The second USS Perkins, DD 377, was laid down 15 November 1934 at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Puget Sound, Wash., launched 31 December 1935; sponsored by Mrs. Larz Anderson; and commissioned 18 September 1936, Lt. Comdr. Samuel P. Jenkins in command.

George Hamilton Perkins was born 20 October 1835 at Hopkinton, New Hampshire and appointed midshipman in 1851.    During the Civil War, he served under Farragut in opening the Mississippi River and in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron at Mobile Bay.    His naval career continued until 1899. He died at Boston 28 October of that year.

   Assigned first to Destroyers, Scouting Force then to Destroyers, Battle Force, Perkins was homeported at San Diego and operated in the eastern Pacific prior to World War II. At Mare Island for overhaul, 7 December 1941, she reported for convoy escort duty on the 15th and on the 17th was enroute to Pearl Harbor. By 15 January 1942 she was back at Mare Island for the installation of new radar equipment and on the 25th she returned to Hawaii.
   On 2 February she departed Pearl Harbor with Chicago for the southwest Pacific. On the 14th she joined Australian, New Zealand and other U.S. ships in the ANZAC Squadron then charged with protecting the eastern approaches to Australia and New Zealand. Through the spring, she continued operations with that squadron, steaming at times with fast carrier forces as they plied the Coral Sea to strike at enemy encroachments, escorting refueling units to rendezvous areas and screening larger ships of her own and combines forces as they blasted enemy positions from New Guinea to the Solomons.
   On 1–2 May, the squadron joined with TF 11 and TF 17 then screened the carriers of those forces as their planes struck at Tulagi to open the Battle of the Coral Sea. Detached on the 7th, the squadron steamed to the Louisiade Archipelago to intercept a Japanese amphibious attack on Port Moresby via the Jomard Passage. That afternoon the ships were attacked by land based planes and in driving them off contributed to the diverting of the Japanese force, thus accomplishing the mission without engaging the enemy ships and setting the stage for the final action of the Battle of the Coral Sea the carrier battle on 8 May. (continued)