USS Noa

The USS Noa (DD-343) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Love Allen Noa, a U.S. Navy officer who died in 1913 while rescuing a fellow sailor, she was commissioned in 1922.

Throughout her career, the Noa primarily served in the Pacific. In the interwar period, she participated in fleet exercises and patrols.

During World War II, the USS Noa was involved in convoy escort duties and anti-submarine patrols in the Pacific Theater. On August 27, 1944, while acting as a target for gunnery practice, the Noa was accidentally rammed by the transport USS Robert F. Stockton (AP-147) in the Solomon Islands. The collision was severe, and the Noa was cut in two. The forward section of the Noa sank almost immediately, while the stern section remained afloat for a time. Due to the extent of the damage and the operational demands of the war, the Noa was deemed beyond salvage and was sunk by gunfire from the USS Ringgold (DD-500) later that day. The USS Noa was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on October 16, 1944.