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USS Hyman (DD-732)
Encyclopedia
USS Hyman (DD-732), an , is a ship of the United States Navy
named for Lieutenant Commander
Willford Milton Hyman
, who commanded the during the Battle of the Coral Sea
. During the battle, the Sims was lost and Hyman went down with his ship. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
. Hyman was laid down by Bath Iron Works
, Bath, Maine
on 22 November 1943, was launched 8 April 1944 and commissioned 16 June 1944.
and in Casco Bay, Maine, before sailing from Boston 18 September to join the Pacific war. She steamed via the Panama Canal Zone
and San Diego to Pearl Harbor
12 October 1944. During the next few months she was occupied with training exercises, including practice amphibious assaults, and escort voyages to the advance base at Eniwetok.
As the amphibious pincers, one reaching across Micronesia
and the other pushing through the Philippines
, closed on Japan in early 1945, the island of Iwo Jima
became a prime objective. Hyman sailed 27 January 1945, with the transports of Kelly Turner's expeditionary force, touching at Eniwetok before carrying out on Saipan a final rehearsal of the great Iwo Jima landing. On the morning of 19 February, the destroyer formed part of the screen for the transports; and, as the first wave landed, she turned her 5-inch guns shoreward and opened fire to provide support for the assaulting troops. She blasted enemy troops and bunkers until 23 February, when she made an antisubmarine sweep south of Iwo Jima. The next day, after returning to gunfire support station, Hyman fought off a fierce air attack. Fire support, duties continued until the destroyer sailed for Leyte Gulf 2 March 1945. There she took part in practice bombardments for the upcoming invasion of Okinawa.
Hyman sailed with Admiral Hall's Southern Attack Force 27 March 1945 and arrived Okinawa 1 April. As troops landed she took station off the transport area, protecting the American ships from enemy submarines and planes. In the following days she fought off several air attacks and on 5 April, led a search group hunting a reported midget submarine
. Next day the ship was attacked in company with other picket and patrol ships west of Ie Shima as the Japanese made desperate suicide attacks in hopes of stopping the landing. Shooting at attacking planes on all sides, Hyman downed several before a damaged aircraft crashed near her torpedo tubes, its engine exploding on the main deck. While fighting fire and flooding, Hyman helped down two more suiciders before the engagement ended, leaving twelve of her men killed and over forty wounded.
After emergency repairs at Kerama Retto 7 April arrived Saipan eleven days later. From there she steamed on one engine to San Francisco, arriving 16 May 1945. The battle-tested destroyer was ready for sea again in late July 1945; and, after training exercises, sailed to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived the day of the Japanese surrender, 15 August. Hyman performed plane-guard duties in Hawaiian waters until arriving Kwajalein 5 September to assist in receiving the surrender of outlying Pacific islands. She received the surrender of Japanese forces on Kusaie 8 September and Ponape 11 September. Captain Momm, division commander on Hyman, assumed duties as military governor of Ponape
next day. The ship remained as station ship, assisting in the occupation and repatriation until arriving Eniwetok 26 December 1945. After exercises out of Yokosuka early in 1946, the ship sailed via California and the Canal Zone to Casco Bay, Maine, where she arrived 16 April 1946. Hyman took part in antisubmarine training operations in the Caribbean through the end of 1946.
Hyman sailed for her first deployment to the Mediterranean 2 February 1947. For the next year she operated in coastal waters, but sailed 13 September 1948 with a carrier and cruiser group for the Mediterranean. The ships supported the U.N. Peace Force in Palestine
, showing American determination to maintain the peace. After this important cruise Hyman returned to Newport 23 January 1949.
, and on this duty she steamed for 2-week periods giving valuable training for reserve officers and men. With the outbreak of the Korean War
in June 1950, Hyman engaged in maneuvers and training in the Caribbean, ending her reserve duty in September. After another cruise to the Mediterranean 6 March to 7 June 1951 she prepared for Korean duty, getting underway from Newport 2 October 1951. Hyman steamed with her division via the Panama Canal, San Diego, and Hawaii, arriving Yokosuka 31 October.
With the ground war in Korea then in stalemate, fleet air power, and surface bombardment carried much of the fight to the enemy. Hyman arrived Wonsan for shore bombardment 6 November, remaining in the area until 19 November, when she moved farther out to sea as plane guard for Australian aircraft carrier . Returning to Wonsan Harbor the destroyer engaged in a gunnery duel with batteries on Kalmo Pando peninsula 24 November, sustaining minor shrapnel damage during the close-in exchange. She carried out search and rescue duties into December when she joined Task Force 77 in the sea of Japan during interdiction strikes on North Korea
. Hyman returned to Yokosuka 22 February 1952 and soon afterward embarked on the long cruise home, completing her round the world voyage at Newport 21 April after visiting Ceylon, Saudi Arabia
, Italy
, and France
.
