USS Evans (DD-552)

The USS Evans (DD-552) was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Rear Admiral Robley Dunglison Evans, a veteran of the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War, she was commissioned in December 1943 and served in the Pacific Theater.

The Evans participated in numerous major operations, including the Battle of Saipan, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Her actions during the Battle off Samar, part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, earned her the Presidential Unit Citation. In this engagement, despite facing a vastly superior Japanese force, the Evans, along with other destroyers and destroyer escorts, launched aggressive torpedo attacks and provided crucial screening for escort carriers, helping to delay the Japanese and protect the vulnerable carriers.

The Evans sustained heavy damage during the Battle off Samar, but she remained in service. Following repairs, she continued to operate in the Pacific until the end of the war. After World War II, she was placed in reserve and eventually decommissioned in 1949.

In 1957, the Evans was transferred to Greece under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program and renamed Velos (D-16). She served in the Hellenic Navy until 1991. After being decommissioned by the Greek Navy, Velos was preserved as a museum ship, commemorating her service in both the U.S. and Greek navies, and is docked in Palaio Faliro, Athens. The Velos is notable for a 1973 mutiny against the Greek junta, during which her captain sought asylum in Italy.