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USS Hulbert (DD-342)
Encyclopedia
The third USS Hulbert (DD-342/AVD-6) was a Clemson-class
destroyer
in the United States Navy
following World War I
. She was named for Henry Hulbert.
, 28 June 1918; sponsored by Mrs. V. C. Hulbert, widow of Lieutenant Hulbert; and commissioned 27 October 1920, Lieutenant S. A. Maher in command.
Following shakedown training out of Norfolk, Virginia
, Hulbert took part in destroyer maneuvers in the Atlantic until June 1921, when she assisted in ordnance tests on obsolete American and captured German
ships. For the next year, the ship operated out of Newport
with other destroyers.
Hulbert sailed 20 June 1922 for duty on the Asiatic Station, steaming via the Mediterranean and Ceylon to Chefoo, China
, 26 August. The ship patrolled Chinese and Philippine
waters in the year that followed, protecting American interests during the Chinese Civil War
. She also took part in periodic fleet exercises designed to keep her crew and equipment at maximum readiness. Hulbert took part in the evacuation of American civilians and missionaries in March 1927 and September 1928. Completing this lengthy tour of duty in the Far East, she sailed 22 July 1929 from Yokohama
, arriving San Diego 17 August.
During the remainder of the year, Hulbert acted as plane guard for carriers and off California
, thus helping to develop carrier-group tactics. She took part in important fleet exercises on both coasts, during the period from 1930 to 1934 and arrived Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
14 August 1934. She decommissioned there 17 October 1934 and was placed in reserve.
Hulbert was converted to a seaplane tender
, recommissioning at New York Navy Yard as AVD-6 on 2 August 1940. She arrived in San Diego 24 August via Guantanamo Bay and the Panama Canal Zone
, and began servicing Patrol Wing 1 on operations off the West Coast, helping to perfect America's seaplane reconnaissance capability. Hulbert sailed 8 May 1941 for Pearl Harbor, where she became headquarters ship for the seaplane wing and continued servicing and repairing her planes.
, Hulbert was moored at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor
. General Quarters sounded just before 08:00, and the ship's antiaircraft batteries immediately opened fire at attacking planes. This vessel went to general quarters when the Japanese attack was first sighted by the watch aboard, and is believed to have been the first ship in the fleet to open fire. As the Japanese directed their attention to Ford Island
and the battleship
s, she shot down one torpedo plane at 0758, shared in bringing down a dive bomber at about 0820 and damaged several other aircraft. After the attack the ship assisted in the rescue effort. After loading ammunition, she moved to Hilo 9 December to set up an advance base for the all-important patrol bombers. Hulbert was also called upon to aid aircraft at sea, as on Christmas Day she repaired a seaplane at sea and then towed it for nearly 3 days when heavy seas prevented a safe takeoff. The ship also made supply runs to Palmyra
before moving north to Kodiak
6 June 1942.
The Japanese had occupied Kiska
and Attu
as part of the abortive Midway
Offensive, and Hulbert was assigned to tend the seaplanes of VP-43 during reconnaissance flights and bombing raids on those islands. The ship also steamed to Seguam Island 30 August 1942, landing a party of marines to search for a Japanese radio station. Next day, she arrived in Atka to aid torpedoed tender Casco, alternating between salvage efforts and seaplane tending during September. Hulbert sailed 4 October for supplies and repairs at San Francisco, California
.
She was again underway from Seattle, Washington
8 December 1942 for Kodiak where the ship serviced patrol bombers during the first months of 1943. In May Hulbert moved to Amchitka
, acting as communications ship during the recapture of Attu
that spring. She moved again to Attu in June, to provide fuel and communications services for seaplanes and torpedo boats but was blown ashore in Massacre Bay during a severe storm 30 June 1943. Hulbert's hull was seriously damaged and, after temporary repairs at Dutch Harbor, she arrived in Seattle 30 August for a major overhaul.
The ship was reclassified DD-342 on 1 December 1943, and sailed 15 January 1944 to San Diego to take up new duties as an escort ship. For the remainder of the war Hulbert acted as plane guard and screen ship for dozens of new escort carriers as they made ready to join America's striking fleet in the Far East. The ship also served as a maneuvering torpedo target during pilot training and rescued a dozen pilots during this period. After the war's end, Hulbert sailed 30 September, escorting carrier Ranger
to the Panama Canal Zone
and arrived Philadelphia 17 October 1945.
Hulbert received two battle stars for World War II service.
As of 2009, no other ship has been named USS Hulbert.
Clemson class destroyer
The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. She was named for Henry Hulbert.
History
Hulbert was launched by Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VirginiaPortsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, 28 June 1918; sponsored by Mrs. V. C. Hulbert, widow of Lieutenant Hulbert; and commissioned 27 October 1920, Lieutenant S. A. Maher in command.
