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USS HOBSON (DD-464 / DMS-26)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NWKV

CLASS - GLEAVES As Built.
Displacement 2395 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 348' 4"(oa) x 36' 1" x 13' 2" (Max)
Armament 4 x 5"/38AA, 6 x 0.5" MG, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 50,000 SHP; Westinghouse Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 35 Knots, Range 6500 NM@ 12 Knots, Crew 208.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Charleston Navy Yard November 14 1940.
Launched September 8 1941 and commissioned January 22 1942.
Converted to High Speed Minesweeper DMS-26 November 15 1944.
Fate Sunk in collision with Aircraft Carrier Wasp CV-18 in the North
Atlantic April 26 1952. Hobson was struck amidships, rolled
over, broke in two and sank.
176 of her crew were lost with the ship and remain on duty.

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Richmond Pearson Hobson was born 17 August 1870 In Greensboro, Ala., and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1889. After duty in Chicago he underwent additional training and was appointed Assistant Naval Constructor in 1891. Hobson then served at various Navy Yards and facilities, including a tour of duty as instructor at the Naval Academy. In the early days of Spanish-American War, he was with Sampson in New York, and arrived off Santiago 1 June 1898. In order to bottle up Cervera's squadron Hobson took temporary command of collier Merrimac, which he would attempt to sink as an obstruction in the channel. The gallant attempt was made early 3 June under heavy Spanish fire, which disabled the steering gear of the collier. Hobson did sink Merrimac, but was unable to place her in the shallowest part of the channel. With his intrepid crew of six, he was picked up by Admiral Cervera himself, and treated quite chivalrously for his gallant expedition. Hobson was advanced 10 numbers in grade after the war and later, in 1933, awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic attempt to block the channel. After the Spanish-American War he worked on the repairing and refitting of captured Spanish cruisers at Cavite and at various shore stations of the Navy. Resigning in 1903, Hobson remained a staunch supporter of the Navy and during his subsequent career as a Congressman from Alabama, 1905-15, was a firm advocate of naval expansion. In 1934, by special act of Congress, he was advanced to Naval Constructor with a rank of Rear Admiral, and placed on the retired list. Rear Admiral Hobson died 16 March 1937 in New York City. Photo #: KN-10865, Rear Admiral Richmond P. Hobson, USN (Construction Corps, Retired), (1870-1937) oil on canvas, 52" x 40", by Olive Bigelow, dated 1937. He is depicted standing before an artwork of that event. Painting in the U.S. Naval Academy Museum Collection. Gift of Herbert Pell, 1949. Official U.S. Navy Photograph. Second photo is from On 29 April 1933, for his "extraordinary heroism" during the the Spanish-American War, Richmond Pearson Hobson was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Medal of Honor Citation

In connection with the sinking of the U.S.S. Merrimac at the entrance to the fortified harbor of Santiago de Cuba, 3 June 1898. Despite persistent fire from the enemy fleet and fortifications on shore, Lt. Hobson distinguished himself by extraordinary courage and carried out this operation at the risk of his own personal safety.

The third photo is Hobson as an Ensign from the “Biographical Sketches of Distinguished Officers of the Army and Navy” (1905).
Tony Cowart/Robert M. Cieri/Bill Gonyo
THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
WASHINGTON

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the

UNITED STATES SHIP BOGUE
with her Embarked Planes and Escort Vessels constituting the Five Task Groups listed below for service as set forth in the following

Citation:
"For outstanding performance in combat against enemy submarines in the Atlantic Area from April 20, 1943, to July 3, 1944. Carrying out powerful and sustained offensive action during a period of heavy German undersea concentrations threatening our uninterrupted flow of supplies to the European Theater of operations, the U.S.S. BOGUE, her embarked planes and her escorts tracked the enemy packs relentlessly and, by unwavering vigilance, persistent aggressiveness and perfect cooperation of all units involved, sank a notable number of hostile U-boats. The superb leadership of the BOGUE and the gallant spirit of the officers and men who fought her planes and manned her escort vessels were largely instrumental in forcing the complete withdrawal of enemy submarines from supply routes essential to the maintenance of our established military supremacy."

