USS Duncan, a 1630-ton Gleaves class destroyer built at Kearny, New Jersey, was commissioned in mid-April 1942. She departed the Atlantic coast for the Pacific in June and arrived at Espiritu Santo, New Caledonia, in September to participate in the campaign to hold Guadalcanal against an intense Japanese counter-offensive. On 15 September 1942, she was present when USS Wasp (CV-7) was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. When Wasp had to be scuttled, Duncan rescued hundreds of the carrier's crewmembers.

During the next weeks Duncan escorted Navy carriers and transports as they pushed reinforcements into the embattled Guadalcanal lodgment. On 11-12 October, she was part of a cruiser-destroyer task force that intercepted Japanese warships en route to bombard the U.S. position. In the resulting Battle of Cape Esperance, she made a heroic charge against the enemy. Her torpedoes and gunfire contributed to the fatal damage inflicted on the Japanese heavy cruiser Furutaka. In return, however, Duncan was repeatedly hit and set afire. After salvage efforts proved futile, she sank off Savo Island on 12 October 1942.