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USS HARRY E. HUBBARD (DD-748)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NTRD

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - PLYMOUTH ROCK

CLASS - ALLEN M. SUMNER As Built.
Displacement 3218 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 376' 6"(oa) x 40' 10" x 14' 2" (Max)
Armament 6 x 5"/38AA (3x2), 12 x 40mm AA, 11 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; Westinghouse Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 36.5 Knots, Range 3300 NM@ 20 Knots, Crew 336.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island NY October 30 1943.
Launched March 24 1944 and commissioned July 22 1944.
Decommissioned January 15 1947 and recommissioned May 14 1949.
Decommissioned December 12 1949 and recommissioned October 27 1950.
Decommissioned and Stricken October 17 1969.
Fate Sold to Zidell Explorations, Portland, OR for $80,956.66 June 18 1970 and broken up for scrap.

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Hubbard 20kHarry Ensor Hubbard was born 18 March 1903 in Baltimore, Md. He graduated from the Naval Academy in June 1925, served 3 years in battleship Maryland, then qualified in submarines at New London, Conn. Following duty in submarine 8-34, he completed Naval Academy postgraduate work, then served in submarine tender Holland, and, was executive officer of destroyer Twiggs. He served at the Naval Torpedo Station at Newport, then commanded destroyer Roper 1939 to 1940, before assignment as staff gunnery officer for destroyers In the Atlantic. The latter duty terminated 1 March 1942 when Hubbard took command of destroyer Meredith (DD-434). In command of Meredith, Hubbard helped screen carrier Hornet off Japan for the famed Doolittle bombing raids on Tokyo 18 April 1942. Thereafter he conned his destroyer on-arduous patrol and escort from Hawaii to the Samoan, Fiji, and Solomon Islands. His destroyer helped cover transports landing reinforcements on bitterly contested Guadalcanal 18 September 1942. During the darkest days of the Solomons Campaign Hubbard joined in maintaining the lifeline of supplies to fighting men holding their ground on Guadalcanal. On 15 October 1942 he fought his ship against Japanese carrier-based scouting planes, then fought off 18 enemy dive bombers and 12 torpedo planes launched by Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku. His gunners shot down five of the attackers, all the destroyermen following the example of Hubbard who carried on the fight though blinded by burns about his face. When his men had cleared the bridge, he abandoned the sinking Meredith scant moments before she made her final plunge. He perished on a life raft at sea the morning of 16 October 1942. The heroic stand of Commander Hubbard and his destroyerman had drawn the enemy aircraft away from ships who made it to Guadalcanal with munitions and desperately needed supplies.Bill Gonyo
Hubbard 95kArtist's conception of the Hubbard as she appeared after the early 1950's conversion by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.Navy Yard Associates
Hubbard 147kUndated, location unknown.Frank D. Riccardi
Hubbard 56kUndated postcard Copyright © Marine Photos, San Diego, CA.Mike Smolinski
Hubbard 300kUndated, location unknown.Roberet Hurst
Hubbard 210kUndated, USS Bowers (APD-40) and USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748) at Portland Maine.Tommy Trampp
Hubbard 172kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Hubbard 17kPass for the launching on March 24 1944 at Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island, New York.Ron Reeves
Hubbard 162kStaten Island, New York, 24 24 March 1944, courageously holding back the tears and turning on a bright smile, 16-year-old Jean Hubbard of Annapolis, Maryland prepares to launch the destroyer “Hubbard” with a prayer that the vessel with be worthy of her father, whose name it bears. The destroyer honors the late Commander Harry Ensor Hubbard, USN, hero of the Naval Campaign in the Solomon’s and the commander of the destroyer that escorted the flattop “Hornet” during the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, slid down the ways at Bethlehem Steel Company’s Staten Island Yards today on 24 March 1944. Photo courtesy of Acme Newspictures.Bill Gonyo
Hubbard 103kJuly 1944 at Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island, New York.Donald E. Johnston, RD2, 1964-1967/Ed Zajkowski
Hubbard 98kNavy photo MINSY 3616-46, USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD 748) and USS Thompson (DM 38) moving berths with the assistance of YLT 592 at Mare Island on 17 Oct 1946.Darryl Baker
Hubbard 194kUSS Harry E Hubbard (DD-748) being maneuvered by tugs to the pier in preparation to be demothballed and placed back into service in the early 1950's with the USS Hunt (DD-674), USS Hickox (DD-673), USS Bullard (DD-660) and USS Rooks (DD-804) in the right background. Photo courtesy of Life magazine.Bill Gonyo
Hubbard 121kOff San Diego circa 1952. Image by Morper Photography from the collection of crewman Russell E. Gray.Reid Gray
Hubbard 31kUSS Harry E Hubbard off Korean coast, Sea of Japan, fall 1952.Roy C. Thomas
Hubbard 33kUSS Harry E Hubbard on Japanese Inland Sea, summer 1952.Roy C. Thomas
Hubbard 154kUSS Grady (DE-445) in the Mare Island Channel on 26 May 1954. The USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748) is to the left.Darryl Baker
Hubbard 73kCirca 1960'sDonald E. Johnston, RD2, 1964-1967
Hubbard 163kA series of 12 images of the Hubbard refueling from the USS Bennington (CVS-20) in the South China Sea during the Winter of 1961 by Navy Photographer PH2 Charles Hansen.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 95kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 80kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 181kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 158kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 155kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 170kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 149kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 190kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 195kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 175kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 195kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 170kAs above.Charles Hansen
Hubbard 126kUSS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) refueling USS McKean (DDR-784), at right, and USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748) on 18 September 1962. Note that the carrier has ten A-3 "Skywarrior" heavy attack aircraft parked on her flight deck, amidships and aft. Planes parked forward include A-1, A-4, F-4 and F-8 types. Official U.S. Navy Photograph.Fred Weiss
Hubbard 166kThe USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) is simultaneously refueling the USS McKean (DD-784) and USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748) on September 18, 1962. US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 1996.488.104.095.Mike Green
Hubbard 147kUSN photo 1114136 of April 27 1965 by F. L. Woodward PH2. From the collection of CDR Thomas B. Ray (USS Essex CV-9).Chris Stanley
Hubbard 61kLong Beach, CA 1966.Marc Piché
Hubbard 41kApril 6 1967 off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. Official Navy photo by PH3 D. R. Hyder.Donald E. Johnston, RD2, 1964-1967
Hubbard 93kThis photo was included in cruise packages which were given to the crew following her last Westpac Cruise (July,1968 to Feb, 1969)James L. Stromberg MM2
Hubbard 87kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Hubbard 21kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Hubbard 29kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Hubbard 117kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Click here to see our Special Feature - Interior Views of Sumner Class Destroyers as Built

