USS Townsend

The USS Townsend was a Second Great War U.S. Navy destroyer. She was a modern ship, rated at 35 knots with a main armament of two triple five inch gun turrets fore and aft. In addition, she had a number of twin Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns along with both .50 and .30 calibre machineguns.

In late 1941 George Enos, Jr. was assigned to the Townsend as a shell jerker for one of the anti-aircraft guns under the command of CPO Fremont Blaine Dalby while she was in the Boston Naval Yard for a refit. The Townsend, in a flotilla of three other destroyers and a heavy cruiser, were then sent to reinforce the defences of the Sandwich Islands after the sinking of the USS Remembrance.

Immediately after arriving at the islands, the Townsend along with other destroyers began patrolling the seas north and west towards the Japanese occupied Midway. On one such patrol, she was damaged by Japanese airplane attack sufficiently to require dry-dock repairs.

After the Pacific force was augmented by two escort carriers, the fleet went on the offensive to re-take Midway. However, the island group was discovered abandoned by the Japanese. Since they had failed to take the Sandwich Islands, it made little strategic sense for them to continue the occupation.

The Townsend was then sent to San Diego for refit. She took part in the invasion of Baja California providing off-shore battery support fire. During this mission, the Townsend was attacked and sunk by a Confederate Mule.