A Hull Number is not unique to a single ship in the navy, but to a single ship of a specific type. Hull numbers can be the same for two different ships of different types.
There is a Carrier,a Battleship and a Missile Cruiser, all three with hull number 63 for example.
USS Kitty Hawk is CV 63.
USS Cowpens is CG 63.
USS Missouri is BB 63.
But there could not be two carriers with 63 or two Cruisers with 63, or two battleships with 63. The number is unique within the ship TYPE.
While DD 298 was USS Perceval... DE 298 was a cancelled Rudderow-class destroyer escort, never built.
The ship seen in the Pearl Harbor attack is clearly a real vessel, not a model and clearly WAS built. It is also clearly not Clemson Class "four piper" destroyer either (which is what USS Perceval was). It is also not a Fletcher Class DD as you think, too many details such as number and position of Gun turrets, etc... are completely wrong. The Vessel used looks like a John C Butler Class DE, of which some were still around in the 1960's when this was filmed.
In all likelihood, they took a real Butler class DE, repainted the name (on the stern) and Hull number to that of a Fictional Rudderow class DE 298 USS Cassidy, in order to avoid using the actual hull number of a real vessel for their fictional destroyer.
Oh and SS 298 is USS Lionfish
I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!
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