USS William M. Hobby (APD-95), ex-DE-236, was a United States Navy high-speed transport in commission from 1945 to 1946.
Namesake
William Matthews Hobby, Jr., was born on 27 July 1899 in Sylvania, Georgia. He was appointed a midshipman from the Georgia's 1st congressional district on 20 June 1919, attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, and graduated in the class of 1923. After initial sea duty on the battleship from June 1923 to April 1925, Hobby underwent brief aviation instruction at Naval Air Station Pensacola at Pensacola, Florida. He then reported to the destroyer on 21 November 1925 and served in Kidder as she earned the Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal.
Hobby then underwent submarine instruction at Submarine Base New London in New London, Connecticut, from late December 1927 to June 1928. He then travelled to the United States Asiatic Fleet, where he reported to the submarine tender on 10 August 1928, prior to his joining the submarine on 20 August 1928. After successive tours in the submarines and , Hobby returned to the United States for service at the United States Naval Academy from May 1931 to June 1933. He then helped to fit out the submarine before serving back-to-back tours on the battleship and training ship into the summer of 1938.
Hobby reported to the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company at Kearny, New Jersey, on 11 May 1939, to supervise the fitting out of the new Sims-class destroyer and to become its first commanding officer when it was placed in commission. Detached from Anderson on 22 March 1941, Hobby then rejoined the battleship Oklahoma on 26 March 1941 as damage control officer and first lieutenant. After Oklahoma capsized and sank in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Hobby served briefly in the 12th Naval District before he joined the new battleship on 3 January 1942. He acted as navigator of Washington until he relieved Commander Walter E. Moore as executive officer of the light cruiser at Espiritu Santo on 2 November 1942.
On 12 November 1942, ten days after he reported aboard, Juneau was heavily damaged during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The following afternoon, 13 November 1942, while it was returning to Espiritu Santo, the Japanese submarine I-26 torpedoed Juneau. The torpedo hit detonated Juneaus magazine, and the ship disintegrated in a massive explosion, leaving only ten survivors.
Construction and commissioning
William M. Hobby was laid down as the Rudderow-class destroyer escort USS William M. Hobby (DE-236) on 15 November 1943 by the Charleston Navy Yard. She was built in a drydock and floated out on 2 February 1944, so there was no formal launching. The ship was reclassified as a Crosley-class high-speed transport and redesignated APD-95 on either 17 June 1945 or 17 July 1944. After conversion to her new role, she was simultaneously christened—sponsored by Miss Catherine Hobby, sister of the ships namesake, Commander William M. Hobby—and commissioned on 4 April 1945.
Service history
World War II
Following shakedown training in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, William M. Hobby proceeded to Norfolk, Virginia. From 16 May 1945 to 21 May 1945, she conducted an "amphibious shakedown," including shore bombardment exercises off Bloodsworth Island in Chesapeake Bay. After post-shakedown repairs at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia, William M. Hobby held additional shakedown gunnery training in Chesapeake Bay before she departed Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 3 June 1945, bound for the Panama Canal Zone in company with the high-speed transport USS Amesbury (APD-46).
William M. Hobby reached Cristóbal, Panama Canal Zone, on 8 June 1945, completed the transit of the Panama Canal on 10 June 1945, and set course for the California coast immediately thereafter. Arriving at San Diego, California on 17 June 1945, she got underway for the Hawaiian Islands in company with Amesbury and destroyer escort USS O'Reilly (DE-330) on 20 June 1945.
Arriving at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, on 27 June 1945, William M. Hobby trained underwater demolition teams at Ma'alaea Bay, Maui, Territory of Hawaii, in July before she embarked Underwater Demolition Team 29 for transportation to the United States West Coast. Departing the Hawaiian Islands on 2 August 1945, William M. Hobby made port at Oceanside, California, on 9 August 1945.
Shifting briefly to San Pedro, California, William M. Hobby returned to Oceanside and disembarked Underwater Demolition Team 29 on 13 August 1945. The following day, 14 August 1945 – 15 August 1945 across the International Date Line in East Asia -- Japan surrendered, ending World War II.