7037 USS HUGHES AUGUST 1942

The USS Hughes (DD-410) was an American destroyer, the keel of which was laid in September 1937, launched in June 1939, and was completely completed in September of the same year. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 106.2 m, width 11 m, with a full displacement of about 2,200 tons. The maximum speed was up to 35 knots. The armament of the unit at the time of launching included: 5 127 mm guns, a quadruple 28 mm anti-aircraft gun and 8 533 mm torpedo tubes. USS Hughes (DD-410) was one of twelve Sims-class destroyers launched for the US Navy in 1939-1940. Units of this type were created as part of the expansion program of the American Navy, which was already preparing to enter World War II. Compared to Benham-class ships, they have been lengthened, and the structure of their superstructures and the front part of the hull has been improved. However, they showed some stability problems. Overall, however, they proved to be successful active units during World War II. USS Hughes (DD-410) was built at Bath Iron Works, and from mid-December 1941 served in the Pacific, performing patrol and convoy tasks until mid-1942. The unit took an active part in the initial phase of the struggle for the Gudalcanal, including taking part in the battle near the island of Santa Cruz in (October 1942). In the first half of 1943, the unit was directed to the Aleutów region, but at the end of that year it indirectly participated in the activities on the Gilbert Islands, and at the beginning of 1944 it participated in supporting landing operations on the Marshall Islands. USS Hughes (DD-410) also took an active part in the struggle in the waters surrounding the Philippines in 1944. As a result of damage there, the unit was sent for renovation, and it did not return to the line until the summer of 1945. The destroyer USS Hughes (DD-410) was sunk as a target ship on October 16, 1948.