USS Barry (DD-248/APD-29) was a Clemson-class destroyer commissioned into the United States Navy shortly after World War I, notable for its active service through the interwar period and World War II. Launched on 28 October 1920 by the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey, and commissioned on 28 December 1920, she initially operated with a partial crew before full commissioning in November 1921. She was named after Commodore John Barry, a prominent figure in American naval history. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, Barry alternated between Atlantic and Pacific deployments, including service in the Mediterranean with the U.S. Naval Detachment in Turkish Waters and routine fleet exercises on both coasts. She participated in early flight guard duties during the Army's "Around the World Flight" in 1923, assisting in rescue operations when an Army plane ditched off Nova Scotia. Her service also included transits of the Panama Canal, fleet maneuvers in the Pacific and Atlantic, and serving as flagship of Destroyer Division 8. With the onset of World War II, Barry was assigned to convoy escort and anti-submarine warfare missions in the Atlantic, operating from bases such as Guantánamo Bay, Curaçao, and Trinidad. In late 1943, she was part of antisubmarine patrols in the North Atlantic, during which she participated in the sinking of U-405 and rescued survivors from the damaged USS Borie. Converted to a high-speed transport (APD-29) in early 1944, Barry took part in the Allied invasion of southern France, landing troops on the islands of Levant and Port Cros, and on the French mainland. She subsequently conducted escort duties in the Mediterranean before heading to the Pacific, arriving at Pearl Harbor in March 1945. During the Okinawa campaign, she was struck by a kamikaze on 25 May 1945, which caused severe damage and casualties. Despite firefighting efforts, she was deemed too damaged to salvage and was decommissioned on 21 June 1945. She was ultimately sunk while being towed as a kamikaze decoy, making her possibly the only U.S. Navy ship to earn battle stars for all three area campaign medals, reflecting her extensive wartime service and combat involvement.

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