USS Hollis facts for kids
_underway_off_Newport,_Rhode_Island_(USA),_on_6_April_1944_(80-G-229730).jpg) |
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Laid down | 5 July 1943 |
| Launched | 11 September 1943 |
| Commissioned | 24 January 1944 |
| Reclassified | APD-86, 24 January 1945 |
| Decommissioned | 16 October 1956 |
| Stricken | 15 September 1974 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 1 July 1975 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement |
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| Length | 306 ft (93 m) |
| Beam | 36 ft 9 in (11.20 m) |
| Draft | 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 24 knots (44 km/h) |
| Range |
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| Complement | 15 officers, 198 men |
| Armament |
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The USS Hollis (DE-794/APD-86) was a special type of U.S. Navy ship called a destroyer escort. It was part of the Buckley-class. This ship served in the Navy from 1944 to 1947, and again from 1951 to 1956. The Hollis was eventually taken apart for scrap metal in 1975.
Contents
Ship History and Service
The Hollis was built by the Consolidated Steel Corporation in Orange, Texas. It was launched, or put into the water for the first time, on September 11, 1943. Mrs. Hermione C. Hollis, who was the widow of Ensign Hollis, helped launch the ship. The Hollis officially joined the Navy on January 24, 1944.
Serving in the Atlantic Ocean
After testing its systems in the Atlantic, the Hollis sailed along the East Coast twice. It then went to Quonset Point, R.I. to help with sound research. The goal was to find ways to stop German acoustic torpedoes, which were special torpedoes that could find ships using sound.
The destroyer escort stayed on this important job until May 28. Then, it sailed to Casablanca as part of a group protecting an aircraft carrier. After returning to New York on June 17, the Hollis soon went back to sea. This time, it was part of a group that protected ships and hunted for enemy submarines.
From July to mid-August, the Hollis protected convoys in the Mediterranean Sea. On August 15, it escorted a convoy to the area where the invasion of southern France was happening. As the Allied forces pushed forward, the Hollis kept protecting ships in the Mediterranean. This made sure that important supplies and soldiers could get where they needed to go.
The ship sailed back to the United States on December 28, arriving on January 18. It then went to the Philadelphia Navy Yard to be changed into a high-speed transport.
Action in the Pacific War
The Hollis was changed to carry special amphibious assault troops. It was renamed APD-86 on January 24, 1945. The ship then did its training in April and May off the Atlantic coast.
On May 10, the ship sailed from Miami, Florida. It went through the Panama Canal and headed for Pearl Harbor to join the Pacific War. The Hollis arrived on May 30 and immediately started training with Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs). These were the Navy's famous "frogmen" who cleared obstacles underwater. They trained near Maui island.
The Hollis became the main ship for the UDT forces. It sailed to Eniwetok and Guam as the Japanese were getting ready to surrender. The ship arrived at Apra Harbor on August 23, 1945.
The Hollis, now leading the Pacific UDTs, sailed to Tokyo Bay to help with the occupation. It arrived on September 1. There, the crew saw the official surrender ceremony of the Japanese Empire the next day.
After its duties in Japan, the ship sailed to San Diego California, arriving on October 23. From there, it went through the Panama Canal to Boston. The Hollis arrived in Boston on February 15, 1946. It then spent four months in Charleston, S.C. before reaching Green Cove Springs, Florida, on October 13, 1946. The Hollis was taken out of service on May 5, 1947, and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
Cold War Service
Because the Korean War started, the Navy needed more ships. So, the Hollis was put back into service on April 6, 1951. It trained near Norfolk, Virginia. The ship sailed from its home port at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia, on October 8. It took part in training exercises in the Caribbean Sea and off the coast of North Carolina. It returned on November 20.
For the next five years, the Hollis kept doing training exercises. These included practicing amphibious landings and anti-submarine warfare. In 1954 and 1955, it briefly served as a school ship for the Fleet Sonar School in Key West, Florida. In 1954, it joined a cold weather exercise in the North Atlantic near Labrador. In 1955, it spent a month training Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps midshipmen.
End of Service
The Hollis arrived at Green Cove Springs, Florida, on July 17, 1956. It was taken out of service there on October 16, 1956. The Navy officially removed the Hollis from its list of ships on September 15, 1974. It was then sold for scrap metal on July 1, 1975.
Who Was Ralph Hollis?
The ship was named after Ralph Hollis. He was born on September 10, 1906, in Crawfordville, Georgia. He served in the Navy from 1923 to 1926. After that, he worked as a driver and pump operator for the Palm Beach Fire Department. Later, he became a lieutenant in the Palm Beach Police Department, in charge of radio communications.
Ralph Hollis joined the United States Navy Reserve as an Ensign on November 21, 1934. He was called to active duty in May 1941. After taking a special course in communications, Ensign Hollis was sent to the battleship USS Arizona in September. He was promoted to Lieutenant (Junior Grade) on November 15. Lt. Hollis was the communications officer on the Arizona. He was killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Awards
The Hollis received one battle star for its service during World War II.
