World War II Database

Contributor: David Stubblebine

ww2dbaseFletcher-class destroyer Nicholas was laid down at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, United States on 3 Mar 1941. An earlier destroyer USS Nicholas (Clemson-class DD-311) was lost in the Honda Point Disaster of 8 Sep 1923. Both ships were named for Samuel Nicholas, the first officer commissioned into the Continental Marines, the first officer to lead an amphibious landing of troops for the United States, and generally considered the first commandant of the Marine Corps (although that was not his title).

ww2dbaseThe Fletcher-class Nicholas was launched 19 Feb 1942 with Samuel Nicholas's great-great granddaughter, Mrs. Florence Tryon, as sponsor (Mrs. Tryon also sponsored the third USS Nicholas in 1984). USS Nicholas was commissioned on 4 Jun 1942 at the Boston Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts, United States with Lieutenant Commander William Brown in command. After a shakedown period, Nicholas was assigned to escort battleship USS South Dakota from Maine to the Delaware Capes. During that transit, on 25 Jul 1942, the destroyer dropped five depth charges on a suspicious sound contact. Although there were no observable results, these were Nicholas's first shots of the war.

ww2dbaseOn 23 Aug 1942, Nicholas departed New York as an escort for battleship USS Washington bound for the Panama Canal. At Panama, Nicholas's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander William Brown, was promoted to full Commander. Washington and Nicholas transited the canal on 28 Aug 1942 and sailed southwest toward Tongatabu, Tonga.

ww2dbaseNicholas crossed the equator for the first time on 1 Sep 1942, 500 miles west of the Galapagos Islands. After stopping briefly at Tonga, Nicholas proceeded independently to Nouméa, New Caledonia. Nicholas began escorting supply convoys between staging bases at Nouméa, Efate, Espiritu Santo, and Guadalcanal. Nicholas first arrived off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands on 2 Oct 1942 with aerial combat going on overhead. The following morning, Nicholas was directed to pick up a downed Marine Corps pilot who had parachuted into the water. As Nicholas was responding, a Japanese aircraft attacked the man (unsuccessfully) and Nicholas fired back. These were Nicholas's first shots at a hostile enemy; they would not be the last.

ww2dbaseMore convoy escorts followed. On 22 Oct 1942 as Nicholas arrived at Guadalcanal escorting a convoy resupply ships, the destroyer was directed to provide direct support fire for the Marines ashore. Nicholas landed over 1,200 shells on targets as directed by Marine spotters before taking aboard twelve wounded Marines for transportation to the Naval Hospital at Nouméa.

ww2dbaseOn 25 Oct 1942, Nicholas joined a task force of heavy ships bound for patrol duty around Savo Island, Solomon Islands. On joining the task force at sea, Nicholas came alongside the flagship, USS Washington. As the two ships drew close together, Nicholas's anchor pressed hard against Washington's side causing minor damage to Nicholas but none to Washington.

ww2dbaseFor the next several weeks, Nicholas continued with this pattern of escorting resupply convoys, escorting larger warships on patrols, and direct infantry support fire. On 16 Jan 1943 at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Captain Robert Briscoe, commander of Nicholas's destroyer squadron, shifted his pennant to USS Nicholas. Briscoe's destroyer group, Destroyer Squadron 5 (DesRon5), was informally known as the Cactus Striking Force. For most of the rest of World War II, Nicholas would serve as her destroyer squadron's flagship.

ww2dbaseOn 24 Jan 1943, Nicholas escorted cruisers USS Nashville and USS Helena on a nighttime bombardment of Vila airstrip on Kolombangara, Solomon Islands. Upon returning to Tulagi, Nicholas had a routine change of command with Nicholas's executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Andrew Hill, relieving Commander Brown as the ship's commanding officer.

ww2dbaseThe following week, Nicholas and sister-ship USS DeHaven screened the landing of Army troops at Verahue on western Guadalcanal. While escorting the transport ships back to base after the landings, Nicholas and DeHaven came under an intense Japanese dive-bomber attack. DeHaven took three bomb hits with one setting off her forward magazine. The ship broke in two and sank quickly. Nicholas was lucky to receive only minor damage and joined the transports in picking up DeHaven survivors. 167 were killed aboard DeHaven and two aboard Nicholas.

