USS Hopping was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Hallsted L. Hopping, commanding officer of Scouting Six, embarked on the aircraft carrierUSS Enterprise, killed in action during the 1 February 1942 Marshall Islands Raid. LCDR Hopping was the first U.S. Navy aircraft squadron commander to lose his life in World War II.[1] She was launched at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 9 March 1943, sponsored by Mrs. H. L. Hopping, widow of Lieutenant Commander Hopping; and commissioned on 21 May 1943.
Battle of the Atlantic
The new destroyer escort conducted a shakedown cruise out of Bermuda and after escorting an LSTconvoy to Norfolk, Virginia, made a voyage to Casablanca, where she arrived on 2 September 1943. There Hopping formed with a new convoy and returned to New York on 25 September.
In the year that followed Hopping made nine convoy crossings from New York to United Kingdom ports, bringing vital supplies for the war in Europe. While en route to Britain on 3 May 1944 a sister ship, USS Donnell, was torpedoed and seriously damaged as the escort vessels stalked a U-boat. Hopping helped to drive off the marauder with numerous depth charge attacks, and then took Donnell in tow. Struggling for two days in heavy seas, she managed to bring her sister ship within range of British salvage ships off Ireland, which towed her into Derry.
Hopping sailed for Kerama Retto on 21 March with UDT-7 embarked, and during the early days of the campaign carried out many reconnaissance and demolition assignments. When not putting frogmen ashore, the ship acted as screening ship for larger units off Kerama Retto, and while on this duty assisted in splashing several aircraft the night of 28/29 March. As Marines landed on Okinawa itself on 1 April, Hopping turned to screening and patrol duties, fighting off numerous Japanese air attacks. While in Buckner Bay on a reconnaissance operation on 9 April, the ship engaged a concealed enemy shore battery, and while silencing the gun, sustained several damaging hits. As a result, she proceeded to Ulithi for repairs, arriving there on 23 April 1945.
Hopping off Okinawa, in 1945.
Hopping was soon back in the thick of the fighting at Okinawa, however, returning on 17 May to resume screening duties as the air and land battles raged. She remained off Okinawa continuously until the island was secured fighting off countless mass attacks by the desperate Japanese. The ship sailed on 8 August with a convoy bound for Leyte, and while in the historic gulf on 15 August learned of the surrender of Japan.
The ship's first occupation duty was to aid in the evacuation of former prisoners of war from Japan. She arrived in Japan on 11 September and disembarked over 100 former Navy and Marine prisoners at Guam on 19 September. Following convoy duty and anti-mine work in Japanese and Philippine waters, Hopping got underway from Tokyo Bay on 24 November 1945 with returnees for the United States. She arrived San Diego on 11 December.
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