USS HARRY E. HUBBARD DD-748 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves

CDR Leonard William Bailey    Jul 22 1944 - Jan 11 1945 (Later RADM)
CDR Arthur Montgomery Purdy    Jan 11 1945 - Jan 15 1946
CDR David Sugget Brown    Jan 15 1946 - Aug 1946
LCDR Vincent M. Dickerson    Aug 1946 - Jan 1947
(Decommissioned Jan 15 1947 - May 14 1949)
CDR Robert Hume Wanless    May 14 1949 - Jun 25 1949
LCDR John Baptiste Thro    Jun 25 1949 - Jul 12 1949 (Acting)
CDR Robert H. Wanless    Jun 12 1949 - Sep 27 1949
LCDR John Baptiste Thro    Sep 27 1949 - Dec 12 1949
(Decommissioned Dec 12 1949 - Oct 27 1950)
CDR Burris Doudneg Wood Jr.    Oct 27 1950 - Dec 6 1952
CDR Carl Rogers Bower    Dec 6 1952 - Dec 16 1954
CDR Edward D. Sullivan    Dec 16 1954 - Oct 10 1956
CDR Calvert Burke Gill    Oct 10 1956 - Dec 13 1958
CDR Gerald Francis Carney    Dec 13 1958 - Apr 2 1960
CDR Robert Francis Reilly    Apr 2 1960 - Apr 5 1962
CDR John Paul (Jack) Pabarcus    Apr 5 1962 - Nov 9 1963
CDR Lester Grant Hinchcliff Jr.    Nov 9 1963 - Jul 26 1965
CDR Philip Roderick Bush    Jul 26 1965 - Oct 13 1967
CDR Roy Edgar McCoy    Oct 13 1967 - May 14 1969
CDR Frederick Semple Adair    May 14 1969 - Oct 17 1969

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Dick Oliver
Address: 3327 Overlook Drive NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33703-5533
Phone: (727)527-9448
E-mail: None


Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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