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USS Hollis (DE-794)
Encyclopedia
USS Hollis (DE-794/APD-86) was a Buckley-class
destroyer escort
of the United States Navy
, named in honor of Ensign
Ralph Hollis
(1906–1941), who was killed on the battleship
Arizona
during the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor
.
Hollis was launched
by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Texas
, on 11 September 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Hermione C. Hollis, widow of Ensign Hollis; and commissioned
on 24 January 1944 at Orange, Lieutenant Commander G. D. Kissam in command.
Following shakedown in the Atlantic, Hollis made two escort voyages along the East Coast and then reported to Quonset Point, R.I., to assist in sonic research. The aim was to find countermeasures for the German
acoustic torpedo
, and the destroyer escort remained on this important duty until 28 May, when she sailed to Casablanca
in an aircraft carrier
screen. Returning to New York
on 17 June, Hollis was soon at sea again, this time as part of an escort and hunter-killer unit. She operated from July to mid-August escorting convoy
s in the Mediterranean, and escorted a convoy to the southern France invasion
area on 15 August as Allied troops stormed ashore. In the months that followed, as the offensive gained momentum, Hollis continued to act as an escort in the Mediterranean, ensuring the flow of vital supplies and men. She sailed for the United States on 28 December, and arrived on 18 January to undergo conversion to a high-speed transport at Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Fitted out to carry amphibious assault troops, Hollis was reclassified APD-86, on 24 January 1945, and conducted her shakedown
in April and May off the Atlantic coast. Sailing from Miami, Florida
on 10 May, the ship transited the Panama Canal
and sailed for Pearl Harbor
and the Pacific War
. She arrived on 30 May and immediately began training with Underwater Demolition Team
s, the Navy's famed "frogmen", on Maui
island. Converted to a UDT flagship
, Hollis sailed to Eniwetok and Guam
as the Japan
ese were accepting surrender terms, arriving Apra Harbor
on 23 August 1945.
Hollis, now flagship for Pacific UDT forces, sailed to Tokyo Bay
to assist in the occupation, arriving on 1 September. There she witnessed the formal surrender ceremonies of the Japanese Empire the next day. Following occupation duties the ship sailed for San Diego California, where she arrived on 23 October, and thence via the Panama Canal to Boston. Arriving on 15 February 1946, the transport spent four months at Charleston, S.C., before arriving at Green Cove Springs, Florida
, on 13 October 1946. Hollis decommissioned
on 5 May 1947 and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. With the increase in fleet strength brought about by the Korean War
, Hollis recommissioned on 6 April 1951 and conducted shakedown training out of Norfolk, Virginia
. The ship sailed from her home port
, Little Creek, Va.
, on 8 October to take part in amphibious exercises in the Caribbean
and on the coast of North Carolina
, returning 20 November.
For the next five years Hollis continued to participate in amphibious exercises, antisubmarine training, and maneuvers. In 1954 and 1955 she served briefly as school ship
for Fleet Sonar School, Key West. In 1954 she took part in a North Atlantic cold weather exercise off Labrador
, and in 1955 her schedule included a month of NROTC midshipman
training.
Hollis arrived Green Cove Springs, Fla., on 17 July 1956, and decommissioned there 16 October 1956.
Stricken from the Navy Register on 15 September 1974,
Hollis was sold for scrap on 1 July 1975.
Hollis received one battle star for World War II
service.
Buckley class destroyer escort
The Buckley class destroyer escorts were 102 destroyer escorts launched in the United States in 1943 - 1944. They served in World War II as convoy escorts and anti-submarine warfare ships. The lead ship was USS Buckley which was launched on 9 January 1943. The ships had General Electric steam...
destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
of 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...
, named in honor of Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
Ralph Hollis
Ralph Hollis
Ralph Hollis was born 10 September 1906 in Crawfordville, Georgia, and served in enlisted status 1923–26. He was appointed Ensign in the United States Naval Reserve on 21 November 1934 and was called to active duty in May 1941...
