USS Harry W. Hill
{{short description|Spruance-class destroyer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=File:USS Harry W. Hill (DD-986) underway off San Diego in December 1984.jpeg |Ship caption=USS Harry W. Hill leaving San Diego in December 1984 }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United States |Ship flag={{USN flag|1998}} |Ship name=Harry W. Hill |Ship namesake=Harry W. Hill |Ship ordered= 15 January 1975 |Ship builder=Ingalls Shipbuilding |Ship laid down=1 April 1977 |Ship launched=10 August 1978 |Ship acquired=29 October 1979 |Ship commissioned=17 November 1979 |Ship decommissioned=29 May 1998 |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship struck=29 May 1998 |Ship reinstated= |Ship identification=*Callsign: NPFS
|Ship motto=Speed, Surprise, Success |Ship fate=Sunk as target, 15 July 2004 |Ship badge=150px |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Ship class={{sclass|Spruance|destroyer}} |Ship displacement={{cvt|8040|LT|t|lk=on}} full load |Ship length=* {{cvt|529|ft|m}} waterline
|Ship beam={{cvt|55|ft|m}} |Ship draft={{cvt|29|ft|m}} |Ship propulsion=4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 2 shafts, {{convert|80000|shp|MW|lk=in|abbr=on}} |Ship speed={{convert|32.5|kn|lk=in}} |Ship range={{cvt|6000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|20|kn}} |Ship complement=19 officers, 315 enlisted |Ship sensors={{Spruance class destroyer sensors|air search radar=AN/SPS-40}} |Ship EW={{Spruance class destroyer EW}} |Ship armament={{#switch: ABL |ABL-only |VLS-only= |#default=
|Ship aircraft=2 × Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters | Ship aircraft facilities = Flight deck and enclosed hangar for up to two medium-lift helicopters }} |
USS Harry W. Hill (DD-986), named for Admiral Harry W. Hill USN, was a {{sclass|Spruance|destroyer}} built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. Her commissioning sponsor was Mrs. Mary Helen Hill, the admiral's daughter-in-law.
History
{{stack|File:USS Harry W. Hill (DD-986) underway in the Pacific Ocean in 15 October 1982.jpeg}}
In late November 1982 Harry W. Hill was detached from the {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|6}} battle-group 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 battle-group 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|AOR-3|6}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Destroyer Photo Index DD-986 USS HARRY W. HILL |url=https://www.navsource.org/archives/05/986.htm |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=www.navsource.org}}
Gallery
File:330-CFD-DN-ST-92-00446 (22193402445).jpg|USS Harry W. Hill on 8 June 1991
File:330-CFD-DN-SD-01-09004 (25687037801).jpg|Jay L. Johnson and crewmember aboard USS Harry W. Hill on 24 December 1997
File:A crew member from the destroyer USS HARRY W. HILL (DD-986 ) is reunited with a loved one following his ship's return to the station. The destroyer has returned from a WestPac deplo - DPLA - c6f12b7ca33ff5208450a3590db65ca9.jpeg|A sailor from the USS Harry W. Hill' returning from a deployment on 8 June 1991
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|USS Harry W. Hill (DD-986)}}
- {{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DD986|title=Naval Vessel Register entry for Harry W. Hill}}
- [http://www.navysite.de/dd/dd986.htm navsite.de: USS Harry W. Hill ]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060519113220/http://www.destroyersonline.com/usndd/dd986/ destroyers online Photo Page 1 webpage]
- [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/986.htm Navsource Photo Page 2 webpage]
{{Spruance class destroyer}}
{{2004 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harry W. Hill (DD-986)}}
Category:Spruance-class destroyers
Category:Cold War destroyers of the United States
Category:Gulf War ships of the United States
Category:Ships built in Pascagoula, Mississippi
Category:Ships sunk as targets
Category:United States Navy ship names
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