HARRY E HUBBARD DD 748

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Allen M. Sumner Class Destroyer Keel Laid 30 October 1943 - Launched 24 March 1944 USS HARRY E. HUBBARD DD-748 Commissioned 22 July 1944 - Decommissioned 15 January 1947 Recommissioned 14 May 1949 - Decommissioned 12 December 1949 Recommissioned 27 October 1950 - Decommissioned 17 October 1969 Struck from Naval Register 17 October 1969 Sold July 1970 and broken up for scrap

"Name the Day"

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each name of the ship (for example, Bushnell AG-32 / Sumner AGS-5 are different names for the same ship so there should be one set of pages for Bushnell and one set for Sumner). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

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1. USS Harry E. Hubbard DD-748 Covers Page 1     (1944-1963)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each name and/or commissioning period. Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
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Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

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1st Commissioning 22 July 1944 to 15 January 1947

 

Locy Type 2z

1945-11-10

Note:

 

Locy Type 2z + SLKb(n)

1946-02-11

Note:

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3rd Commissioning 27 October 1950 to 17 October 1969

 

Locy Type FDC 2

1950-10-27

First Day of Commissioning, USCS Postmark Catalog states "T-2 cancels dated earlier than Jan 23, 1951 are backdated". Cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson.

 

Locy Type FDPS 2

1951-01-23

First Day Postal Service

 

Locy Type 2

1951-03-30

Note:

 

Locy Type 2(n)

1963-10-30

Note:

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u)

1962-02-25

Note:

 

Locy Type 9efu

1951-03-30

Note:

 

Other Information

USS HARRY E. HUBBARD earned the Combat Action Ribbon (w/ two gold stars), the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal (w/ one battle star), the World War II Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Medal (w/ "ASIA" clasp), the China Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal (2 awards), the Korean Service Medal (w/ five battle stars), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (w/ two stars), the Vietnam Service Medal (w/ seven campaign stars), the Korean Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon, the United Nations Korea Medal, the Korean War Service Medal (South Korea) and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal during her Naval career.

NAMESAKE - Commander Harry Enson Hubbard, USN (18 March 1903 - 16 October 1942)
Hubbard graduated from the Naval Academy in June 1925, served 3 years in Battleship USS MARYLAND BB-46, then qualified in submarines at New London, Conn. Following duty in Submarine S-34, he completed Naval Academy postgraduate work, then served in Submarine Tender USS HOLLAND AS-3 and was Executive Officer of Destroyer USS TWIGGS DD-127. He served at the Naval Torpedo Station at Newport, then commanded Destroyer USS ROPER DD-147 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 USS MEREDITH DD-434. In command of MEREDITH, Hubbard helped screen Carrier USS HORNET CV-8 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 destroyermen had drawn the enemy aircraft away from ships who made it to Guadalcanal with munitions and desperately needed supplies.

The ships sponsor was Miss Jean Hubbard, daughter of Commander Hubbard.

 

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