USS Hopewell, a 2050-ton Fletcher class destroyer, was built at San Pedro, California. Commissioned at the end of September 1943, her introduction into Pacific War combat took place during the Marshalls invasion in late January and February 1944. Over the following seven months she participated in landings along the northern shore of New Guinea, shelled the Japanese on New Ireland, was part of an antisubmarine task group and assisted with the amphibious assault on Morotai. From late October into December 1944 Hopewell took part in the Leyte and Mindoro operations and, in January 1945, the Lingayen Gulf landings. On 14 February, while protecting minesweepers off Corregidor, in Manila Bay, the destroyer was damaged by enemy shore battery shells, necessitating a voyage to the U.S. West Coast for repairs.
Hopewell was en route back to the western Pacific war zone when Japan agreed to surrender in mid-August 1945. After supporting occupation efforts, she returned to the U.S. in November and was generally inactive until mid-January 1947, when she was placed out of commission at San Diego, California. Called back to service by the Korean War, Hopewell recommissioned in late March 1951. She made Far Eastern combat tours during June 1951 - February 1952 and August 1952 - March 1953, escorting other warships, bombarding enemy positions in Korea and participating in the Formosa Patrol.
Following the mid-1953 Korean Armistice Hopewell continued to make frequent deployments to Asian waters. In February 1955 she took part in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands. Later in that year, on 11 November, while participating in a training operation off the West Coast, she was seriously damaged when a Navy AD5N attack aircraft accidently flew into her midships superstructure. Five men died in this tragedy, three in the aircraft and two on the ship. Hopewell was a steady participant in Vietnam combat operations between early 1966 and mid-1969, providing gunfire support for troops ashore, conducting supply interdiction patrols, and screening aircraft carriers operating off the Southeast Asian coast. In early January 1970, less than a half-year after returning from her 14th post-World War II Far Eastern cruise, USS Hopewell was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. She was sunk as a target off Southern California on 11 February 1972.
This page features all the views we have related to USS Hopewell (DD-681).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 99421 USS Hopewell (DD-681) Raising her port anchor, off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 11 May 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 620 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 99422 USS Hopewell (DD-681) Underway off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 11 May 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 79KB; 740 x 620 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 99425 USS Hopewell (DD-681) Underway, circa 1952, probably entering San Diego Harbor, California. Note that the ship has been converted to carry four 5"/38 guns and three 3"/50 twin gun mounts, but still has a World War II era air search radar antenna. This photograph was received by the Naval Photographic Center in December 1959, but was taken several years earlier. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 99KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 99423 USS Hopewell (DD-681) At the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, 4 June 1952. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 595 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 99424 USS Hopewell (DD-681) At the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, 4 June 1952. Note the 26-foot motor whaleboat maneuvering off the ship's stern. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 99KB; 740 x 625 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 91902 USS Hopewell (DD-681) Underway, circa the later 1950s, after she had been refitted to carry four 5"/38 guns and three twin 3"/50" gun mounts. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 128KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 89658-KN (Color) USS Hopewell (DD-681) Underway during the 1960s. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 148KB; 740 x 600 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 53565 USS Hopewell (DD-681) Smoking amidships, just after she was hit by a Japanese shore battery shell while supporting minesweeping operations off Corregidor, in Manila Bay, Philippines, 14 February 1945. Her camouflage is Measure 31, Design 9d. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 114KB; 740 x 620 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 44906 USS Hopewell (DD-681) Damage from a Japanese shore battery shell that hit the ship amidships while she was supporting minesweeping operations off Corregidor, in Manila Bay, Philippines, 14 February 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 105KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: KN-8731 (Color) USS Hopewell (DD-681) Fires a three-gun salvo from her 5"/38 main battery, during exercises conducted for Secretary of the Navy Paul H. Nitze, who was then on a tour of West Coast Navy and Marine Corps facilities, 16-18 December 1963. Official U.S. Navy Photograph. Online Image: 71KB; 740 x 510 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-KN-8731 |
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Photo #: NH 68387-KN (Color) USS Hopewell (DD-681) Jacket patch of the insignia used in 1965. Courtesy of Captain G.F. Swainson, USN, 1969. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 188KB; 605 x 765 pixels |
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In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Hopewell (DD-681). The following list features some of these images:
The images listed below are NOT in
the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS Hopewell (DD-681) in harbor, circa September 1943. Port broadside surface view, retouched by wartime censors to remove radar antennas atop the ship's foremast and Mark 37 gun director. She is painted overall dark grey, probably Camouflage Measure 21.
USS Hopewell (DD-681) underway circa 1952, following modernization to "4-gun Fletcher" configuration, but still fitted with a World War II era air search radar antenna. This photo was received by the Naval Photographic Center in December 1959, but was taken about seven years earlier. Port bow low aerial view.
USS Hopewell (DD-681) refueling at sea from USS Yorktown (CVA-10), 28 May 1957. Photographed from the carrier's forward starboard side gallery. Port bow surface view, rather tight on the bow. Yorktown's starboard side dominates the right portion of the photo. USS Hopewell (DD-681) pulls away from USS Yorktown (CVA-10) "for her last time before heading back to the States", 14 July 1957. Port quarter surface view. USS Hopewell (DD-681) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, March 1958. Starboard broadside surface view, somewhat toward the bow. A large palm tree branch frames the top of the image.
USS Hopewell (DD-681) underway at sea, 26 June 1962. Photographed by PH3 M.S. Harding, of USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31). Starboard bow aerial view. USS Hopewell (DD-681) underway at sea, 17 February 1963. Photographed by PH2 Richard D. Boyd, of USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). Starboard quarter low aerial view. As USN 1070081, but starboard bow (rather on the broadside) low aerial view. USS Hopewell (DD-681) underway at sea, on 15 April 1963, during Commander Destroyer Division 52 change of command ceremonies. Also present are USS Agerholm (DD-826) and USS Porterfield (DD-682). Photographed by PHC J.T. Miller, of USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). Starboard bow aerial view. Hopewell is on the left side of the image, with Porterfield on the right and Agerholm in the center, steaming somewhat ahead of the other two destroyers. USS Hopewell (DD-681) pulling ahead from alongside USS Passumpsic (AO-107) during operations in the western Pacific, 22 April 1963. Taken by a photographer from USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). Starboard bow aerial view. Hopewell is center foreground of the photo, with Passumpsic and USS Robison (DDG-12) in the near background. USS Hopewell (DD-681) underway at sea, 24 April 1963. Photographed by PH2 Richard D. Boyd, of USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). Starboard bow surface view. Hopewell is making a tight turn to port, with her white wake sweeping across the image background. USS Hopewell (DD-681) underway at sea, 21 August 1963. Photographed by PH2 Fennell. Starboard bow surface view, relatively tight on the bow.
USS Hopewell (DD-681) underway (at relatively low speed) off the coast of San Diego, California, 15 January 1964. Photographed by PH3 Franklin L. Woodward, of squadron VU-7. Aerial view taken from nearly directly ahead and slightly to port. As USN 1098923, but starboard broadside aerial view. As USN 1098923, but port bow aerial view. As USN 1098923, but port broadside aerial view.
USS Hopewell (DD-681) underway during Cruiser Destroyer Flotilla 11 homecoming, 6 February 1965. Photographed by PH1 Jeffries, of squadron VU-7. Starboard bow aerial view.
Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 9 September 2004