USS Cassin was launched at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard simultaneously with a sister ship, the USS Shaw on Navy Day, 1935. Entering service in late 1936, she steamed with the Atlantic fleet until 1938 until she and her crew were transferred to the Pacifc. She was in drydock with the destroyer USS Downes and battleship USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) on December 7th, 1941 for the Japanese attack on pearl harbor.

Bombs damaged both destroyers, and with no water available to fight the fires the ships had to be abandoned. The drydock was flooded to try and fight the fires but this cause Cassin to roll off of her blocks and lean up against the USS Downes.

Both ships were originally written off, but were later salvaged and returned to service. Cassin's gear was still good and was removed and sent to the Mare Island Navy Yard in California where it was installed in a new hull and rechristened USS Cassin. The new and improved ship served the rest of the war and was scrapped in 1947.