USS Hanna

History
United States
Name	USS Hanna (DE 449)
Laid down	23 March 1944
Launched	4 July 1944
Commissioned	27 January 1945
Decommissioned	31 May 1946
In service	27 December 1950
Out of service	11 December 1959
Stricken	1 December 1972
Fate	Sold for scrapping 3 December 1973
General characteristics
Displacement	1,350/1,745 tons
Length	306 ft (93 m) overall
Beam	36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Draught	13 ft 4 in (4.06 m) maximum
Propulsion	2 boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp, 2 screws
Speed	24 knots (44 km/h)
Range	6,000 nm @ 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement	14 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament	2- 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 1 Hedgehog, 8 depth charge projectors, 2 depth charge tracks

USS Hanna (DE-449) was a

to her credit after she was reactivated for Korean War duty.

Namesake

William T. Hanna was born on 23 October 1920 in

, his citation stated:

Fighting desperately in hand-to-hand combat against overwhelming hostile forces, Private Hanna refused to be dislodged from his position and after exacting a tremendous toll of the enemy, heroically died at his post.

Construction and commissioning

She was launched 4 July 1944 by the

; sponsored by Mrs. William P. Hanna, mother; and commissioned 27 January 1945.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations

After

surrender.

End-of-war activity

Hanna and the U.S. prize Tachibana Maru formed the task unit to evacuate Japanese soldiers and sailors from Wake Island. Embarking 700 passengers they reached Tokyo 12 October. The U.S. Navy prize crew was withdrawn; the United States ensign hauled down; and Tachibana Maru turned over to the Japanese.

Departing Tokyo 24 October 1945 Hanna returned to

.

Recommissioned during Korean War

Hanna recommissioned at San Diego 27 December 1950 to augment Navy strength in the Korean War.

Once more an active unit of the

Harbor Hanna was instrumental in silencing enemy shore batteries after a duel lasting more than 2 hours.

During the ensuing months Hanna served gallantly, operating with the Blockading and Escort Forces of Task Force 95. She was part of the

Communists

. In early November 1951 Hanna was detached for the United States, reaching San Diego 26 November for overhaul.

Three months later Hanna returned to the western Pacific and resumed her shore bombardment missions in addition to escorting damaged vessels and investigation of fishing craft. On 24 November 1952 Hanna came under heavy return fire from North Korean shore batteries and was hit amidships in the aft fireroom, mortally wounding MM3 Robert Potts. Potts was the last shipboard casualty killed by enemy action during the Korean war. She returned to San Diego 9 June 1953. After operations off the California coast Hanna departed 19 November for an island-hopping cruise of the Central Pacific, returning to San Diego 6 June 1954.

Continued Pacific Ocean deployments

Between 9 November 1954 and 28 July 1957 Hanna made three more deployments to the western Pacific. On her last deployment Hanna took up patrolling the Central

chain.

A book, A Handful of Emeralds, by Joseph C. Meredith, was published in 1995 chronicling the USS Hanna's patrols in the western Pacific from December 1953 through May 1954.

Training ship duties

Hanna's home port was changed to

, and from that date until 27 August 1959 made 18 such cruises in addition to numerous weekend cruises.

Final decommissioning

Hanna decommissioned at

.

Military awards

Hanna received five battle stars for Korean service.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• NavSource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive - USS Hanna (DE-449)