United States Ships Bogue, Lea, Greene, Belknap, Osmond Ingram, George E. Badger, and VC-9 from April 20 to June 20, 1943.
United States Ships Bogue, Osmond Ingram, George E. Badger, Clemson, and VC-9 from July 12 to August 23, 1943.
United States Ships Bogue, Osmond Ingram, George E. Badger, Clemson, Dupont and VC-19 from November 14 to December 29, 1943.
United States Ships Bogue, Haverfield, Swenning, Willis, Hobson (until March 25), Janssen (until April 7) and VC-95 from February 26 to April 19, 1944.
United States Ships Bogue, Haverfield, Swenning, Willis, Janssen, F. W. Robinson, and VC-69 from May 4 to July 3, 1944.

For the President,
James Forrestal
Secretary of the Navy
Hobson 82kArtist's conception of the Hobson as she appeared in World War II by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.Navy Yard Associates
Hobson 136kChristening ceremony September 8 1941.Robert Hall
Hobson 122kUSS Hobson (DD-464) off Charleston, South Carolina, on 4 March 1942. She is painted in camouflage Measure 12 (Modified). This photograph has been censored to remove radar antennas atop her foremast and Mark 37 gun director.Captain Jerry Mason USN
Hobson 138kPhoto #: 19-N-26590 (cropped), Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina, destroyers fitting out and refitting alongside the Navy Yard piers in January 1942. These ships are (from left to right): USS Tillman (DD-641), commissioned 9 June 1942; probably USS Beatty (DD-640), commissioned 7 May 1942; probably USS Hobson (DD-464), commissioned 22 January 1942; USS Anderson (DD-411); USS Hammann (DD-412); and USS Mustin (DD-413). Note that the three incomplete ships at left are painted in Measure 12 camouflage, while those refitting (at right) wear Camouflage Measure 12 (Modified). Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.Tony Cowart
Hobson 75kOff Charleston, South Carolina, 4 March 1942. She is painted in camouflage Measure 12 (Modified). This photograph has been censored to remove radar antennas atop her foremast and Mark 37 gun director.Robert Hall/Robert Hurst
Hobson 79kUSS Hobson (DD-464) underway in the late summer of 1942. She is painted in another distinctive, one-off paint job linked with Measure 15. In this case white has been extensively used for painting-out at high levels (USN). Photo and text taken from Naval Camouflage 1914-1945, by David Williams.Robert Hurst/Bill Gonyo
Hobson 86kUnderway in the Atlantic, circa late 1942. She is painted in camouflage Measure 15. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Fred Weiss
Hobson 116kExpended cartridge cases and powder tanks from the ship's 5"/38 guns litter the deck, after firing in support of the Normandy invasion off Utah Beach, 6 June 1944. View was taken on the ship's afterdeck, with mount 54 at right. Courtesy of Rear Admiral Kenneth Loveland, USN. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Fred Weiss
Hobson 212kCharleston Navy Yard in 1945.Mike Mohl
Hobson 113kUSS Wasp (CVA 18) entering New York Harbor on 6 May 1952 after her collision with USS Hobson (DMS 26) on 26 April 1952. From the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum.Darryl Baker

USS HOBSON DD-464 / DMS-26 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves

LCDR Robert Norton McFarlane    Jan 22 1942 - Jun 15 1942
CDR Kenneth Loveland    Jun 15 1942 - Nov 22 1944 (Later RADM)
CDR Joseph Ignatius Manning    Nov 22 1944 - Feb 22 1946
CDR Harry Samuel Graves    Feb 22 1946 - 1947
LCDR James Pagaud Coleman    1947 - Jul 1948
CDR Philo Wood    Jul 1948 - Jul 1950
LCDR Joseph Harry Floyd    Feb 1951 - Mar 1952
LCDR William James Tierney    Mar 1952 - Apr 26 1952

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Arthur Luchan
Address:
Phone: 516-379-1066
E-mail: aluchan@hotlink.com


Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
NavSource Minesweeper Pages, USS Hobson (DMS-26)
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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