Converse was named for George Albert Converse, a torpedo specialist who finished his career as chief of the Bureau of Navigation. She was a Fletcher-class destroyer, DD-509. Bath Iron Works laid her down on 23 February 1942, launched her on 30 August 1942, and commissioned her on 20 November 1942. Commander DeWitt Clinton Ellis Hamberger was her captain.
On the night of 1–2 November 1943 she was in the rear destroyer division off Empress Augusta Bay. Commander Bernard L. Austin had that division: Spence, Thatcher, Converse, and Foote. Burke's van, ahead of them, was Charles Ausburne, Dyson, Stanly, and Claxton. The cruisers sank Sendai. That fire is not credited to one ship.
The usual account is that a torpedo from Sendai's spread wrecked Foote's steering. Foote was not sunk. Spence was hit below the waterline and was not sunk. Converse was not sunk. Hatsukaze was finished by American destroyers after Myoko cut off her bow. Converse is not one of the ships named for that fire.
She was decommissioned on 23 April 1946 and transferred to Spain on 1 July 1959.