The USS Little (DD-803) was a Fletcher-class destroyer built for the United States Navy during World War II. Laid down on September 13, 1943, by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation in Seattle, Washington, she was launched on May 22, 1944, and commissioned on August 19, 1944. As a Fletcher-class vessel, she featured the typical characteristics of this class, which was known for its versatility and durability, although specific dimensions and armament details are not provided in the source. Following her commissioning, USS Little underwent training off the U.S. West Coast before departing Seattle on November 11, 1944, to escort a convoy to Pearl Harbor. She arrived there on November 23 and engaged in gunnery training and battle exercises. In January 1945, she participated in rehearsals for the invasion of Iwo Jima, departing with a group of LSTs from Eniwetok and later conducting final preparations at Saipan. She took part in the initial shore bombardments at Iwo Jima starting February 19, providing fire support for ground forces until February 24. After Iwo Jima, Little returned to Saipan for additional bombardment, screening, and radar picket duties, then moved to prepare for the Okinawa invasion. During the Okinawa campaign, she was part of a demonstration group tasked with feigning landings to divert enemy attention. She subsequently screened transports, escorted LSTs, and served on picket duty, remaining unscathed during these operations despite intense enemy kamikaze attacks. On May 3, 1945, USS Little was engaged in picket duty off Okinawa when her luck ran out. During an attack by 18 to 24 aircraft, she was hit multiple times by kamikazes—breaking her keel, demolishing her amidship section, and damaging her machinery spaces. She sank at 19:55 after breaking apart, resulting in the loss of approximately 31 crew members and injuries to 49 others. USS Little earned two battle stars for her service in World War II, marking her as a notable participant in key Pacific battles despite her relatively short operational history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.