USS Hilary P. Jones

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USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427) was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Admiral Hilary P. Jones, she was built at the Charleston Navy Yard, laid down May 16, 1938, launched December 14, 1939, and commissioned September 6, 1940.

Early service and North Atlantic duties
After shakedown and training, Hilary P. Jones joined the Neutrality Patrol in the Caribbean and later escorted ships in the North Atlantic. On October 31, 1941, during a voyage to Iceland, she helped rescue 11 survivors from the torpedoed destroyer Reuben James. The ship continued dangerous convoy work in the Atlantic after the United States entered the war, protecting cargo ships and troops amid submarine threats and bad seas.

Mediterranean operations and battles
In January 1944, Hilary P. Jones shifted to Mediterranean duty. She helped screen the cruiser Philadelphia off Anzio, provided gunfire support during the Anzio landings, and sometimes fought German shore batteries. On May 17, 1944, she and two other escorts attacked and helped sink the German submarine U-516 after a lengthy battle. The destroyer continued escort duties in the Mediterranean through June and July and then took part in the invasion of Southern France (the D-Day area) in August 1944. She provided gunfire support, helped jam enemy radio-controlled bombs, and supported the First Airborne Task Force by destroying bridges, gun emplacements, and shore facilities. On August 21, she helped destroy a German E-boat and earned the Navy Unit Commendation for her performance during this period. She returned to the United States for a short overhaul in early 1945, then resumed convoy duties in the Atlantic before heading back to the Pacific in the spring.

Pacific theater and the end of the war
Hilary P. Jones crossed the Panama Canal and arrived at Pearl Harbor in May 1945. She then moved to Ulithi and the Caroline Islands, occasionally escorting vessels to Okinawa. As Japan surrendered, she moved to Tokyo Bay with occupation forces, arriving September 2, 1945, just as the surrender ceremony was held aboard Missouri. She completed two more trips to Japan before returning to the United States, arriving at Charleston in November 1945. The ship was decommissioned there on February 6, 1947, and placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.

Postwar service and fate
In 1954, Hilary P. Jones was loaned to the Republic of China (Taiwan) and served as Han Yang (DD-15). She was stricken from the naval register on November 1, 1974, and scrapped.

Honors
Hilary P. Jones earned four battle stars for World War II service, plus the Navy Unit Commendation for her actions in the Mediterranean. Since then, no other U.S. Navy ship has carried the name Hilary P. Jones.