USS Hobson (DD-464)

USS "Hobson" (DD-464/DMS-26), a "Gleaves"-class destroyer, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Richmond Pearson Hobson, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Spanish-American War. He would later in his career attain the rank of Rear Admiral and go on to serve as a congressman from the state of Alabama.

"Hobson" (as DD-464) was launched at the Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina, on 8 September 1941; sponsored by Mrs. R. P. Hobson, widow of Rear Admiral Hobson; and commissioned on 22 January 1942, Commander R. N. McFarlane in command.

DD-464

Following extensive shakedown and training operations in Casco Bay, Maine, the new destroyer joined veteran aircraft carrier "Ranger" (CV-4) at Norfolk, Virginia, and sailed on 1 July to escort her to Africa. Carrying a vital cargo of 72 P-40 aircraft. "Ranger" arrived safely via Trinidad, unloaded the planes and returned with "Hobson" on 5 August 1942. The destroyer then conducted training exercises off Newport, Rhode Island, and Norfolk until 3 October, when, she departed Norfolk for Bermuda on escort duty.

As the Allies prepared to land in North Africa, "Hobson" joined the Center Attack Group. Her main job was to screen and to protect "Ranger" while the carrier's mobile air power supported the assault. Departing 25 October from Bermuda, "Hobson"s group arrived off Fedhala on 8 November and as the landings proceeded provided the indispensable air support. "Ranger"s planes hit shore batteries, immobile Vichy French battleship "Jean Bart", and later helped turn back the attack by French ships on the transport area. "Hobson" screened "Ranger" until she sailed 11 November for Norfolk leaving the Allies fully in command of the assault area.

Upon her return to Norfolk on 27 November 1942, the destroyer took part in exercises in Casco Bay, later steaming with a convoy to the Panama Canal Zone in December. The ship again joined "Ranger" in early 1943 and the antisubmarine patrol group sailed on 8 January to patrol the western Atlantic. Groups such as "Ranger"s did much to protect Allied shipping in the Atlantic from U-boats and contributed to the eventual victory in Europe. Typical of "Hobson"s versatile performance was her rescue of a group of survivors from SS "St. Margaret" off Bermuda on 2 March 1943.

In April, "Hobson" and "Ranger" arrived at NS Argentia, Newfoundland, and began operations out of that base. The ships provided air cover for convoys and antisubmarine patrol, and in July 1943 had the honor of convoying RMS "Queen Mary", carrying Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the Quebec Conference. The veteran destroyer arrived Boston 27 July to prepare for new duties.

"Hobson" sailed with "Ranger" and other ships 5 August to join the British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. Arriving 19 August, she operated under Royal Navy orders in northern waters, helping to provide cover for vital supply convoys to Russia. While at Scapa Flow 21 September, she was inspected by Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox and Admiral Harold Rainsford Stark. "Hobson" accompanied "Ranger" on a daring raid 2–4 October 1943, as carrier aircraft staged a devastating attack on German shipping at Bodø, Norway. Following this operation the destroyer continued to operate with Home Fleet. She screened HMS "Formidable" (R67) during flight operations in November and after two convoy voyages to Iceland returned to Boston and U.S. control 3 December 1943.

During the first two months of 1944, "Hobson" trained in Chesapeake Bay and operated with carriers between the East Coast and Bermuda. She joined escort carrier "Bogue" (CVE-9) and other escorts at Norfolk, departing 26 February. These hunter-killer groups played a major part in driving German U-boats from the sea lanes, and this cruise was no exception. After patrolling for over two weeks, the destroyers spotted an oil slick, made sonar contact, and commenced depth charge attacks on the afternoon of 13 March. Weather-reporting submarine "U-575" was severely damaged and was forced to surface, after which gunfire from "Hobson" and the other ships sank her. After further antisubmarine sweeps as far east as the Azores, "Hobson" returned to Boston on 2 April.

For some time the Allies had been building up tremendous strength in England for the eventual invasion of France, and the destroyer sailed on 21 April 1944 to join the vast armada which would transport and protect the soldiers. She spent a month on patrol off Northern Ireland, arriving at Plymouth on 21 May for final preparations for the invasion. Assigned to Rear Admiral Don P. Moon's Utah Beach Assault Group, "Hobson" arrived off Normandy with other ships of the bombardment group at 01:40 6 June, and blazed away at German shore batteries. During the early hours "Corry" (DD-463) struck a mine and sank, after which "Hobson" and "Fitch" (DD-462) fired at German shore positions while simultaneously rescuing survivors from the water. "Hobson" continued to lend powerful fire support until returning to Plymouth later that afternoon.

