USS Norman Scott (DD-690)

USS Norman Scott (DD-690) was a United States Navy Fletcher-class destroyer named for Rear-Admiral Norman Scott (1889–1942), who was killed in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal and awarded the Medal of Honor.

Norman Scott was laid down 26 April 1943 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched 28 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Norman Scott; and commissioned 5 November 1943, Commander Seymour D. Owens in command.

History
On 14 January 1944, Norman Scott left Boston, escorting Canberra (CA-70) to Pearl Harbor, arriving 1 February. Immediately, she served in the Marshall Islands Operations, accompanying Gambier Bay (CVE-73) to newly-won Majuro. She returned to Pearl Harbor to prepare for the Mariana Islands Operations, during which she escorted heavy bombardment ships as well as conducting fire support missions of her own, during the invasions of Saipan, 15 June, and of Tinian. While firing on the latter 24 July,during the invasion of Tinian the battle ship USS Colorado BB 45 was being attacked by shore batteries. While drawing fire away from the USS Colorado the Norman Scott was hit six times within a few seconds by counterfire. The USS Norman Scott lost her captain, Seymour Owens, and 22 others, with an additional 57 wounded. Temporary repairs were made at Saipan. On the 28th, she sailed for Pearl Harbor and Mare Island Naval Shipyard, where permanent repairs were completed on 21 October. The USS Norman Scott was the star of a World War II RKO-Pathe film entitled This is America-Navy Yard in October 1944. It was about her repair after being hit at Tinian by Japanese shore batteries on 24 July 1944.

Norman Scott trained her new crew in Hawaiian waters, then sailed for Manus, from which she escorted transports to the Philippines until 9 February 1945. She then joined the fast carrier task forces of the 5th and 3rd Fleets, ranging the western Pacific for strikes which supported the assaults on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Later in the war, she closed the Japanese home shores as battleships bombarded them. On 15 July 1945, the Norman Scott joined the battleships Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa and the destroyers Remey and McGowan in attacking the sea port city of Muroran. These were the first surface ships to bomb the Japanese homeland. The USS Norman Scott was part of the famed squadron DesRon 54 that opened the battle at Surigao Strait. The Norman Scott was leaving Mare Island on 21 October 1944 after her repair to join her sister ships of Desron 54.

After supporting the occupation of the Japanese naval base at Yokosuka, Norman Scott returned briefly to Okinawa, then proceeded to the west coast, arriving for Navy Day (27 October) celebrations at Tacoma, Washington. After operating out of San Francisco, she was decommissioned 30 April 1946 and was berthed in reserve at San Diego, moving in 1947 to Mare Island. Norman Scott was stricken 15 April 1973. She was sold for scrap on 3 December 1973.

Norman Scott received seven battle stars for World War II service.