ww2dbaseAt Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides on 10 Mar 1943, USS Nicholas transferred from Destroyer Squadron 5 (DesRon5) to Destroyer Squadron 21 (DesRon21) with Commander Francis McInerney in command, again operating from Nicholas. Assignments for the Cactus Striking Force were beginning to involve fewer convoy escorts in the rear areas and more offensive missions in the forward areas. These included shore bombardments of Japanese positions in the northern Solomons and night patrols up the "Slot" (New Georgia Sound). On 13 May 1943, Nicholas and four other destroyers escorted three cruisers on a night bombardment along the shores of Kula Gulf, Solomon Islands. After Nicholas fired 720 shells through her five 5-inch guns, her guns overheated and a shell lodged in the barrel of her No. 3 gun. After a few minutes in the hot gun, the shell exploded and tore apart the gun turret. Destroyer USS Chevalier suffered a similar explosion in her No. 4 gun. There were no injuries on either ship.

ww2dbaseAfter repairs, Nicholas returned to Kula Gulf six weeks later on 5 Jul 1943 in support of the landings at Rice Anchorage on New Georgia. Nicholas was in a force of three cruisers and four destroyers tasked with shelling Japanese positions along both sides of the gulf. At the same time, four Japanese destroyers entered the gulf from the north. Upon seeing the flashes from the American guns in the darkness, the Japanese commander chose to withdraw but as his ships turned, three destroyers launched a total of fourteen Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes toward the gun flashes. At a range of 22,000 yards (11 nautical miles), one of the torpedoes struck and sank destroyer USS Strong. This is believed to be the longest successful torpedo attack of the war. The Americans never detected the presence of the Japanese destroyers and believed Strong had struck a mine or was torpedoed by a submarine.

ww2dbaseThe next night, Nicholas returned to the same part of the island chain, again with a task unit of three cruisers and four destroyers. In New Georgia Sound at the opening to Kula Gulf, the Americans engaged a Japanese force of ten destroyers. Light cruiser USS Helena (St. Louis-class) fired first. As her guns roared in the darkness, the flashes made a good aiming point and Japanese destroyers Suzukaze and Tanikaze launched Type 93 torpedoes toward the gunfire. The first torpedo to strike Helena caused her bow section to buckle and break away. The second and third torpedoes flooded Helena's engine rooms and the cruiser started settling quickly. Nicholas and destroyer USS Radford stood by to take aboard Helena's crew. Four whaleboats were lowered to search for men in the water. Nicholas had to break away twice to investigate surface contacts so Radford played the primary role in gathering the survivors. Radford brought aboard 444 men and Nicholas 291. All of the Helena sailors were covered in fuel oil and required some degree of medical attention. All four whaleboats were left behind for the benefit of any men who might still be in the water. As Nicholas was departing the area, she exchanged gunfire and torpedoes with Japanese destroyers Amagiri and Mochizuki, which, ironically, were still in the area picking up survivors from the sunken Niizuki. Nicholas and Radford then withdrew to Tulagi.

ww2dbaseWhile all of that was going on just outside Kula Gulf, Japanese destroyers carrying 2,600 reinforcement troops successfully made their run through the gulf and delivered the troops to Vila on southern Kolombangara. For this reason, the Battle of Kula Gulf is largely seen as a tactical draw but a strategic victory for the Japanese. Nevertheless, Nicholas's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Hill, and the commander of Destroyer Squadron 21, Captain McInerney aboard Nicholas, were each awarded the Navy Cross for their actions in this engagement.

ww2dbaseFollowing this battle, Nicholas escorted the cruisers on their withdrawal to Espiritu Santo for regrouping before returning up the "Slot" to Kula Gulf again on 12 Jul 1943. The cruiser force still consisted of three cruisers but the destroyer force was more than doubled from earlier sorties. Shortly after midnight on 13 Jul 1943, this force engaged a Japanese cruiser and five destroyers in New Georgia Sound in what would become known as the Battle of Kolombangara. Nicholas led the five destroyers of DesRon21 in a charging torpedo attack while the cruisers squared off for a gunnery battle. Almost immediately, Japanese cruiser Jintsu came under withering cruiser fire and torpedoes from Nicholas hit Jintsu before she sank. All three Allied cruisers were damaged by torpedoes. Destroyers USS Woodworth and USS Buchanan were damaged in a collision. Radar indicated some Japanese destroyers were breaking off and heading into Kula Gulf and Nicholas led two other destroyers in pursuit, but without results. Japanese destroyer Yukikaze and US destroyer Gwin were each badly damaged. USS Ralph Talbot and USS Maury went to Gwin's aid and took aboard 208 of her crew. Ralph Talbot then scuttled Gwin with torpedoes before the Allied force withdrew to Tulagi.

