USS Dashiell (DD-659) was a destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Robert B. Dashiell (1860–1899). Dashiell was launched 6 February 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J. sponsored by Mrs. R. B. Dashiell, widow of Assistant Naval Constructor Dashiell; and commissioned 20 March 1943. Service history World War II Dashiell arrived at Pearl Harbor 24 July 1943 to join the Fast Carrier Task Forces for the raids on Marcus Island of 31 August to 1 September; Tarawa, 18–20 September; and Wake Island, 5–6 October. Arriving at Efate, New Hebrides, 5 November, she prepared for the invasion of the Gilberts and was one of the first to enter the lagoon in the assault on Tarawa 20 November. She passed into the lagoon under heavy enemy fire, took up position just off Tarawa's reef, and opened return fire on shore batteries, enemy strongpoints and an ammunition dump to aid the troops ashore for three days. Following the cessation of hostilities on Tarawa, she was sent to the US west coast for an overhaul. After training exercises in the Hawaiian Islands, Dashiell arrived at Guadalcanal 16 March 1944. She cleared the next day to bombard Kavieng, New Ireland, on 20 March. Dashiell provided fire support, patrol, and convoy escort services from 6 April to 13 May as landings were made on the coast of New Guinea. She returned to Port Purvis on Florida Island in the Solomons 17 May to prepare for the invasion of the Marianas. She sailed 4 June to guard transports held in reserve during the assaults on Saipan and on Tinian, then screened the landings at Guam during which she provided fire support from 20 to 26 July. Her next action took her to Morotai, the stepping stone to the Philippines. Dashiell patrolled and screened transports during the landings there on 18 and 19 September and the reinforcement landings of 1 October. She joined the Northern Attack Force for the initial landings on Leyte at San Pedro Bay, on 20 October and cleared at once for New Guinea to bring transports north for reinforcement landings from 12 to 16 November. She again convoyed troops and supplies from New Guinea bases to Leyte between 24 November and 9 December. Three days later she sortied from Leyte Gulf screening an amphibious group bound for the assault landings at Mindoro. The second day out a kamikaze crashed