USS McCook (DD-496), a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Commander Roderick S. McCook (1839–1886), who was an officer in the Union Navy during the American Civil War. McCook was laid down on 1 May 1941 at the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Washington and launched on 30 April 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Reed Knox, granddaughter of Comdr. McCook. The ship was commissioned on 15 March 1943. History Initial operations After shakedown out of San Diego, McCook sailed for the east coast 22 May 1943. She reported at Norfolk for duty in the Atlantic Fleet, 6 June, and by the end of the month had begun her first escort assignment, a convoy to Casablanca, departing Norfolk 26 June and returning 17 July. Before the end of the year she completed two more north African convoys, one to the United Kingdom and numerous escort assignments along the northeastern coast. On 15 December, she reported to COTCLANT and spent the next six weeks training destroyer crews out of Norfolk. Detached from training duties, McCook resumed escort work 31 January 1944 when she sailed for Trinidad with new aircraft carrier on her shakedown cruise, returning with her to Boston on 27 February. Further training in antisubmarine and antiaircraft warfare took up much of March as McCook prepared to return to European waters. On 18 April, she joined Task Group 27.8 (TG 27.8) and steamed for the United Kingdom, arriving at Plymouth, England on 28 April. The destroyer continued on to Portland and from there participated in a month of intensive amphibious landing exercises at Slapton Sands and at Belfast. At Weymouth Roads 28 May McCook was caught in an air raid in which she suffered damage to her radar, sound equipment, range finder, and main battery director in addition to having five guns disabled and losing steering control from the bridge. Luckily there were no personnel casualties. The damage threatened to keep her out of the upcoming invasion for which she had been training for the past month. But the fast and efficient craftsmen on board the destroyer tender quickly had her back in fighting trim. Normandy landings, Operation Anvil On 5 June, McCook departed with Destroyer Squadron 18 (DesRon 18) and ships of Assault Force "O" for the coast of France. Early 6 June, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Ralph Lester Ramey she arrived