ww2dbaseNicholas's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Hill, and the commander of Destroyer Squadron 21, Captain McInerney aboard Nicholas, were each awarded the Silver Star for their actions in this engagement. Again, the Japanese accomplished their mission to land reinforcement troops at Vila but, in the larger strategic view, the war was reaching a tipping point where the Japanese were less able to absorb losses while American industry was growing increasingly able to augment American resources. As a war of attrition, the tables were beginning to turn from what they had been at Coral Sea.

ww2dbaseOn the night of 15 Jul 1943, acting on reports from an Australian coast-watcher, Nicholas and her squadron-mates returned to the "Slot" as a covering force for ships sent to pick up more Helena survivors who had made it to the neighboring island of Vella Lavella. This rescuing force traveled beyond Kolombangara, farther up the "Slot" that any Allied ships had ventured thus far in the campaign and very close to the Japanese forward operating base at Buin on Bougainville. After successfully recovering the Helena survivors and as the ships began their retirement, Radford came across an American whaleboat with two men in it. Radford took aboard two Japanese sailors from Jintsu sunk three nights earlier. Later, Nicholas came across another Japanese sailor on a raft but he refused to be rescued.

ww2dbaseFor the next operating period, Nicholas and her squadron-mates acted as escorts for convoys between the Solomon Islands and Espiritu Santo. On 20 Jul 1943 as they were escorting Australian cruisers 200 miles west of Espiritu Santo, HMAS Hobart was struck by a torpedo. Nicholas and Radford stayed with the damaged Hobart as she limped into Espiritu Santo two days later.

ww2dbaseOn 7 Aug 1943 while at Nouméa, New Caledonia, Destroyer Squadron 21, USS Nicholas flagship, experienced a routine change of command with Captain Thomas J. Ryan relieving Captain McInerney. Captain Ryan was a 1923 Medal of Honor recipient and had just completed service as commander of DesRon12 where he had been awarded the Navy Cross a month earlier for actions during the landings at Rendova in the Solomon Islands.

ww2dbaseBy 15 Aug 1943, Nicholas was back in the Solomon Islands covering the Allied landings at Barakoma on Vella Lavella. In the early morning darkness of 18 Aug 1943, Nicholas led three other destroyers in an interdiction sweep up the "Slot." The group engaged a Japanese formation of four destroyers escorting thirteen landing barges to a new base at Horaniu on Vella Lavella. The Japanese destroyers drew the Americans out to open water while the barges took refuge in the many coves along Vella Lavella's northern shore. After the opposing destroyer groups exchanged gunfire and torpedoes without appreciable results, the Americans returned to Vella Lavella where they were able to sink two small Japanese escorts, two motor torpedo boats, and at least one barge. After Nicholas had fired 750 rounds from her 5-inch guns in rapid succession, her No. 1 and No. 2 guns both overheated and jammed. This made no difference this time since the ship had finished her bombardment and the guns functioned properly again once they cooled down.

ww2dbaseDespite neither side being truly pleased with how this engagement unfolded, Nicholas's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Hill, was awarded his second Navy Cross for his actions this night. The Japanese were ultimately successful in establishing the base at Horaniu and over the next several weeks, it was through this base that the Japanese were able to successfully evacuate 9,000 troops from the bypassed Kolombangara Island.

ww2dbaseOn 25 Aug 1943, Nicholas and DesRon21 acted as a covering force for a group of minelayers sowing mines southwest of Kolombangara where Blackett Strait joins Vella Gulf. Coincidentally, these were the same waters where PT-109 was destroyed and sunk three weeks earlier.

