The twelfth of 175 Fletchers commissioned (in September 1942), De Haven was built at Bath Iron Works alongside Taylor and named for a 19th century explorer. In November, after shakedown, she sailed for the Pacific and arrived in the Solomon Islands in December.
In January 1943, De Haven was assigned with sisters Fletcher, Radford, Nicholas and O’Bannon to Capt. R.P. Briscoe’s “Cactus Striking Force,” which operated from the Guadalcanal area. She was bombed and sunk there 1 February while in company of Nicholas and landing craft—the last American destroyer lost during the Gualcanal campaign. Enemy resistance on Guadalcanal ended one week later.
On 10 April 1944, USS Tolman (DM 28, ex-DD 740) was laid down at Bath and launched there 13 August. An Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer converted as a Robert H. Smith-class light minelayer, she commissioned 27 October 1944 and decommissioned 29 January 1947, but continued to serve in the US Navy until stricken from the Navy List 1 December 1970.
