USS Meredith (DD-726)

USS Meredith (DD-726), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Jonathan Meredith, a Marine sergeant who saved the life of Lieutenant John Trippe of Vixen, during the Barbary Wars.

Meredith was laid down on 26 July 1943 by Bath Iron Works Corporation, Bath, Maine; launched on 21 December 1943, sponsored by Mrs. William Kepper; and commissioned on 14 March 1944, with Commander George Knuepfer in command.

Service history
After shakedown off Bermuda, Meredith departed Boston on 8 May 1944 as an escort in a convoy, arriving Plymouth, England, on the 27th. Between 5 and 6 June, she served as escort to transports assembling for the Normandy invasion. On 6 June, Meredith gave gunfire support to the landing forces on Utah Beach. Early in the morning of the following day, while patrolling the offshore waters as a screening vessel, she struck a mine. Severely damaged, with a loss of seven killed and over 50 wounded and missing, Meredith was towed to an anchorage in the Baie de la Seine to be salvaged. However, on the morning of 9 June, her seams were further opened by an enemy bombing raid and shortly after she broke in two without warning and sank. USS Bates (DE-68) rescued 163 survivors.

On 5 August 1960, the sunken hulk was sold to St. Française de Recherches of France. The hulk of the Meredith was raised and scrapped in September 1960.

Awards
Meredith received one battle star for World War II service.