USS McCall (DD-400)

Capt. Edward R. McCall, born in 1790 in South Carolina, was appointed midshipman 1 January 1808. Appointed acting lieutenant in brig Enterprise 16 October 1811, he took command of his ship during her action with HMS Boxer 5 September 1813, early in which Enterprise's captain, Lt. William Burrows, was mortally wounded. In acknowledgment of his victory over Boxer, McCall received the thanks of Congress and a gold medal. Promoted to captain 3 March 1835, he died at his home in Bordentown, N.J., 1 August 1853.

The second McCall (DD‑400) was laid down 17 March 1936 at the Union Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., San Francisco, Calif.; launched 20 November 1937; sponsored by Miss Eleanor Kempff; and commissioned 22 June 1938, Lt. Comdr. J. H. Whelchel in command.

Assigned to the Pacific, McCall reported for duty in Destroyers, Battle Force, 16 January 1039. Less than 2 years later, on 7 December 1941, she was steaming with the carrier Enterprise en route to Pearl Harbor from Wake when she received word of the Japanese attack on the former. McCall's task force (TF 8) immediately commenced a search for the Japanese Fleet. By the time the force returned to Pearl Harbor only one enemy vessel had been sighted, the submarine I‑70 which was sunk by the force-s aircraft on the 10th. For the remainder of 1941 McCall, in the screen of Enterprise, stayed in the Hawaiian Islands area to guard against followup attack by the Asiatic enemy.

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From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (McCall II (DD-400)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.