ww2dbaseThe following night, Nicholas and Desron12 made one more sweep of Vella Gulf before retiring to Nouméa, New Caledonia. Nicholas went alongside destroyer tender USS Whitney for a period of tender repairs including two days in a floating drydock. Nicholas returned to convoy duty with runs to Milne Bay, New Guinea, Brisbane, Australia, Nouméa, and then back to the Guadalcanal area in Oct 1943. Upon arrival at Tulagi on 3 Oct 1943, DesRon21, USS Nicholas flagship, experienced a routine change of command with Commander Alvin Chandler relieving Captain Ryan.

ww2dbasePatrols up the "Slot" resumed with sinking the occasional small craft and escorting convoys in support of the Vella Lavella operations before departing the Solomon Island area. When Nicholas and DesRon21 detached from the South Pacific fighting forces, Admiral William Halsey dispatched this message to all ships of the squadron:

ww2dbaseA month later, Nicholas joined the screen for aircraft carriers USS Yorktown, USS Lexington (both Essex-class), and USS Cowpens as they launched strikes against the Marshall Island atolls of Makin, Mili, and Jaluit over six consecutive days from 19 to 25 Nov 1943, and then Kwajalein on 4 Dec 1943. Nicholas continued screening the carriers as they retired toward Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, arriving on 9 Dec 1943.

ww2dbaseThe following day while still at Pearl Harbor, Commander Robert Keith relieved Commander Hill as Nicholas's commanding officer. Five days later, Nicholas entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California to begin an overhaul period. After a month, Nicholas departed San Francisco Bay bound for Pearl Harbor. The same day, sister-ship USS O'Bannon departed San Diego also bound for Pearl Harbor. The two ships met at sea and continued on together, arriving on 26 Jan 1944.

ww2dbaseTwo days later, Admiral Chester Nimitz and Rear Admiral James Kauffman, Commander Destroyers Pacific, came aboard USS Nicholas and presented the ship's company with a Presidential Unit Citation for their performance in rescuing men from USS Helena during the action at Kula Gulf on 5-6 July 1943. During his remarks, Nimitz referenced the Solomon Island campaign by saying, "The record of the Nicholas is in a sense the record of one entire phase of the Pacific war."

ww2dbaseNicholas departed Pearl Harbor screening escort carriers bound for the Solomon Islands, arriving at Tulagi on 21 Mar 1944. On 5 Apr 1944, Nicholas departed the Solomon Islands for New Guinea where she spent several days being outfitted with new radio equipment to be a fighter director ship. Nicholas then served as part of the covering force for the landings at Aitape and Hollandia, New Guinea. On 8 May 1944, Nicholas returned to the Solomon Islands. After reforming with the rest of DesRon21, the squadron sailed north to the northern shore of New Ireland Island where they executed an eight-hour bombardment of a Japanese staging area at Madina. Nicholas then spent two weeks as part of a submarine hunter-killer group centered around escort carrier USS Hoggatt Bay in the shipping lanes between Truk and Rabaul. On 10 Jun 1944, Nicholas's squadron-mate USS Taylor made a successful depth charge attack against Japanese submarine RO-111.

ww2dbaseOn 18 Jul 1944 at Blanche Harbor in the Treasury Islands, Destroyer Squadron 21 had a routine change of command with Captain John Ginder relieving Captain Chandler. Nicholas spent the next several weeks on assignments in the Solomon Islands and sailing to and from Seeadler Harbor in the Admiralty Islands. Nicholas then staged at Hollandia, New Guinea for the impending invasion of Morotai in the Molucca Islands. In the days following those landings, Nicholas escorted resupply convoys to and from Morotai before entering a period of tender repairs alongside USS Dobbin at Hollandia.

ww2dbaseOn 23 Oct 1944, Nicholas entered Leyte Gulf in the Philippines as the Leyte Gulf invasion operations were still unfolding. Two days later, Nicholas screened Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf's battleship and cruiser column as they made their withdrawal after the Battle of Surigao Strait. Nicholas spent the following three weeks escorting ships between Leyte Gulf, Seeadler Harbor, and Ulithi in the Caroline Islands. On 13 Nov 1944, 240 miles east of Palau while escorting the cruiser USS St. Louis, Nicholas made sonar contact with a submarine. Nicholas made a depth charge attack and sank Japanese Type-B1 submarine I-38.

