The USS Farragut (DD-348) was a Clemson-class destroyer and the lead ship of her class in the United States Navy, named after Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. Laid down on 20 September 1932 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, she was launched on 15 March 1934 and commissioned on 18 June 1934 under Commander Elliott Buckmaster. The vessel measured approximately 1,360 tons standard displacement, with a length of about 314 feet, a beam of around 30 feet, and a draft of roughly 12 feet. She was powered by geared turbines and had a top speed of about 35 knots, with a complement of approximately 110 officers and enlisted personnel. Initially, Farragut's early service focused on developmental operations, cruising along the east coast, in the Caribbean, and the Hawaiian Islands. Notably, she carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Bahamas in 1935. By 1939, she was based at Pearl Harbor, participating in fleet maneuvers, training, and carrier operations, becoming a key part of the Pacific Fleet. During World War II, Farragut played a vital role in major naval engagements. She was present during the attack on Pearl Harbor, where her engineering officer, Ensign James Armen Benham, quickly got her underway and kept up a steady fire, earning the Bronze Star. She participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, escorting and screening aircraft carriers engaged against Japanese forces, and the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, contributing to the U.S. Navy’s efforts to control the Pacific theater. Farragut's service included anti-submarine patrols, escort duties, and screening carriers across the Pacific from the Aleutian Islands to the Philippines. She supported amphibious landings at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, and Guam, often providing bombardments and radar picket duties during critical battles such as the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Later, she supported operations in the Ryukyus, Okinawa, and served in convoy escort roles until the end of the war. Decommissioned on 23 October 1945, Farragut was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1947 and sold for scrap. Her distinguished service earned her 14 battle stars, marking her as a significant vessel in the U.S. Navy’s World War II fleet.

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