USS Hart (DD-594)

	USS Hart (DD-594) at sea on 24 March 1945.
History
United States
Namesake	Patrick H. Hart
Builder	Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Laid down	10 August 1943
Launched	25 September 1944
Commissioned	4 November 1944
Decommissioned	31 May 1946
Stricken	15 April 1973
Fate	Sold for scrap, 3 December 1973
General characteristics
Class and type	Fletcher-class destroyer
Displacement	2,050 tons
Length	376 ft 6 in (114.7 m)
Beam	39 ft 8 in (12.1 m)
Draft	17 ft 9 in (5.4 m)
Propulsion	60,000 shp (45 MW); 2 propellers;
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range	6500 nm at 15 kn (12,000 km at 28 km/h)
Complement	273
Armament	5 × 5-inch 38 caliber guns,; 4 × 40 mm AA guns,; 4 × 20 mm AA guns,; 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes,; 6 × depth charge projectors,; 2 × depth charge tracks;

USS Hart (DD-594), a

Navy Cross for heroism during the Battle of Midway

.

Namesake

Patrick Henry Hart was born on 31 May 1915 in

Navy Cross for heroism in attacking the Japanese aircraft carriers

.

Construction and commissioning

Hart, originally designated Mansfield and renamed Hart 21 March 1944, was

Puget Sound Navy Yard; sponsored by Lieutenant Hart's mother, Mrs. Emma Hart; and commissioned

4 November 1944.

Hart conducted her regular shakedown cruise off California and during her training participated in experimental high-speed refueling exercises with Kaskaskia. From 12–23 December, the destroyer refueled at sea some 50 times under all conditions of sea and weather gaining vital information on how to improve this key wartime operation. Ending her regular shakedown on 31 January 1945, the ship departed on 19 February for Pearl Harbor. From 27 February to 3 March she escorted Intrepid in gunnery and aircraft operations, departing for Ulithi on 5 March.

Arriving at Ulithi 16 March, Hart joined the assembled task forces for the

Okinawa

.

Hart was detached from

minesweeping vessels through the treacherous enemy minefields

off the beaches. Australian troops went ashore on 1 July, under cover of fire from Hart and other ships; during the operation Hart destroyed two mines and a 75 mm gun emplacement ashore.

Temporarily leaving the landing areas, Hart was assigned as part of the escort for

Leyte on 5 July. She next moved to Subic Bay for training exercises and escort duty, and after the surrender of Japan on 15 August was assigned to the newly formed North China Force

.

Hart departed on 5 September 1945 to support the landing of

Port Arthur, Tsingtao, and Taku

.

The veteran destroyer sailed for the United States 9 February 1946, decommissioned 31 May 1946, and was placed in reserve at Long Beach, California. She was later moved to Mare Island Naval Shipyard, and then Stockton, California.

Hart was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 15 April 1973, was sold on 3 December 1973, and broken up for scrap.