USS Mertz (DD-691) was a in the service of the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1972. Namesake Albert Mertz was born on 26 March 1851 in Richmond, Wisconsin. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in June 1872. Commissioned Ensign on 15 July 1873, he was assigned to the Coast Survey on 26 November 1877 until he returned to regular duty in the Navy on 6 July 1878, serving on the and , among other ships. Following promotion to Commander on 11 April 1902, he took command of his first ship, on 20 July 1903. On 20 December 1909 he reported for duty as commandant, Naval Station Cavite and Olongapo, Philippines. Appointed Rear Admiral 20 October 1910, he departed the Philippines on 3 February 1912 to become Governor of the Naval Home, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 25 March. He retired on 26 March 1913 and died at San Diego, California on 21 July 1936. Construction and commissioning Mertz was laid down by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine on 10 May 1943 and launched on 11 September 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Selma M. Allen, daughter of Rear Admiral Mertz The ship was commissioned at Charlestown, Massachusetts on 19 November 1943. Service history Arrival in the Pacific After shakedown off Bermuda, Mertz departed Norfolk, Virginia, 26 January 1944 for the central Pacific, via the Panama Canal and San Diego, California, arriving at Pearl Harbor 5 March. On 9 March, the destroyer got underway for the Marshall Islands as convoy escort, arriving Majuro Atoll 6 days later. Mertz sailed on 22 March to join TG 58.2 and on 26 March and act as escort back to Majuro. En route on 31 March, she caught a Japanese maru at 0600 in the glare of her searchlights. The enemy merchant ship maneuvered to get away, only to go down under the hail of projectiles from Mertz. The task group reached Majuro 6 April. Five days later Mertz steamed for the New Hebrides as a screen for the escort carrier , arriving at Espiritu Santo on 15 April. In mid-May, the destroyer returned to Pearl Harbor to prepare for the Marianas campaign. She took fire support and patrol station close ashore to Saipan on 14 June, pounding gun emplacements in the daytime and at night maintaining illumination over the enemy lines until 22 June, when she began screening convoys.