World War II Ship History

Moments after Mrs. H. A. Baldridge cracked a bottle of champagne across USS Taylor’s bow on 7 June 1942, DD 468 slid down the Bath Iron Works ways into the Kennebec River, and into World War II. The ship was commissioned at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston on 28 August 1942, and exactly three years later Taylor was anchored in Tokyo Bay, awaiting the formal surrender of the Empire of Japan. USS Taylor (DD 468) led the fleet into Japanese waters, having earned the honor by her exemplary record in battle throughout the war. USS Taylor World War II Ship History.