The USS Lang (DD-399) was a Benham-class destroyer built for the United States Navy, commissioned in 1939 and serving prominently during World War II. Constructed by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Kearny, New Jersey, she was laid down on April 5, 1937, and launched on August 27, 1938. The vessel was sponsored by Mrs. William D. Leahy and officially commissioned on March 30, 1939. The USS Lang measured approximately 348 feet in length, with a beam of 36 feet, and a standard displacement of around 1,600 tons. Her armament included guns and torpedoes typical of Benham-class destroyers, designed for multi-role operations including escort, patrol, and shore bombardment. Initially, the USS Lang departed from New York in August 1939 to escort President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his passage to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Throughout 1940 and early 1941, she operated along the West Coast and in Hawaii, engaging in fleet exercises, escort duties, and training. As tensions escalated, she participated in antisubmarine training and screening operations off the Maine coast and Bermuda. Her wartime service included escorting aircraft carriers and participating in critical operations across the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. Notably, she was part of Force "W" that delivered Spitfires to Malta, and she played a role in the Guadalcanal campaign, including shelling Japanese positions and engaging enemy destroyers. She participated in the Battle of Kula Gulf, where she helped sink Japanese destroyers, and supported operations during the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaigns, including the invasion of Kwajalein and the Mariana campaign. Lang also took part in the Leyte Gulf and Okinawa battles, where she provided screening for carrier operations and claimed multiple kamikaze kills. Throughout her service, the USS Lang demonstrated versatility and resilience, surviving kamikaze attacks and heavy enemy air assaults. After the war, she was decommissioned in October 1945, sold in December 1945, and scrapped in 1947. Her distinguished service earned her 11 battle stars, marking her as a significant vessel in the naval operations of World War II.

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