USS Nelson (DD-623), a , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Charles P. Nelson, who served during the Spanish–American War and World War I. Nelson was laid down on 7 May 1942 at the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey and launched on 15 September 1942 sponsored by Mrs. Nelson Stewart, daughter of Rear Admiral Nelson. The ship was commissioned on 26 November 1942. Service history After shakedown along the Atlantic coast, Nelson reported to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet on 21 January 1943. Through 29 May, she operated on convoy duty as flagship of Destroyer Squadron 17, making runs to Bermuda, Port of Spain, Trinidad, Dakar, French West Africa; Aruba, Netherlands West Indies; Casablanca; and Gibraltar. Invasion of Sicily, 1943 Upon completion of a short training period at Norfolk, Virginia, Nelson got underway 7 June to take part in the invasion of Sicily. During the crossing she screened the cruiser , arriving at Algiers on 20 June. Serving as flagship for Commander Task Force 81 (TF 81) during the Sicily operation, Nelson was assigned duty with the central part of the Western Task Force. This group was to land assault troops on beachheads near Gela, Sicily, to expand the captured area, and to seize the nearby airfield at Ponte Olivo. At 02:46 on 10 July the first assault waves hit the Gela beaches. Plunging in through the breakers, the shock troops encountered light opposition. But furious gunfire raked the follow-up waves. Caught in the blue-white glare of searchlights, landing craft were subjected to intense fire, and LCIs took direct hits. At 03:00 Nelson commenced figure eight patrols to the east of the transports. Shortly after dawn Axis aircraft joined the fight, flying out of the Acate River valley on the eastern coast and attempting to bomb and strafe Allied ships, landing craft, and beaches. Nelson fired sporadically at the planes throughout the day. At 12:30 she received word that the destroyer had been sunk. Enemy aircraft continued the attack the next day, delivering a high level bombing attack on Nelsons area and obtaining a direct hit on the Liberty ship . By 23:02 the ships commenced laying a heavy smoke screen, and the Axis attacks were beaten off. German dive bombers buzzed in on a surprise attack from the northeast at 17:33 on 12 July, dropping bombs and making