After another Midshipman cruise, Hyman sailed 29 November 1957 for the Mediterranean, visiting various eastern Mediterranean ports with the 6th Fleet in its ceaseless effort to maintain peace and freedom in the region. She returned to the United States 12 April 1958 and for the remainder of the year was occupied with NATO exercises in the North Atlantic and antisubmarine training. Operations in home waters continued until 4 August 1960, when Hyman again sailed for duty with the 6th Fleet. In April 1961 the ship steamed west of the Azores
as a station ship in America's historic Project Mercury
.
During 1962 the destroyer made another cruise to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ports, operating with naval units from many navies. While Hyman was undergoing repairs in October, the introduction of offensive missiles into Cuba precipitated another cold-war crisis; and the ship steamed to join the quarantine just as it was lifted in late November.
Hyman sailed to Costa Rica
in March 1963 in connection with President John F. Kennedy
's visit to that Central American country; and, after antisubmarine exercises, proceeded to waters east of Cape Canaveral
for another Project Mercury assignment. She acted as part of the recovery group on Major
L. Gordon Cooper's successful orbital flight. During the remainder of the year the ship conducted training exercises in the Caribbean.
During 1964 Hyman participated in ASW exercises and served as surveillance ship in Cuban waters. She entered Boston Naval Shipyard in April and departed for her llth deployment with the 6th Fleet on 27 November. Hyman returned to Newport 13 March 1965 and received a new training assignment for Naval Reservists. This at sea training keeps her busy on the eastern seaboard, a vital link in keeping the U.S. Navy always at the ready.
While conducting training exercises in mid-September 1965, Hyman was ordered to search for a chlorine 'barge lost in the Mississippi river
during Hurricane Betsy
. Although damaged by the same hurricane that sunk the barge, Hyman searched the Mississippi River for a week. Sonar sweeps and fathometer traces located the 'barge with its deadly gas near Baton Rouge, Louisiana
, 17 September. With a job well done, Hyman went to Orange, Texas
, for hull repairs. Training of Naval Reservists kept Hyman busy into 1967.
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 for Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Willford Milton Hyman
Willford Hyman
Lieutenant Commander Willford Milton Hyman was an officer in the United States Navy during World War II.Born in Pueblo, Colorado, Hyman graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1924...
, who commanded the during the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
. During the battle, the Sims was lost and Hyman went down with his ship. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
. Hyman was laid down by Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
, Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
on 22 November 1943, was launched 8 April 1944 and commissioned 16 June 1944.
World War II
Hyman conducted exhaustive shakedown training off BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and in Casco Bay, Maine, before sailing from Boston 18 September to join the Pacific war. She steamed via 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 San Diego to 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...
12 October 1944. During the next few months she was occupied with training exercises, including practice amphibious assaults, and escort voyages to the advance base at Eniwetok.
As the amphibious pincers, one reaching across Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
and the other pushing through the Philippines
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...
, closed on Japan in early 1945, the island of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
became a prime objective. Hyman sailed 27 January 1945, with the transports of Kelly Turner's expeditionary force, touching at Eniwetok before carrying out on Saipan a final rehearsal of the great Iwo Jima landing. On the morning of 19 February, the destroyer formed part of the screen for the transports; and, as the first wave landed, she turned her 5-inch guns shoreward and opened fire to provide support for the assaulting troops. She blasted enemy troops and bunkers until 23 February, when she made an antisubmarine sweep south of Iwo Jima. The next day, after returning to gunfire support station, Hyman fought off a fierce air attack. Fire support, duties continued until the destroyer sailed for Leyte Gulf 2 March 1945. There she took part in practice bombardments for the upcoming invasion of Okinawa.
Hyman sailed with Admiral Hall's Southern Attack Force 27 March 1945 and arrived Okinawa 1 April. As troops landed she took station off the transport area, protecting the American ships from enemy submarines and planes. In the following days she fought off several air attacks and on 5 April, led a search group hunting a reported midget submarine
Midget submarine
A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to 6 or 8, with little or no on-board living accommodation...
. Next day the ship was attacked in company with other picket and patrol ships west of Ie Shima as the Japanese made desperate suicide attacks in hopes of stopping the landing. Shooting at attacking planes on all sides, Hyman downed several before a damaged aircraft crashed near her torpedo tubes, its engine exploding on the main deck. While fighting fire and flooding, Hyman helped down two more suiciders before the engagement ended, leaving twelve of her men killed and over forty wounded.
After emergency repairs at Kerama Retto 7 April arrived Saipan eleven days later. From there she steamed on one engine to San Francisco, arriving 16 May 1945. The battle-tested destroyer was ready for sea again in late July 1945; and, after training exercises, sailed to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived the day of the Japanese surrender, 15 August. Hyman performed plane-guard duties in Hawaiian waters until arriving Kwajalein 5 September to assist in receiving the surrender of outlying Pacific islands. She received the surrender of Japanese forces on Kusaie 8 September and Ponape 11 September. Captain Momm, division commander on Hyman, assumed duties as military governor of Ponape
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
next day. The ship remained as station ship, assisting in the occupation and repatriation until arriving Eniwetok 26 December 1945. After exercises out of Yokosuka early in 1946, the ship sailed via California and the Canal Zone to Casco Bay, Maine, where she arrived 16 April 1946. Hyman took part in antisubmarine training operations in the Caribbean through the end of 1946.
