USS Spence (DD-512), a Fletcher class destroyer, was laid down on 18 May 1942 by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched on 27 October 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Eben Learned; and commissioned on 8 January 1943. The ship was named for Robert T. Spence, superintendent of the construction of USS Ontario (1813), and captain of USS Cyane (1815). Spence conducted her shakedown cruise out of Guantanamo Bay from 8 to 28 February. She then served as an escort in the Atlantic and Caribbean and had convoy duty in the Casablanca area in April. She was routed to the west coast and, on 25 July, got underway from San Francisco for Pearl Harbor, to serve in the Pacific against the Japanese in World War II. History Spence sailed on 25 August as a unit of Task Group (TG) 1.2 consisting of the light carriers and to support troops who took possession of Baker Island on 1 September. On the 13 September, she proceeded to Efate and arrived at Havannah Harbor on 18 September. Spence was attached to Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 46 of Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 23. The squadron sailed on 22 September for Tulagi, Solomon Islands. On the 28th, she set a surface craft on fire with her main batteries near Kolombangara and then patrolled between that island and Vella Lavella. On the night of 1 and 2 October, Spence was with a force off Vella Lavella to interdict Japanese shipping and helped to destroy 20 Japanese barges. The DD then made two escort runs from Tulagi to Purvis Bay during the first part of the month and ended October supporting landings on the Treasury Islands. Capt. Arleigh A. Burke assumed command of DesRon 23 on 23 October, and the squadron became known as the "Little Beavers." On 1 November, Spence participated in the bombardment of Buka and Bonis airfields and of Japanese positions in the Shortland Islands to support the Landings at Cape Torokina, Bougainville. Battle of Empress Augusta Bay In the early hours of 2 November, Task Force 39 intercepted an enemy force of two heavy and two light cruisers with six destroyers steaming towards Empress Augusta Bay. At 02:31, Spence made radar contact at . While closing the target, she received a hit below the water line but continued in action. The destroyer fired a spread of torpedoes at a ship away and was rewarded with black