The destroyer was not long out of the fray, however, returning 8 June to screen the assault area. She also jammed glider bomb radio frequencies 9–11 June and provided channel convoy protection. With the Allies sorely in need of a good port in France, "Hobson" steamed to Cherbourg 25 June to assist in the bombardment. She fired at the large batteries, screened the battleships "Texas" (BB-35) and "Arkansas" (BB-33); and when the battleships were dangerously straddled, "Hobson" and "Plunkett" (DD-431) made covering smoke which allowed all to retire. A few days later the Allies occupied Cherbourg.

"Hobson"s next duty took her to the Mediterranean; she arrived Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria, 11 July, and for a month performed convoy duties to and from Taranto, Italy. Joining Rear Admiral Bertram J. Rodgers' Delta Assault Force, she sailed from Taranto on 11 August for the invasion of Southern France. Early on 15 August she acted as spotter for the "Nevada" (BB-36) and her preliminary bombardment; and, as troops stormed ashore, provided direct fire support with her own batteries. The destroyer remained in the assault area until the next evening, arriving at Palermo on 17 August to take up Mediterranean convoy duty.

DMS-26

As the Allied offensive in Europe gained momentum, "Hobson" steamed as a convoy escort between Algeria, Italy, and France protecting vital supplies and troops. She sailed for the United States on 25 October 1944, and arrived at Charleston via Bermuda on 10 November. There she entered the Naval Shipyard and was converted to destroyer-minesweeper, and reclassified DMS-26 on 15 November 1944. Through December she underwent trials and shakedown training off Charleston and Norfolk.

"Hobson" sailed on 4 January 1945 via the Panama Canal to join the naval strength deployed against Japan in the Pacific. Arriving Pearl Harbor on 11 February, the ship underwent further mine warfare training before sailing on 24 February for Eniwetok and a part in the last and greatest of the Pacific amphibious operations, the assault on Okinawa.

Sailing on 19 March with the minesweeping group, "Hobson" arrived at Okinawa well in advance of the assault troops to sweep the offshore areas, and was often attacked by Japanese planes. As the assault began on 1 April, the ship also took up patrol duties and provided night illumination during the first critical days of the campaign. As desperate enemy suicide attacks were repulsed with heavy losses, "Hobson" was called upon on 13 April to take up a radar picket station on which "Mannert L. Abele" (DD-733) had been sunk in a heavy attack the previous night. She continued picket and sweeping duty into 16 April, when another suicide attack approached at about 09:00. "Hobson" shot down one of the attackers, but another crashed "Pringle" (DD-477), causing a violent explosion. Only minutes later, another plane was shot down just off "Hobson"s starboard side, but its bomb exploded on the main deck starting a major fire. Still firing on kamikazes, the ship restored power, fought fires, and picked up over 100 survivors from the sunken "Pringle". After the attack she anchored at Kerama Retto, returning to Ulithi on 29 April and Pearl Harbor on 16 May. "Hobson" then sailed via San Diego and the Panama Canal Zone to Norfolk Naval Shipyard, where she arrived on 16 June 1945 for repairs.

The unconditional surrender of Imperial Japan came with "Hobson" still undergoing repairs; and, after completing shakedown training, she spent February 1946 on minesweeping operations out of Yorktown, Virginia. The remainder of the year was spent in training and readiness exercises in the Caribbean and off Norfolk. Until 1950 the ship continued to operate off the East Coast and in Caribbean waters on amphibious and mine warfare operations. In late 1948 she visited Argentia and Halifax, Nova Scotia on minesweeping operations with Canadian ships.

Sinking

With the outbreak of the Korean Conflict in June 1950, "Hobson"s schedule of training intensified. She took part in amphibious exercises off North Carolina and in Puerto Rico 1950–51 and took part in carrier operations as a plane guard and screening ship. During one such operation, with carrier "Wasp" (CV-18), "Hobson" was steaming in formation 700 miles west of the Azores on the night of 26 April 1952. While the ships turned into the wind so that "Wasp" could recover aircraft, "Hobson" crossed the carrier's bow from starboard to port and was struck amidships. The force of the collision rolled the destroyer-minesweeper over, breaking her in two. "Rodman" (DD-456) and "Wasp" rescued many survivors, but the ship and 176 of her crew were lost, including her Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander W. J. Tierney. Thus ended in tragedy the long career of a gallant ship.

"Hobson" received six battle stars for World War II service, and shared in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the ships in the "Bogue" antisubmarine task group in the Atlantic.

ee also

* USS "Frank E. Evans"

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/h7/hobson.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Hobson"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/464.htm navsource.org: USS "Hobson"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd464txt.htm hazegray.org: USS "Hobson"]