1944. D-Day.
It's a bit surprising that with all the German defences, only one major warship was sunk, the USS Corry.
Besides giving good gunfire support to the landing force, her other claim to fame is rarely mentioned.
During an upkeep in Boston navy yard, she was tied up next to a cruiser. A working party noticed a crate on the pier. It was clearly marked for the cruiser and also labeled "Ice Cream Machine."
In the best naval tradition of cutting out valuable treasures, that night the crew painted over the cruisers name and stencilled on the Corry. Next day, yard workers craned it onto the destroyer.
(a these machines could work with real dairy, but after a few days at sea, used a powder mix to create it de cream. Connoisseurs hated the stuff, but like powdered milk, was better than doing without.)
"These things must be done delicately-- or you hurt the spell." - The Wicked Witch of the West.
"We've got the torpedo damage temporarily shored up, the fires out and soon will have the ship back on an even keel. But I would suggest, sir, that if you have to take any more torpedoes, you take 'em on the starboard side." Pops Healy, DCA USS Lexington.