STATUS:
|
|
Awarded: May 22, 1981;
Laid down: August 26, 1983;
Launched: February 18, 1984;
Commissioned: February
9, 1985;
ACTIVE UNIT/ in
commission (Atlantic Fleet)
|
|
Richard Ellington Hawes was
born in Thomson Georgia, on February 12, 1894. He attended the University of
Georgia on a baseball scholarship before transferring to Mercer University. There
he won recognition in both baseball and football. He earned a law degree
along the way, but passed up the bar exam to coach and play professional
baseball.
When America entered World War I in 1917, Hawes enlisted in the Navy as a
Fireman Second Class. Fifteen months later he accepted a temporary
appointment as an Ensign, but reverted to Boatswain (Warrant Officer) in
1920.
In March 1926 Hawes joined USS FALCON (ARS-2) as Executive Officer. While
aboard FALCON he played a key role in the salvage of USS S-51 off Block
Island, RI in September 1925. For his part in that difficult and dangerous
operation Boatswain Hawes received his first Navy Cross. He also assisted in
the salvaging of USS S-4, which sank off Provincetown, MA in December 1927.
On February 18, 1929, Hawes was commissioned an Ensign by a special act of
Congress in recognition of his services in salvaging the S-51 and S-4.
In January 1940 Lieutenant Hawes assumed command of USS PIGEON (ARS-6) and
was serving in that role when the United States entered World War II.
On December 10, 1941 the PIGEON was docked at the Cavite Navy Yard on Manila
Bay for repairs to her steering gear when Japanese warplanes attacked. Since
Pearl Harbor three days before, Hawes had main steam pressure up and the full
crew aboard, ready to get underway at an instant. Lashed to the minesweeper
QUAIL (AM-15), which provided steering for both, PIGEON cleared the docks and
headed for the relative safety of the bay to dodge the enemy bombs. By this
time Cavite had become a hellish inferno. After separating from QUAIL Hawes
could see that the submarine SEADRAGON (SS-194) was about to be engulfed by
bombs and fire in her berth. Through heavy bombing and strafing, Lieutenant
Hawes maneuvered the 187 foot PIGEON back to the flaming dock to haul the
helpless submarine stern first from her berth. Another submarine and a
minesweeper had just been sunk there by direct hits. The heat and flames were
so intense that they blistered the ship's paint, singed off body hair, and
melted the brim of Hawes' cap. But PIGEON's crew managed to rig a line on the
SEADRAGON and tow her to safety. For this heroic action, Hawes received his
second Navy Cross and PIGEON was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the
first warship to receive the award in World War II. SEADRAGON went on to
distinguished service, earning eleven battle stars before the war ended.
Immediately after the attack Hawes found and mounted on his ship two 3 inch
guns and twelve .50 caliber machine guns from the wrecked Navy Yard. By the
end of December the new "gunboat" had received her second
Presidential Unit Citation for shooting down several enemy planes and
bombarding enemy troops. She was the only surface warship to win two
Presidential Unit Citations in World War II.
Except for the brief periods when he was in transit or putting USS
CHANTICLEER (ARS-1) and USS ANTHEDON (AS-24) into commission, Hawes spent
virtually all of World War II at sea in the Pacific in command of his three
ships. Like Hawes himself, his ships always had a reputation for efficiency and
readiness. When he put CHANTICLEER into commission, he had depth charge racks
installed so he could prosecute Japanese submarines. When he put ANTHEDON
into commission, 92% of his crew were inductees and had never been to sea,
but he sailed directly from commissioning to the Pacific war and within two
hours of his arrival was servicing submarines. He received the Bronze Star
for "undaunted courage and professional skill" for his command of
that ship. As he left the Western Pacific theater in January 1945, the
Commander, Submarines, Philippine Sea Frontier sent ANTHEDON a message of
thanks and good wishes, decribing Commander Hawes and his men as "ever
ready, ever fearless."
Hawes was promoted to Captain on March 25, 1945. On December 1, 1952 he was
transferred to the retired list and promoted to Rear Admiral.
Rear Admiral Hawes died at his home in Thomson, Georgia, on December 30,
1968.
|