ww2dbaseNicholas then joined a battleship force screened by cruisers and destroyers for a three-week assignment patrolling the entrance to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. On 27 Nov 1944, this force came under an intense aerial attack from 20 to 30 Japanese special attack aircraft. In a sustained attack that lasted most of the afternoon, all but two of the airplanes dived on the ships. Nicholas anti-aircraft batteries fired on any target within range. Sub-chaser USS SC-744 was sunk and battleship USS Colorado and cruisers USS St. Louis and USS Montpelier were damaged. The next day, the task group commander specifically ordered Nicholas to fire on a US B-25 Mitchell bomber that was dropping objects near the formation. After Nicholas fired the proverbial "shot across her bow," the bomber left the area undamaged. The day after that, another aerial special attack damaged battleship USS Maryland and destroyers USS Saufley and USS Aulick.

ww2dbaseOn the night of 6-7 Dec 1944, Nicholas and destroyers of DesRon21 made a sweep of Ormoc Bay on the opposite side of Leyte. Finding no Japanese shipping, they conducted a shore bombardment along Apali Point west of Ormoc. Nicholas departed the Philippines the following day for more convoy escort duty touching Hollandia, Seeadler Harbor, Palau, and back to Leyte Gulf. There, Nicholas joined the build-up for the Lingayen Gulf operations on Luzon, Philippines.

ww2dbaseOn 4 Jan 1945, Nicholas and DesRon21 departed Leyte Gulf leading the invasion force bound for Lingayen Gulf. On 5 Jan 1945 as the invasion force rounded the southern tip of Negros Island bound for the Sulu Sea, two torpedoes from a midget submarine passed directly in front of Nicholas. Nicholas and USS Taylor attacked. A TBM Avenger from the combat air patrol dropped an aerial depth charge on the submarine as Taylor charged. Taylor simultaneously rammed and depth charged the submarine causing it to break apart and sink.

ww2dbaseNicholas and the invasion force experienced near daily aerial attacks on the way north to Lingayen Gulf. On arrival at the mouth of Lingayen Gulf on 8 Jan 1945, DesRon21 with Nicholas split off to join the aircraft carrier covering force that operated west of Luzon providing air cover for advancing and retiring convoys. On 6 Feb 1945 at Mangarin Bay on Mindoro, Philippines, Commander Dennis Lyndon relieved Commander Keith as commanding officer of USS Nicholas.

ww2dbaseBeginning on 13 Feb 1945, Nicholas and DesRon21 escorted cruisers USS Phoenix and USS Boise on three days of shore bombardment on southern Bataan, Luzon. On 8 Mar 1945, Nicholas and DesRon21 covered the minesweeping operations near Zamboanga on Mindanao in advance of the landings two days later. On 26 Mar 1945, Nicholas again covered pre-invasion minesweepers ahead of the landings on Cebu Island. On 15 Apr 1945, Nicholas, USS O'Bannon, and cruiser USS Phoenix began two days of pre-invasion bombardments of Carabao Island at the entrance to Manila Bay, Philippines.

ww2dbaseOn 24 Apr 1945, Nicholas left the Philippines as part of a task group heading for Tarakan Island, Borneo, Dutch East Indies. After a week of supporting the pre-invasion minesweeping operations at Tarakan, Nicholas and her task group returned to the Philippines where Nicholas entered a floating drydock for two days of general upkeep. Nicholas, O'Bannon, and Taylor then joined the screen for the Third Fleet's Escort Carrier Task Force bound for Okinawa. After only three days of screening the carrier operations east of Okinawa, the destroyers were detached to return Leyte. From there, they escorted the cruiser USS Detroit to Ulithi in the Caroline Islands. At Ulithi on 30 Jun 1945, the commander of DesRon21, Captain Ginder, detached without relief and departed for the United States.

ww2dbaseNicholas left Ulithi on 3 Jul 1945 as an escort for a group of oilers, ammunition ships, and stores ships en route to refuel and rearm the Fast Carrier Task Force carrying out aerial strikes against Japan. During the carriers' last refueling rendezvous on 11 Aug 1945, Nicholas was transferred to the carrier screen. Nicholas was serving in this capacity when hostilities ended. While still at sea, Captain Harry Heneberger came aboard Nicholas on 20 Aug 1945 as Commander of DesRon21 after having formally taken command of the squadron at Pearl Harbor a month earlier.