(1906–1941), who was killed on 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...
Arizona
USS Arizona (BB-39)
USS Arizona, a , was built for the United States Navy in the mid-1910s. Named in honor of the 48th state's recent admission into the union, the ship was the second and last of the Pennsylvania class of "super-dreadnought" battleships. Although commissioned in 1916, the ship remained stateside...
during the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack 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...
.
Hollis was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Texas
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
, on 11 September 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Hermione C. Hollis, widow of Ensign Hollis; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 24 January 1944 at Orange, Lieutenant Commander G. D. Kissam in command.
Following shakedown in the Atlantic, Hollis made two escort voyages along the East Coast and then reported to Quonset Point, R.I., to assist in sonic research. The aim was to find countermeasures for the German
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
acoustic torpedo
Acoustic torpedo
An acoustic torpedo is a torpedo that aims itself by listening for characteristic sounds of its target or by searching for it using sonar. Acoustic torpedoes are usually designed for medium-range use, and often fired from a submarine....
, and the destroyer escort remained on this important duty until 28 May, when she sailed to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
in an aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
screen. Returning to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 17 June, Hollis was soon at sea again, this time as part of an escort and hunter-killer unit. She operated from July to mid-August escorting convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s in the Mediterranean, and escorted a convoy to the southern France invasion
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
area on 15 August as Allied troops stormed ashore. In the months that followed, as the offensive gained momentum, Hollis continued to act as an escort in the Mediterranean, ensuring the flow of vital supplies and men. She sailed for the United States on 28 December, and arrived on 18 January to undergo conversion to a high-speed transport at Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Fitted out to carry amphibious assault troops, Hollis was reclassified APD-86, on 24 January 1945, and conducted her shakedown
Shakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
in April and May off the Atlantic coast. Sailing from Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
on 10 May, the ship transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and sailed for 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...
and the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. She arrived on 30 May and immediately began training with Underwater Demolition Team
Underwater Demolition Team
The Underwater Demolition Teams were an elite special-purpose force established by the United States Navy during World War II. They also served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War...
s, the Navy's famed "frogmen", on Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
island. Converted to a UDT flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, Hollis sailed to Eniwetok and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
as the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese were accepting surrender terms, arriving Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor is a deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands. The harbor is formed by Orote Peninsula in the south and Cabras Island in the north. To the south, the harbor narrows and then widens again to form an inner harbor. The southern end of the harbor is the location...
on 23 August 1945.
Hollis, now flagship for Pacific UDT forces, sailed to Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
to assist in the occupation, arriving on 1 September. There she witnessed the formal surrender ceremonies of the Japanese Empire the next day. Following occupation duties the ship sailed for San Diego California, where she arrived on 23 October, and thence via the Panama Canal to Boston. Arriving on 15 February 1946, the transport spent four months at Charleston, S.C., before arriving at Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....
, on 13 October 1946. Hollis decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
on 5 May 1947 and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. With the increase in fleet strength brought about by the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Hollis recommissioned on 6 April 1951 and conducted 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....
. The ship sailed from her home port
Home port
A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...
, Little Creek, Va.
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
The Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek is the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The base comprises four locations in three states, including almost 12,000 acres of real estate. Its Little Creek location in Virginia Beach, Virginia totals...
, on 8 October to take part in amphibious exercises in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and on the coast of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, returning 20 November.
For the next five years Hollis continued to participate in amphibious exercises, antisubmarine training, and maneuvers. In 1954 and 1955 she served briefly as school ship
School ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is especially used for ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classrooms....
for Fleet Sonar School, Key West. In 1954 she took part in a North Atlantic cold weather exercise off Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, and in 1955 her schedule included a month of NROTC midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
training.
Hollis arrived Green Cove Springs, Fla., on 17 July 1956, and decommissioned there 16 October 1956.
Stricken from the Navy Register on 15 September 1974,
Hollis was sold for scrap on 1 July 1975.
Hollis received one battle star for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service.