USS Smith, a 1480-ton Mahan class destroyer, was built at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California. She was commissioned in September 1936 and served with the U.S. Fleet for the rest of the decade and into the 1940s. Following the outbreak of the Pacific War in December 1941, she operated in the west coast and Hawaiian areas, mainly on escort duty.

Smith went to the south Pacific in October 1942 to join in the fight to hold Guadalcanal. Later in that month, while screening USS Enterprise (CV-6) during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, she was hit by a Japanese torpedo bomber that deliberately crashed into her forward superstructure. Despite extensive damage and the loss of nearly sixty crewmen, the destroyer put out her fires and continued to defend her task force.

Following repairs, Smith operated on antisubmarine and other service in the south Pacific area from February until May 1943. She was assigned to the Seventh Fleet in June to take part in the series of offensive operations then in preparation along the northern coast of New Guinea. In August and September, she used her guns to bombard Japanese positons at Finschhafen, Huon Gulf and Lae. On 3 October 1943, Smith was present when USS Henley (DD-391) was sunk by a Japanese submarine. She supported landings at Arawe and Cape Gloucester, New Britain, in late 1943 and early 1944 and in the Admiralty Islands in February 1944.

In July-October 1944, after a west coast overhaul, Smith performed training, patrol and escort work in the central Pacific. She rejoined the Seventh Fleet in late October and participated in the Ormoc Bay landing, on Leyte, in December 1944. During that operation, she escaped damage during several attacks by Japanese suicide planes. In January 1945, Smith took part in the Lingayen Gulf invasion. From then until mid-August, she was active in the Philippines and Borneo, escorting convoys, and providing gunfire support for landings at Palawan, Cebu, Tarakan Island and Balikpapan. She was hit by Japanese artillery on 1 July 1945, while shelling Balikpapan, but was only slightly damaged and used her own guns to silence the enemy battery.

Following the end of the Pacific War, Smith transported Allied prisoners of war from Japan to Okinawa, then sailed to California, where she arrived in mid-November 1945. Sent to Pearl Harbor late in the year, she remained there until decommissioned in late June 1946. USS Smith was stricken from the Navy list in February 1947 and sold in August of that year.

USS Smith was named in honor of Lieutenant Joseph B. Smith (1826-1862), Executive Officer of USS Congress , who was killed in action during her 8 March 1862 Battle with CSS Virginia.