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 , 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 1942 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 1942 , 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 1942 from Bermuda , " Hobson " s group arrived off Fedhala on 8 November 1942 , and as the landings proceeded , provided the indispensable air support . " Ranger " s planes hit shore batteries , the 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 1942 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 anti - submarine patrol group sailed on 8 January 1943 to patrol the western Atlantic . Groups such as " Ranger " s did much to protect Allied shipping in the Atlantic from U - boat s , 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 1943 , " Hobson " and " Ranger " arrived at Naval Station Argentia , Newfoundland , and began operations out of that base . The ships provided air cover for convoys and anti - submarine 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 in Boston 27 July 1943 to prepare for new duties . " Hobson " sailed with " Ranger " and other ships 5 August 1943 to join the British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow . Arriving 19 August 1943 , 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 1943 , she was inspected by US 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 " during flight operations in November and after two convoy voyages to Iceland , returned to Boston and U . S . operational 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 " and other escorts at Norfolk , departing 26 February 1944 . These Hunter - killer Group s 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 1944 . The 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 anti - submarine sweeps as far east as the Azores , " Hobson " returned to Boston on 2 April 1944 . 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 1944 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 1944 to assist in the bombardment . She fired at the large batteries , screened the battleship s " 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 1944 , 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 1944 for the invasion of Southern France . Early on 15 August 1944 , she acted as spotter for the " Nevada " ( BB - 36 ) and her preliminary bombardment ; as troops stormed ashore , she 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 1944 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 1944 . There she entered the Naval Shipyard and was converted to destroyer - minesweeper , and reclassified DMS - 26 on 15 November 1944 . Throughout the month of 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 1945 , the ship underwent further mine warfare training before sailing on 24 February 1945 for Eniwetok and a part in the last and greatest of the Pacific amphibious operations , the assault on Okinawa . Sailing on 19 March 1945 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 1945 , 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 1945 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 1945 , when another suicide attack approached at about 0900 . " Hobson " shot down one of the attackers , but another crashed into " 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 kamikaze s , 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 1945 and Pearl Harbor on 16 May 1945 . " 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 ; 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 . " Hobson " received six battle star s 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 . Sinking . With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 , " Hobson " s schedule of training intensified . She took part in amphibious exercises off North Carolina and in Puerto Rico in 1950 – 51 , and took part in carrier operations as a plane guard and screening ship . During one such operation on the night of 26 April 1952 , " Hobson " was steaming in formation with carrier " Wasp " ( CV - 18 ) about 600 miles ( 1000 kilometers ) west of the Azores at 38°27 ' N 41°21 ' WG . " Wasp " needed to turn to recover aircraft . The carrier ' s escort vessels had two options , slow down and let " Wasp " turn , or cross in front of the carrier . The Hobson ' s Commanding Officer , Lieutenant Commander W . J . Tierney and the ship ' s Officer of the Deck , Lieutenant William Hoefer , argued over which option was to be carried out . The Commanding Officer won , and decided to cross the bow . Lt . Hoefer announced on the deck " Prepare for collision ! , Prepare for collision ! " " Hobson " crossed the carrier ' s bow and was promptly 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 Tierney . With no time to don lifejackets , some survivors were left treading water in the Atlantic Ocean for up to four hours . Aftermath and Findings . A court of inquiry performed an investigation into the sinking of the " Hobson " in an effort to determine the cause of the tragedy . As a direct result of the sinking of the " Hobson " , upon recommendation of the court of inquiry , the Allied Navy Signal Book was changed . A special signal was to be put into use for carriers during aircraft operations . The court of inquiry also stated in its findings that , in the future , proposed schedules for aircraft launching and recovery should be provided to the vessels performing plane guard duties . The court of inquiry also noted that all vessels involved ; " Wasp " , " Rodman " , and " Hobson " , were all running darkened ship . However , in the court of inquiry ' s findings , it is noted that the " Wasp " ( and its forward lookout ) , were " . . . were watching the lights of the " Hobson " . . . " just prior to the collision . Also of note is that the " Rodman " s maneuvers and actions prior to the collision are not indicated other than mentioning the need to maintain distance and follow the " Wasp " through its maneuvers . The " Rodman " s position in the court document sketches is not indicated . If the other findings are to be considered , then the " Rodman " would have been approximately 1000 yards abaft and port of the " Wasp " , placing that vessel directly ahead of the " Hobson " near the time of the " Hobson " s final emergency turn to port .