USS Harry W. Hill

USS Harry W. Hill (DD-986), named for Admiral Harry W. Hill USN, was a Spruance-class destroyer built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi.

USS Harry W. Hill
History
United States
NameHarry W. Hill
NamesakeHarry W. Hill
Ordered15 January 1975
BuilderIngalls Shipbuilding
Laid down1 April 1977
Launched10 August 1978
Acquired29 October 1979
Commissioned17 November 1979
Decommissioned29 May 1998
Stricken29 May 1998
Identification
MottoSpeed, Surprise, Success
FateSunk as target, 15 July 2004
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeSpruance-class destroyer
Displacement8,040 (long) tons full load
Length529 ft (161 m) waterline; 563 ft (172 m) overall
Beam55 ft (16.8 m)
Draft29 ft (8.8 m)
Propulsion4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 80,000 shp (60 MW)
Speed32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Range
  • 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
  • 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement19 officers, 315 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters.

History
USS Harry W. Hill on 15 October 1982

In late November 1982 Harry W. Hill was detached from the USS Enterprise battlegroup to shadow the Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk, which was transiting the Indian Ocean for her first deployment to the Far East, a matter of considerable interest to U.S. planners. As such, Enterprise assigned two intelligence specialists to Harry W. Hill to help in tracking the Russians. Harry W. Hill rejoined the battlegroup on 19–20 January 1983.

Harry W. Hill deployed as part of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, part of the 1990-1991 Gulf War. On 14 January 1991, she collided with the Wichita class replenishment oiler USS Kansas City while conducting underway replenishment operations in the Gulf of Oman. There were no personnel casualties or injuries reported.

In 1994, Harry W. Hill was significantly damaged during a maneuver to re-float her and exit a dry dock. In the incident, she was caught by a gust of wind which caused the ship to smash into the dry dock. One of the steel wire control lines intended to control the ship parted, seriously injuring two crewmen in the process. The ship sustained damage to her rudders, screws, and controllable prop pitch systems.

Harry W. Hill was the only Spruance-class destroyer not to receive the armored box launchers nor the Mark 41 vertical launch system for firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Fate

She was based at San Diego for much of her career. Harry W. Hill was decommissioned and stricken from the Navy List on 29 May 1998. She was sunk as a target during RIMPAC 2004 on 15 July 2004.

  • USS Harry W. Hill leaving San Diego in December 1984
    USS Harry W. Hill leaving San Diego in December 1984
  • USS Harry W. Hill on 8 June 1991
    USS Harry W. Hill on 8 June 1991
  • Jay L. Johnson and crewmember aboard USS Harry W. Hill on 24 December 1997
    Jay L. Johnson and crewmember aboard USS Harry W. Hill on 24 December 1997
  • A sailor from the USS Harry W. Hill' returning from a deployment on 8 June 1991
    A sailor from the USS Harry W. Hill' returning from a deployment on 8 June 1991

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Harry W. Hill (DD-986).


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