Foote was named for Andrew Hull Foote, who commanded the gunboats on the western rivers in the Civil War and died in 1863 on his way to a new squadron. She was a Fletcher-class destroyer, DD-511. Bath Iron Works laid her down on 14 April 1942, launched her on 11 October 1942, and commissioned her on 22 December 1942. Commander Bernard L. Austin had her at the start. By the autumn of 1943 he commanded the rear division, and Commander Alston Ramsay had the ship.
On the night of 1–2 November 1943 she was the last ship in that rear division, off Empress Augusta Bay, behind Spence, Thatcher, and Converse. Burke's van was ahead. Merrill's flag was in Montpelier.
The usual account is that a torpedo from Sendai's spread hit her and wrecked her steering. The stern was opened. She could not steer. She was not sunk. Charles Ausburne stood by her. The cruisers sank Sendai. That fire is not credited to one ship. Foote did not sink her.
The broken stern was cut back, and she was towed to San Diego for repairs. She returned to the war. She was decommissioned on 18 April 1946 and sold for scrap on 2 January 1974.