Hyman sailed for her first deployment to the Mediterranean 2 February 1947. For the next year she operated in coastal waters, but sailed 13 September 1948 with a carrier and cruiser group for the Mediterranean. The ships supported the U.N. Peace Force in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, showing American determination to maintain the peace. After this important cruise Hyman returned to Newport 23 January 1949.
Korea
Through 1949 and 1950 the veteran destroyer was assigned to reserve training duty out of Algiers, LouisianaAlgiers, Louisiana
Algiers is a neighborhood within the city of New Orleans. It is the portion of Orleans Parish on the West Bank of the Mississippi River.Algiers is also known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans.-History:...
, and on this duty she steamed for 2-week periods giving valuable training for reserve officers and men. With the outbreak of 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...
in June 1950, Hyman engaged in maneuvers and training in the Caribbean, ending her reserve duty in September. After another cruise to the Mediterranean 6 March to 7 June 1951 she prepared for Korean duty, getting underway from Newport 2 October 1951. Hyman steamed with her division via the Panama Canal, San Diego, and Hawaii, arriving Yokosuka 31 October.
With the ground war in Korea then in stalemate, fleet air power, and surface bombardment carried much of the fight to the enemy. Hyman arrived Wonsan for shore bombardment 6 November, remaining in the area until 19 November, when she moved farther out to sea as plane guard for Australian aircraft carrier . Returning to Wonsan Harbor the destroyer engaged in a gunnery duel with batteries on Kalmo Pando peninsula 24 November, sustaining minor shrapnel damage during the close-in exchange. She carried out search and rescue duties into December when she joined Task Force 77 in the sea of Japan during interdiction strikes on North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. Hyman returned to Yokosuka 22 February 1952 and soon afterward embarked on the long cruise home, completing her round the world voyage at Newport 21 April after visiting Ceylon, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Cold War
The veteran ship sailed again for Mediterranean waters 7 January 1953. On this cruise she took part in joint operations with British and French ships, returning to her home port 24 May 1953. During 1954 and 1955 Hyman took part in antisubmarine operations in the Caribbean and Atlantic. In 1956 she cruised to the Caribbean with midshipmen on training operations, and participated in North Atlantic Treaty Organization maneuvers off the Virginia Capes in May. In June 1957 the ship was part of the International Naval Review at the Jamestown Festival, commemorating the 350th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in the New World.After another Midshipman cruise, Hyman sailed 29 November 1957 for the Mediterranean, visiting various eastern Mediterranean ports with the 6th Fleet in its ceaseless effort to maintain peace and freedom in the region. She returned to the United States 12 April 1958 and for the remainder of the year was occupied with NATO exercises in the North Atlantic and antisubmarine training. Operations in home waters continued until 4 August 1960, when Hyman again sailed for duty with the 6th Fleet. In April 1961 the ship steamed west of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
as a station ship in America's historic Project Mercury
Project Mercury
In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...
.
During 1962 the destroyer made another cruise to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ports, operating with naval units from many navies. While Hyman was undergoing repairs in October, the introduction of offensive missiles into Cuba precipitated another cold-war crisis; and the ship steamed to join the quarantine just as it was lifted in late November.
Hyman sailed to Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
in March 1963 in connection with President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's visit to that Central American country; and, after antisubmarine exercises, proceeded to waters east of Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
for another Project Mercury assignment. She acted as part of the recovery group on Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
L. Gordon Cooper's successful orbital flight. During the remainder of the year the ship conducted training exercises in the Caribbean.
During 1964 Hyman participated in ASW exercises and served as surveillance ship in Cuban waters. She entered Boston Naval Shipyard in April and departed for her llth deployment with the 6th Fleet on 27 November. Hyman returned to Newport 13 March 1965 and received a new training assignment for Naval Reservists. This at sea training keeps her busy on the eastern seaboard, a vital link in keeping the U.S. Navy always at the ready.
While conducting training exercises in mid-September 1965, Hyman was ordered to search for a chlorine 'barge lost in the Mississippi river
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
during Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy was a Category 4 hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season which caused enormous damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana. Betsy made its most intense landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River, causing significant flooding of the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into...
. Although damaged by the same hurricane that sunk the barge, Hyman searched the Mississippi River for a week. Sonar sweeps and fathometer traces located the 'barge with its deadly gas near Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, 17 September. With a job well done, Hyman went to 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...
, for hull repairs. Training of Naval Reservists kept Hyman busy into 1967.