USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427)

History
United States
Name:	USS Hilary P. Jones
Namesake:	Hilary P. Jones
Builder:	Charleston Navy Yard
Launched:	14 December 1939
Commissioned:	6 September 1940
Decommissioned:	6 February 1947
Fate:	loaned to Taiwan, 1954
Struck:	1 November 1974
History
Taiwan
Name:	ROCS Han Yang (DD-15)
Acquired:	26 February 1954
Fate:	Broken up for scrap, 1974
General characteristics
Class and type:	Benson-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,620 tons
Length:	348 ft 2 in (106.12 m)
Beam:	36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
Draught:	17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
Speed:	36.5 knots
Complement:	276
Armament:	5 x 5" (127 mm), 10 x 21" (533 mm) tt.

USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427) was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Admiral Hilary P. Jones.

Hilary P. Jones was launched by the Charleston Navy Yard 14 December 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Hilary P. Jones, widow of Admiral Jones; and commissioned 6 September 1940 at Charleston Navy Yard, Lieutenant Commander S. R. Clark in command.

Following shakedown in the mid Atlantic and exercises off Newport, Rhode Island, Hilary P. Jones departed 11 December for duty with the Neutrality Patrol in the Caribbean. She performed escort duties in those waters until 11 March 1941, when she returned to Hampton Roads. Training exercises off New England followed until 28 April, when the destroyer departed New York as a convoy escort. She steamed to Newfoundland, and for the next dangerous months before the attack on Pearl Harbor escorted cargo ships and transports in the North Atlantic. During one of these voyages to Iceland, 31 October 1941, Reuben James, the first naval vessel to be lost in the war, was torpedoed and sunk. Jones rescued 11 survivors of the attack before arriving Reykjavík 3 November.

The destroyer continued the hazardous North Atlantic convoy duty after America's entry into the war, battling both German submarines and the elements to bring troops and supplies to the Allies. Jones transferred to Mediterranean duty in January 1944 as production of escort vessels and frigates allowed the larger destroyers to be used for other assignments. The destroyer departed with her squadron 16 January 1944 to screen Philadelphia off Anzio. She alternated at the bitterly contested Anzio beachhead with convoy duty between there and Naples until 20 March, often exchanging fire with German shore batteries off Anzio. After a brief respite the ship returned to her gunfire support duties at Anzio during April and early May, occasionally engaging in escort and antisubmarine patrol operations. With three escort vessels the destroyer detected and attacked U-516 off Algeria May 1944, sinking it after a lengthy battle 17 May.

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