Destroyer is a 1943 American war film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Edward G. Robinson.

Steve "Boley" Boleslavski is working a shipyard on the Pacific coast building a new destroyer to serve in the Second World War: the John Paul Jones.

The crew decide the ship is jinxed after being demoted to carrying mail and being told to not join up with the task force and write transfer requests which even Mickey can't prevent.

Lieutenant Commander Donald Smith, the film's technical advisor, served as Navigation Officer on USS Arizona until one month before the ship was sunk at Pearl Harbor.

At the time of the film, the Navy also had a destroyer called Paul Jones named for the historical figure.

Currently operating with the US Navy is the USS John Paul Jones, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer (DDG-53).