ww2dbaseUpon Japan's surrender, preparations began immediately for accepting the formal surrender, disarming Japanese forces, and repatriating prisoners of war. Admiral Halsey was tasked with arranging for the fleet's entry into Tokyo Bay. Halsey, aboard USS Missouri, specifically selected destroyers USS Nicholas, USS O'Bannon, and USS Taylor to escort his flagship. He chose these veterans of the Cactus Striking Force as recognition for their service from the early days of slugging their way up the Solomon Island chain, through the Philippines, and all the way to Japan. On 27 Aug 1945, Nicholas met with Japanese destroyer Hatuzakura at sea and took aboard two Japanese Navy captains, six Japanese interpreters, and 13 harbor pilots. The two captains, one interpreter, and one pilot were transferred to Missouri with the other personnel transferred to other ships of the fleet as required. Missouri, Nicholas, and her squadron-mates then anchored in Sagami Bay, Japan, within sight of Mount Fuji. On 29 Aug 1945 as Missouri became the first US warship to enter Tokyo Bay, Nicholas was at her side. Battleship USS Iowa trailed Missouri with O'Bannon at her side, and Taylor trailing.

ww2dbaseOn 1 Sep 1945, the day before the formal surrender signing ceremony aboard Missouri, Nicholas shifted to the Yokohama Customs House Pier and USS Lansdowne moored alongside. The next day, the Japanese surrender party of eleven officers and diplomats crossed Nicholas's deck to board Lansdowne for transportation to Missouri. Nicholas then took aboard 58 senior US Army officers and 29 senior officers from seven Allied nations for transportation to Missouri. After the ceremony, Lansdowne and Nicholas reversed the process before resuming their berths near Missouri.

ww2dbaseAs part of the effort to locate and release Allied prisoners of war, Nicholas departed Tokyo Bay for a brief stop off Hamamatsu before entering Ishinomaki Bay, Japan where she received aboard 250 released Allied prisoners representing four Allied nations. Nicholas brought these men to Tokyo Bay where they were transferred to troop ships or hospital ships, as needed.

ww2dbaseOn 1 Oct 1945, Nicholas departed Tokyo with a large formation of warships as part of Operation Magic Carpet. The group sailed to Okinawa where they embarked thousands of US servicemen for return to the United States. Nicholas arrived at Seattle, Washington, United States on 19 Oct 1945 before shifting to San Pedro, California. She began a deactivation overhaul on 7 Nov 1945, was decommissioned on 12 Jun 1946, and then placed in reserve.

ww2dbaseNicholas remained in "mothballs" until the Korean conflict when she began a recommissioning refit in Nov 1950. On 19 Feb 1951, USS Nicholas was recommissioned at Mare Island Naval Shipyard with Commander Harry Mason in command. Fittingly, she was recommissioned in a joint ceremony with USS O'Bannon, the ship that sat beside Nicholas on the ways at Bath Iron Works in Maine and sailed side-by-side with Nicholas through much of World War II. Nicholas and O'Bannon would go on to sail parallel paths throughout their second lives as well.

ww2dbaseNicholas made two tours to Korea followed by routine rotations to the Far East, including as a support ship for the Castle atomic bomb tests, and then three tours in Vietnam. In 1968, she was part of the recovery groups for the Apollo 7 and Apollo 8 space flight missions.

ww2dbaseOn 30 Jan 1970, having served as the Navy's oldest active destroyer for eight years already, USS Nicholas was decommissioned in a ceremony at Pearl Harbor, again side by side with O'Bannon. At the time they were retired, only seven other Fletcher-class destroyers remained in service with the United States Navy. Retired Rear Admiral Andrew Hill, Nicholas plank-owner, initial executive officer, and second commanding officer, travelled to Hawaii to be a present at Nicholas's decommissioning. He then arranged for the ship's bell to be placed on permanent display at the Marine Barracks in Washington, DC. Nicholas was towed from Pearl Harbor to Portland, Oregon, and broken up in 1972.

ww2dbaseNicholas earned 16 battle stars in World War II, 5 battle stars in Korea, and 9 battle stars in Vietnam. Measured only in terms of battle stars, this made USS Nicholas the most decorated ship in United States Navy history.

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