The fifth USS Somers, DD 381, was the lead ship of the second class of 1850-ton destroyers leader—the Somers class. She was built at Federal Shipyard & Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey and commissioned 1 December 1937. Though active for only eight years, she

Richard Somers was born in 1778 or 1779 at Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey. As midshipman, he served in frigate United States under Capt. John Barry, operating in the West Indies during the quasi-war with France; then as lieutenant in frigate Boston operating in the Mediterranean.    In 1803, he outfitted schooner Nautilus and, as commanding officer, took her back to the Mediterranean. Operating under Commodore Edward Preble in Constitution against the Barbary pirates, he was promoted master commandant in May 1804 and led a division of gunboats during five attacks on Tripoli.    On 4 September 1804, Somers assumed command of bomb ketch Intrepid, fitted out as a “floating volcano,” to be sailed into Tripoli Harbor and blown up in the midst of the corsair fleet moored close under the city walls. That night, she exploded prematurely, killing Somers and his entire crew of volunteers. Source: Naval Historical Center including Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

accumulated a distinguished record.
   In 1938 she transported a consignment of gold from the Bank of England to New York. Then, attached to Destroyer Squadron 9 with sisters Davis, McDougal, Winslow, Moffett and Jouett and often operating in company with Cruiser Division 2’s Memphis (CL 13), Milwaukee (CL 5), Cincinnati (CL 6) and Omaha (CL 4), she served in the Neutrality Patrol in the Caribbean Sea and the South Atlantic for two years. In November 1941, she and Omaha captured the German freighter Odenwald, while disguised as the American merchantman Willmott. In November 1942, operating with Cincinnati and Milwaukee, she also sank blockade runner Anneliese Essberger and, in January 1944, Westerland.
   Later in 1944, Somers participated in the Normandy and southern France invasions, providing naval gunfire support as well as serving in the anti-submarine screen. On 15 August, four hours before H-Hour, D-Day along the French Riviera, Somers encountered and sank the German corvettes Comascio and Escabort. Following this action, she moved inshore to provide gunfire support to the invasion. For two days she bombarded enemy strongpoints off the coast near Toulon with 5-inch shells and then exchanged fire and hits with enemy shore batteries east of Marseilles.
   Somers earned 10 battle stars in World War II.