USN:
USS Hovey (DD-208/DMS-11) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the only ship named for Ensign Charles Hovey (1885–1911).
USS Hovey in June 1942
USS Hovey (DMS-11) configured as minesweeper with three stacks, crane at squared stern, May 1943
As flagship for Commander Loud's Minesweeping and Hydrographic Group,
Hovey departed Manus 23 December, arriving Leyte Gulf the 30th. She sortied 2 January 1945, proceeded south through
Surigao Strait and passed into the
Mindanao Sea en route to the
landings on Lingayen,
Luzon. Many reconnaissance aircraft harassed the convoy during the night but no attacks developed until morning of 3 January.
From then on, the convoy was under such heavy air attack that
Hovey had to adopt the policy of not firing unless she was directly under attack, fearing that she would expend all her ammunition. In the entrance to
Lingayen Gulf, at 0800 the sweepers came under attack and
Hovey immediately shot down one
kamikaze. As the ships made a return sweep, two
kamikazes made straight runs on the last two ships in the column, crashing into
Brooks and
Long.
Hovey slipped her gear and stood in to assist
Long.
Long's entire bridge and well deck was on fire, with intermittent explosions coming from the forward magazine and ready ammunition. Because of the explosions and air attacks,
Hovey could not get alongside, but spent an hour picking up 149 survivors. Of the survivors of the
Long, rescued by
Hovey, thirty-five were wounded by burns, and one died. At dark the sweepers made their night retirement and began steaming off the entrance to Lingayen Gulf.
With the exception of the
USS Southard struck on 6 January at 1732, no more damaging attacks occurred to the sweepers until 0425, the morning of 7 January, when two enemy aircraft were picked up on radar. At 0450, one plane flying low to the water came in from the starboard quarter passing ahead of
Hovey. A few moments later, another plane coming from the port beam was put on fire by
Chandler. This plane passed very low over
Hovey and crashed off the starboard beam. At 0455, the instant the burning plane crashed,
Hovey was struck by a torpedo on her starboard side in the after engine room. Lights and power were lost instantly. The stern remained nearly level and sinking to the top of the after deck house, the bow listed 40 degrees to starboard and rose out of the water, the ship breaking in half. Two minutes later the bow listed to 90 degrees, rose vertically and rapidly sank in 54
fathoms (324 ft; 99 m) of water. Twenty four men were killed in addition to twenty four more men who were survivors from
Long and
Brooks. Survivors of the
Hovey, which included rescued survivors of the
Brooks and most of the crew of the
Long were rescued by both
USS Chandler (DD-206), who recovered a total of 229 officers and enlisted that day, and later by
USS West Virginia.