▁under ▁the ▁l end - lease ▁program ; ▁launched ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 3 ; ▁spons or ▁unknown ▁( L t . ▁Com dr . ▁W int le ' s ▁wid ow ▁spons ored ▁DE - 2 6 6 ▁which ▁ship ▁carried ▁the ▁name ▁W int le ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁B DE - 2 5 ▁was ▁launched ); ▁real located ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁on ▁ 4 ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 3 ; ▁named ▁W int le ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁when ▁DE - 2 6 6 ▁was ▁allocated ▁to ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁as ▁her ▁replacement ; ▁and ▁commission ed ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁L t . ▁Com dr . ▁Leonard ▁W . ▁Ba iley , ▁US NR , ▁in ▁command . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁Pacific ▁Theater ▁operations ▁ ▁W int le ▁completed ▁sh aked own ▁training ▁in ▁late ▁July ▁and ▁early ▁August ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Mare ▁Island ▁Navy ▁Y ard ▁for ▁post - sh aked own ▁rep airs . ▁On ▁ 2 1 ▁September , ▁she ▁put ▁to ▁sea ▁with ▁a ▁Hawai i - bound ▁con voy ▁and ▁arrived ▁at ▁Pear l ▁Har bor ▁on ▁ 8 ▁October . ▁She ▁depart ed ▁O ahu , ▁Hawai i , ▁almost ▁immediately ▁to ▁return ▁home ▁in ▁the ▁screen ▁of ▁another ▁con voy ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁October . ▁On ▁the ▁ 2 5 th , ▁the ▁destroy er ▁esc ort ▁stood ▁out