Hopewell (DD 681) - Naval Cruise Book

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battery f1re and screenlnq duty for carrlers durlnq the1r thqht operat1ons Though often W1th1n easy range of enemy shore batterres she was never h1t but 1I'1f11CtGd heavy damaqes on troop and supply concentratrons Es pec1al1y noteworthy were her operat1ons 1n the Wonsan area Where for almost a month she en qaged 1n ettectwe bombardment of shore 1nsta11a t1ons Slnce the end of actlon 1n Korea HOPEWELL has been enqaqlnq 1n routme tralnmq and upkeep and maklnq a cru1se to the Western Pac1t1c each year Thts book 1S the story ot her fourth such cru1se s1nce recomm1ss1on1nq I O I I ' ' U I 1 lu I ' , . , . A . . . 1 . . . - . . . .. 1 . . . .. 0 - l , . - - . . . . . . I l - '

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The cruise that followed during the period from E I 5 Iuly 1951 until the signing of the cease fire agree- 1' ment in Korea found the HOPEWELL compiling an enviable record, with the result that she was awarded the Korean Service Medal with four stars. During this period she engaged in a variety of as- signments involving shore bombardment, counter- The U.S.S. HOPEWELL CDD68ll was named in honor of Pollard Hopewell, Midshipman, U. S. Navy, who was killed in action on board the Frigate CHESAPEAKE during the battle between that vessel and the British Frigate SHANNON on l lune 1813. A 2100 ton Fletcher Glass Destroyer, the HOPE- WELL was commissioned on 30 September 1943 at the Naval Base, San Pedro, California. After its commissioning, the HOPEWELL proceeded to San Diego for shakedown training and upon comple- tion of this training on 13 lanuary 1944, joined Task Force 53. The ship participated in seven star operations in the Pacific during World War II. Operating around Kwajalein and Marshall Islands, the ship took part in the shore bombardment cov- ering the landings on Mellu, Ennubing, and Roi Islands, the first of its star operations. Following a period of training with COMDESPAC the ship joined Task Group 12.7 and proceeded to Purvis Bay, Solomon Islands, and Guadalcanal where, assigned to Task Force 77, she participated in the shore bombardment at Aitape, New Guinea for the second of its star operations. Thereupon followed several months of routine training and upkeep in the Treasure Island area The HOPEWELL reJo1ned Task Force 77 on 10 Sep- tember 1944 and proceeded to Morotai Island, Netherlands East Indies. During the period 16-18 September several enemy air attacks were re- pelled consequently winning the ship its third star On 18 October 1944 the HOPEWELL with Task Force 78 proceeded to Leyte Gulf Philippine Islands for patrol duty its fourth star operation. The fifth star was awarded when in company with an attack group proceeding to Mmdoro Island she shot down three enemy aircraft and then partici- pated 1n the shore bombardments on Mindoro Island The sixth star was awarded on 4 Ianuary 1945 when the HOPEWELI. Joined the I..uzon attack force screen and close cover support group where sev- eral enemy a1r attacks were held off. On 14 February 1945 while assigned to give fire support to the Bataan Corregidor attack group the HOPEWELI.. received her first battle damage She was closing to rescue survivors of a YMS which had been hit by shore batteries when this sh p received four hits from batteries on Corregidor Xkillina seven men and wounding twelve For this action he sev nth star was awarded X Following two rronths at Mare Island for re airs D the HOPEWELL returned to the forward area and the official announcement of the end of hostilities with Iapon found her off the coasts of Honshu and Hokkaido with Task Fo ce 38 During late 1946 683 was decommissioned and placed in reserve inactive status On 28 March 1951 she was recorrrmissioned in San Diego and in Iuly proceeded to the forward area for duty

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. f .-. swf,K-yy,,ggqiag-iq:-y.L-5-15-L-3fg,1L:.:.-,giqqafzagfgigqqrpsgqrrzvggagfgqsagq''g3':p..'x2Vf V.T 'ii?Qi:? ' ' '5i.':::--..,J:gEf:'3? -f,? 'gQ5 iiE323EY?fJZf3SE3-.3fQ,'-15-f.:.'5.:-.::.',:yl'rs:.' X T'Ire1::.L- -'E'-f-gffai-w'l1'iw-fggfgriu,:5:4.5?if93' fM -?Q935f4' f -x 4 I 1 1 it a t : E E 14 'J' -2 1-4 495: 'E . vl - Q yi . If 5 . . F2 is . ' THE CAPTAIN The Captain is Commander Mark M. Gantar, USN, who relieved Commander lames B. Hil- dreth on 4 August 1954, while the HOPEWELL was still in Long Beach Naval Shipyard. He was graduated from Northwestern Uni- versity with the class of 1940, receiving a Bach- elor of Science in Civil Engineering. As a mem- ber of the NBOTC he was commissioned upon graduation and was called to active duty soon thereafter. Throughout World War 11, Commander Gan- tar served on the destroyers USS Brooks, USS Kalk, and USS Gyatt. This duty included tours of Alaskan waters, with North Atlantic con- voys, and in the Southwest Pacific. After the war, the skipper attended the U. S. Navy Postgraduate School in Ordnance Engi- neering, and he was awarded a Master of Sci- ence in Mechanical Engineering from Bensel- laer Polytech. From school, he reported to the USS Toledo where he served as Gunnery Of- ficer, being promoted to Commander while in this billet. Then followed a two year tour of shore duty with Ordnance Research and Development in Washington, D. C. Upon completion of this tour, he reported aboard the HOPEWELL to assume duties as Commanding Officer. .1 THE EXEC The Executive Officer is Lieutenant Commander Harvey E. Toponce, USN, who reported aboard during the 1953-54 cruise. He was graduated from University of California in February 1944, receiv- ing his commission through the NBOTC Program. Upon graduation he reported aboard the YP-58, a 65' gaff-rigged yawl, for duty as Boat Officer. During the remainder of World War ll, the Exec served aboard the USS COEFMAN CDE 1911 as Gunnery Officer. ln this billet he was promoted to Lieutenant Cigl. While serving on these two ships he saw duty in the North Atlantic and the Mediter- ranean. After the war, LCDR Toponce had command of the USS SHOUVLER CAM-3821 and later was C.O. of the AMS 215. This was followed by a tour as Executive Officer on the USS BULL, and then an- other command, the USS ESTEBO CAG-1341. During a tour as Second Division Officer on the USS ROANOKE QCL-1451 he was promoted to Lieutenant, and later served on the staff of COM- PLTRAGBU, San Diego. ln his first tour of shore duty, he was ordefedrtoaa billet as head of the Eire Control Section of the Officer Candidate School, Newport, B. 1. Upon completion of this duty, it was back to sea, aboard the HOPEWELL. ffff.'.i13 ... r.'iii'il :'- r-- --Q.- .. -.-1-wwf.-- ,+A aw-. L., , 1 - - gw--N.-- .. -..- egeyzrffL-ffzefiriilffirs-22?-:-1 F12 'H' R N ' .sr - 1--ee '