Following shakedown training out of Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Hulbert took part in destroyer maneuvers in the Atlantic until June 1921, when she assisted in ordnance tests on obsolete American and captured German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
ships. For the next year, the ship operated out of Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
with other destroyers.
Hulbert sailed 20 June 1922 for duty on the Asiatic Station, steaming via the Mediterranean and Ceylon to Chefoo, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, 26 August. The ship patrolled Chinese and Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
waters in the year that followed, protecting American interests during the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
. She also took part in periodic fleet exercises designed to keep her crew and equipment at maximum readiness. Hulbert took part in the evacuation of American civilians and missionaries in March 1927 and September 1928. Completing this lengthy tour of duty in the Far East, she sailed 22 July 1929 from Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, arriving San Diego 17 August.
During the remainder of the year, Hulbert acted as plane guard for carriers and off California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, thus helping to develop carrier-group tactics. She took part in important fleet exercises on both coasts, during the period from 1930 to 1934 and arrived Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
14 August 1934. She decommissioned there 17 October 1934 and was placed in reserve.
Hulbert was converted to a seaplane tender
Seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.-History:...
, recommissioning at New York Navy Yard as AVD-6 on 2 August 1940. She arrived in San Diego 24 August via Guantanamo Bay and the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, and began servicing Patrol Wing 1 on operations off the West Coast, helping to perfect America's seaplane reconnaissance capability. Hulbert sailed 8 May 1941 for Pearl Harbor, where she became headquarters ship for the seaplane wing and continued servicing and repairing her planes.
World War II
On the morning of 7 December 1941, during the attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Hulbert was moored at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
. General Quarters sounded just before 08:00, and the ship's antiaircraft batteries immediately opened fire at attacking planes. This vessel went to general quarters when the Japanese attack was first sighted by the watch aboard, and is believed to have been the first ship in the fleet to open fire. As the Japanese directed their attention to Ford Island
Ford Island
Ford Island is located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is connected to the main island by the Ford Island Bridge. Before the bridge was built, Ford Island could only be reached by a ferry boat which ran at hourly intervals for cars and foot passengers. The island houses several naval...
and the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s, she shot down one torpedo plane at 0758, shared in bringing down a dive bomber at about 0820 and damaged several other aircraft. After the attack the ship assisted in the rescue effort. After loading ammunition, she moved to Hilo 9 December to set up an advance base for the all-important patrol bombers. Hulbert was also called upon to aid aircraft at sea, as on Christmas Day she repaired a seaplane at sea and then towed it for nearly 3 days when heavy seas prevented a safe takeoff. The ship also made supply runs to Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
before moving north to Kodiak
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
6 June 1942.
The Japanese had occupied Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
and Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
as part of the abortive Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
Offensive, and Hulbert was assigned to tend the seaplanes of VP-43 during reconnaissance flights and bombing raids on those islands. The ship also steamed to Seguam Island 30 August 1942, landing a party of marines to search for a Japanese radio station. Next day, she arrived in Atka to aid torpedoed tender Casco, alternating between salvage efforts and seaplane tending during September. Hulbert sailed 4 October for supplies and repairs at San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
She was again underway from Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
8 December 1942 for Kodiak where the ship serviced patrol bombers during the first months of 1943. In May Hulbert moved to Amchitka
Amchitka
Amchitka is a volcanic, tectonically unstable island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. It is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The island is about long, and from wide...
, acting as communications ship during the recapture of Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
that spring. She moved again to Attu in June, to provide fuel and communications services for seaplanes and torpedo boats but was blown ashore in Massacre Bay during a severe storm 30 June 1943. Hulbert's hull was seriously damaged and, after temporary repairs at Dutch Harbor, she arrived in Seattle 30 August for a major overhaul.
The ship was reclassified DD-342 on 1 December 1943, and sailed 15 January 1944 to San Diego to take up new duties as an escort ship. For the remainder of the war Hulbert acted as plane guard and screen ship for dozens of new escort carriers as they made ready to join America's striking fleet in the Far East. The ship also served as a maneuvering torpedo target during pilot training and rescued a dozen pilots during this period. After the war's end, Hulbert sailed 30 September, escorting carrier Ranger
USS Ranger
USS Ranger is a historic name in the United States Navy, and has been used by one ship of the Continental Navy and nine ships of the U.S. Navy:* The first was an 18-gun ship sloop built in 1777 and commanded by John Paul Jones...
to the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
and arrived Philadelphia 17 October 1945.
Fate
She decommissioned 2 November 1945 and was sold for scrap in October 1946 to Ship Shape, Inc., Philadelphia.Hulbert received two battle stars for World War II service.
As of 2009, no other ship has been named USS Hulbert.
External links
- http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/342.htm