplies to the Rangers and bring out prisoners and wounded. She continued operations in the assault area until 16 July, protecting against air attack and assisting several transports in distress. Shifting her operations to the Mediterranean, Harding sailed on 1 August for Oran, Algeria, and from there proceeded to the southern France assault area, as a screening ship. She sailed almost immediately to Corsica, later returning to take up patrol station outside the assault area in southern France. On the night of 17 August, she detected a downed German plane, and after recovering bodies, proceeded to investigate an unidentified contact. As Hardings signalman sought to illuminate the stranger, a burst of machine-gun fire extinguished the light and revealed the presence of four E-boats. In company with three other destroyers, Harding began a running, twisting battle with the four boats, illuminated by star shell fire, and despite their superior maneuverability, all four were sunk, three by Harding. She brought survivors ashore and resumed her patrol until 24 August. Harding joined a convoy