USS Hobson Memorial

USS Hobson

The Hobson was built in the former Charleston Naval Yard in 1941. It was one of several dozen Gleaves-class destroyers built in the late 1930s and early 1940s. After undergoing training and testing, it was commissioned in January 1942 and first assigned to escort duty. It was then assigned to provide support to the Allied invasion of on North Africa in November 1942. The Hobson was then tasked with protecting convoys sailing in the Atlantic. In one notable event it rescued sailors from merchant ship SS St. Margaret on March 2, 1943. The Hobson was also assigned to British fleets. In one operation with the British, it participated in an attack on German ships in Norway in early October 1943.

In early 1944, it provided anti-submarine support along the East Coast. Later that year, it was among the large force of American ships that participated in the D-Day invasion on June 6th. Specifically, it was part of the group assigned to Utah Beach and fired its guns at German positions. In 1945, the Hobson was in the Pacific Theater to support the invasion of Okinawa. A number of Japanese planes attacked the ship in Kamikaze attacks. All were destroyed by the ships guns but one bomb did hit the ship, killing and wounding a number of men.

During the early period of the Korean War (1950-1953), the Hobson underwent intensive training. In April 1952, it was training with the USS Wasp 700 miles from the Azores (the islands near Portugal). On the night of the 26th, the ships were performing night flying operations. To allow the planes to land on the Wasp, both vessels were supposed to turn right into the wind. However, the Hobson, which was commanded by inexperienced officer William J. Tierney, turned left into the carrier's path. The Wasp struck the Hobson, splitting it in two; it sank within a few minutes. Around 52 men did survive. The Wasp suffered damage on its bow but no one was hurt. The memorial was dedicated in 1954.

Richmond P. Hobson (1870-1937)

Richmond Pearson Hobson was born in Greensboro, Alabama in 1870 to a prominent family. His uncle, Richard Mumford Pearson, Jr., served in the U.S. House of Representatives; his grandfather, Richard Mumford Pearson, Sr., served as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Information about Hobson's childhood is not readily available, but he attended private schools and then Southern University. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1889 and served as a midshipman on the Chicago, which sailed in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. After undergoing training, he was appointed Assistant Naval Constructor in 1891 and worked at a variety of naval yards. He also became an instructor at the Naval Academy. In 1893 he graduated from the French National School of Naval Design, which was located in Paris.

In the Spanish-American War (1898), Hobson was sailing on the flagship USS New York, which was commanded by Rear Admiral William T. Sampson. Sampson commanded the squadron tasked with preventing the Spanish fleet from escaping the harbor where Santiago, Cuba is located. Sampson's squadron arrived near Santiago on June 1 and ordered the cargo ship USS Merrimac to be sunk in the harbor block the Spanish ships from escaping. Seven (possibly eight) men volunteered including Hobson, who led the mission. On the night of June 2-3 as they entered the channel into the harbor, Spanish guns hit the Merrimac and disabled the steering gear. The men escaped before Spanish ships sunk the vessel. They were captured but ultimately failed in the attempt as the Merrimac was too deep underwater. However, Hobson and the other men were hailed as heroes in the U.S. and released a month later. They were all awarded the Medal of Honor; Hobson received his in 1933.

Hobson retired from the Navy in 1903 and became a writer and lecturer. He also entered politics, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1907-1915 for the state of Alabama. He was active in a number of other activities as well. He was staunchly against drugs and alcohol and wrote and lectured about the subject. He died in New York City in 1937 at the age of 66.

"Hobson, Richmond Pearson." History, Art & Archives - United States House of Representatives. Accessed April 13, 2021. https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/H/HOBSON,-Richmond-Pearson-(H000667)/#external-research-collections.

"Hobson-Wasp Collision Collection, 1952-1953: Finding Aid." United States Naval Academy. Accessed April 13, 2021. https://www.usna.edu/Library/sca/man-findingaids/view.php?f=MS_245.

"Our History: The USS Hobson, a Lowcountry Ship." City of North Charleston. Accessed April 13, 2021. https://www.northcharleston.org/news/our-history-the-uss-hobson-a-lowcountry-ship.

"Hobson (DD-464)." Naval History and Heritage Command. Accessed April 13, 2021. https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/hobson.html.

"N.J. sailors who endured a naval catastrophe spill their stories of survival 60 years later." NJ.com. April 22, 2012. Last Updated March 30, 2019. https://www.nj.com/news/2012/04/nj_soldiers_who_endured_a_nava.html.