- USS Hull (DD-350)
The third USS "Hull" (DD-350) was a "Farragut"-class
destroyer in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II . She was named forIsaac Hull ."Hull" was launched by
New York Navy Yard 31 January 1934 ; sposored by Miss Patricia Louise Platt; and commissioned11 January 1935 , Commander R. S. Wentworth in command.Pre-World War II
Following a shakedown cruise which took her to the
Azores ,Portugal , and theBritish Isles , "Hull" arrivedSan Diego, California , via thePanama Canal 19 October 1935 . She began her operations with the Pacific Fleet off San Diego, engaging in tactical exercises and training. During the summer of 1936 she cruised toAlaska and in April 1937 took part in fleet exercises inHawaii an waters. During this increasingly tense pre-war period, "Hull" often acted as plane guard to the Navy's Pacificaircraft carriers . She continued these operations until the outbreak of the war, moving to her new home port,Pearl Harbor ,12 October 1939 .Pearl Harbor
The pattern of fleet problems, plane guard duty, and patrolling was interrupted
7 December 1941 when theJapan ese attacked Pearl Harbor. "Hull" was alongside tender USS|Dobbin|AD-3 undergoing repairs and put her anti-aircraft batteries into operation. As the main object of the raid wasbattleship s, the destroyer suffered no hits and departed next day to join carrier USS|Enterprise|CV-6 and escort her into Pearl Harbor. During the next critical months of the war, "Hull" operated with AdmiralWilson Brown 's Task Force 11, screening USS|Lexington|CV-2 in important strikes on Japanese bases in theSolomon Islands . She returned to Pearl Harbor26 March , and for 3 months sailed on convoy duty betweenSan Francisco, California and Pearl Harbor. "Hull" was sailed7 December forSuyu ,Fiji Islands , to prepare for the amphibious assault on Guadalcanal. She departed26 July for the Solomons, and on the day of the landings,7 August 1942 , screenedcruiser s during shore bombardment and then took up station as antisubmarine protection for the transports. Next day she helped repel bombing attacks, shooting down several planes. That evening she intentionally sank the transport "George F. Elliott", burning beyond control. On9 August the destroyer sank a smallschooner off Guadalcanal, departing that evening forEspiritu Santo . During the next difficult weeks on Guadalcanal, "Hull" made three voyages with transports and warships in support of the troops, undergoing air attacks 9 and14 September .Aleutian Islands
The ship returned to Pearl Harbor
20 October , and spent the remainder of the year with battleship USS|Colorado|BB-45 in theNew Hebrides . She sailed29 January from Pearl Harbor bound for repairs at San Francisco, arriving7 February 1943 . Upon completion she moved to theAleutian Islands , arrivingAdak, Alaska 16 April , and began a series of training maneuvers with battleships and cruisers in the northern waters. As the Navy moved in to retake Attu in May, "Hull" continued her patrol duties, and during July and early August she took part in numerous bombardments ofKiska Island . The ship also took part in the landings on Kiska15 August , only to find that the Japanese had evacuated.South Pacific operations
"Hull" returned to the Central Pacific after the Kiska operation, arriving Pearl Harbor
26 September 1943 . She departed with the fleet 3 days later for strikes onWake Island , and operated with escort carriers during diversionary strikes designed to mask the Navy's real objective—theGilbert Islands . "Hull" bombarded Makin during this assault20 November , and with the invasion well underway arrived in convoy at Pearl Harbor7 December 1943 . From there she returned toOakland, California 21 December for amphibious exercises.Next on the island road to Japan was the
Marshall Islands , and "Hull" sailed with Task Force 53 from San Diego13 January 1944 . She arrived31 January offKwajalein , screening transports in the reserve area, and through February carried out screening and patrol duties offEniwetok andMajuro . Joining a battleship and carrier group, the ship moved toMille Atoll 18 March , and took part in a devastating bombardment. "Hull" also took part in the bombardment ofWotje 22 March .The veteran ship next participated in the raid on
Truk 29-30 April , after which she arrived Majuro4 May 1944 . There she joined Admiral Lee's battleships for the next major invasion, the assault on theMarianas Islands . "Hull" bombardedSaipan 13 June , covered minesweeping operations with gunfire, and patrolled during the initial landing15 June . Two days later "Hull" and other ships steamed out to join AdmiralMarc Mitscher 's carrier task force. The fleets approached each other19 June for the biggest carrier engagement of the war, and as four large air raids hit the American dispositions fighter cover from the carriers of "Hull's" Task Group 58.2. With help from American submarines, Mitscher succeeded in sinking two Japanese carriers in addition to inflicting fatal losses on the Japanese naval air arm during "TheGreat Marianas Turkey Shoot "19 June , "Hull" assisting in several of these engagements.During July the destroyer operated with carrier groups off
Guam , and after the assault21 July patrolled off the island. In August she returned toSeattle, Washington , arriving the 25th, and underwent repairs which kept her in the States until23 October , when she anchored at Pearl Harbor. "Hull" joined a3rd Fleet refueling group, departing20 November 1944 to rendezvous with fast carrier striking forces in thePhilippine Sea .Philippine Sea fueling operations
Fueling operations with fast carrier striking forces in the Philippine Seawith the began
17 December , but increasingly heavy seas forced cancellation later that day. The fueling group became engulfed in an approaching typhoon next day, with barometers falling to very low levels and winds increasing above 90 knots. At about 110018 December "Hull" became locked "in irons", in the trough of the mountainous sea and unable to steer. All hands worked feverishly to maintain integrity and keep the ship afloat during the heavy rolls, but finally, in the words of her commander: "The ship remained over on her side at an angle of 80 degrees or more as the water flooded into her upper structures. I remained on the port wing of the bridge until the water flooded up to me, then I stepped off into the water as the ship rolled over on her way down".Rescue work by USS|Tabberer|DE-418 and other ships of the fleet in the days that followed saved the lives of 7 officers and 55 enlisted men.
"Hull" received 10
battle star s for World War II service.ee also
*
Typhoon Cobra References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/h9/hull-iii.htm
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/wwii/pearl/ph49.htm USS Hull, Report of Pearl Harbor Attack]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq102-4.htm Typhoons and Hurricanes: Pacific Typhoon,18 December 1944 ]
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