HARRY E. HUBBARD, CDR, USN
Harry Hubbard '25
Lucky Bag
From the 1925 Lucky Bag:
Harry Ensor Hubbard
Baltimore, Maryland
"Moke" "Harry"
A NATIVE son!—of Maryland! Yes, it is sad, but true, that the smiling countenance above forbode the daily sight of Baltimore's quaint white doorsteps just to wear the natty Navy blue and acquire a seagoing tilt to his cap in spite of the beloved executive department.
When he is not urging procrastinating roommates to "get those biographies in" for the Lucky Bag, our hero spends a lot of time playing with the elusive amps and wary volts over in Mahan Hall, where the Masqueraders must have their spot lights. Fact is, he has "practically lived on the state" ever since he was a Plebe.
Although he has been burdened with the responsibilities of the gifted, such as getting his roommate up in time for formation, Hubbard seems to take life with a cheerful happy-go-luckiness. He even tells savory jokes—much to our delight.
"Well I guess bone a little ordnance, read this month's Cosmo and turn in. Aw h———, I might as well read the story first."
Lucky Bag Staff; Juice Gang (4, 3, 2, 1); Sub-Squad (4, 3, 2, 1).
Harry Ensor Hubbard
Baltimore, Maryland
"Moke" "Harry"
A NATIVE son!—of Maryland! Yes, it is sad, but true, that the smiling countenance above forbode the daily sight of Baltimore's quaint white doorsteps just to wear the natty Navy blue and acquire a seagoing tilt to his cap in spite of the beloved executive department.
When he is not urging procrastinating roommates to "get those biographies in" for the Lucky Bag, our hero spends a lot of time playing with the elusive amps and wary volts over in Mahan Hall, where the Masqueraders must have their spot lights. Fact is, he has "practically lived on the state" ever since he was a Plebe.
Although he has been burdened with the responsibilities of the gifted, such as getting his roommate up in time for formation, Hubbard seems to take life with a cheerful happy-go-luckiness. He even tells savory jokes—much to our delight.
"Well I guess bone a little ordnance, read this month's Cosmo and turn in. Aw h———, I might as well read the story first."
Lucky Bag Staff; Juice Gang (4, 3, 2, 1); Sub-Squad (4, 3, 2, 1).
Loss
Harry was lost on October 16, 1942, the morning after USS Meredith (DD 434) was sunk by Japanese air attack. He was the ship's commanding officer since March 2, 1942.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Harry graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and studied at Johns Hopkins University for one year. He graduated first in his class at the Naval Academy.
Harry married Erma Dobyins on June 3, 1925. Their daughter was Jean.
He spent most of his naval career engaged in torpedo design research.
His father Joseph was a bookkeeper and later manager of a peanut oil company. His mother was Mary, sister Sarah and brother Joseph.
From The Baltimore Sun, October 22, 1942:
Commander Hubbard was described by his wife as a quiet, reserved sort of person, “to whom the navy is his very life.”
She said he was always bringing books home and working out problems in naval design and gunnery.
He was research officer at the torpedo station at Newport, R. I., in 1937 and 1938, she said, before being assigned to sea duty. “He was specially eager to go to sea,” she said, “and after the war broke out he and his friends couldn’t be kept at home.” . . .
He is a torpedo specialist,” she said, “and a graduate of the torpedo design course. In 1931 he took a post-graduate course at Annapolis and he also had two years at M. I. T.”
His wife, Erma, was listed as next of kin; he was also survived by a daughter, Jean. Erma was later an outspoken advocate for survivors, testifying before Congress and advocating for the passage of the Dependent's Indemnity Compensation Act of 1958.
His memorial at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Philippines.
Biography
From Navsource:
Harry Ensor Hubbard was born 18 March 1903 in Baltimore, Md. He graduated from the Naval Academy in June 1925, served 3 years in battleship Maryland, then qualified in submarines at New London, Conn. Following duty in submarine 8-34, he completed Naval Academy postgraduate work, then served in submarine tender Holland, and, was executive officer of destroyer Twiggs. He served at the Naval Torpedo Station at Newport, then commanded destroyer Roper 1939 to 1940, before assignment as staff gunnery officer for destroyers In the Atlantic. The latter duty terminated 1 March 1942 when Hubbard took command of destroyer Meredith (DD-434).
In command of Meredith, Hubbard helped screen carrier Hornet off Japan for the famed Doolittle bombing raids on Tokyo 18 April 1942. Thereafter he conned his destroyer on arduous patrol and escort from Hawaii to the Samoan, Fiji, and Solomon Islands. His destroyer helped cover transports landing reinforcements on bitterly contested Guadalcanal 18 September 1942. During the darkest days of the Solomons Campaign Hubbard joined in maintaining the lifeline of supplies to fighting men holding their ground on Guadalcanal.
On 15 October 1942 he fought his ship against Japanese carrier-based scouting planes, then fought off 18 enemy dive bombers and 12 torpedo planes launched by Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku. His gunners shot down five of the attackers, all the destroyermen following the example of Hubbard who carried on the fight though blinded by burns about his face. When his men had cleared the bridge, he abandoned the sinking Meredith scant moments before she made her final plunge. He perished on a life raft at sea the morning of 16 October 1942. The heroic stand of Commander Hubbard and his destroyerman had drawn the enemy aircraft away from ships who made it to Guadalcanal with munitions and desperately needed supplies.
Photographs
The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.
The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.
The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.
July 1925
October 1925
January 1926
October 1926
January 1927
April 1927
October 1927
January 1928
April 1928
July 1928
October 1928
January 1929
October 1930
January 1931
April 1931
July 1931
LCDR Robert English '11
LT Joseph Severyns, Jr. '20
LT Samuel Arthur '20
LT Robert Smith '20
LT Paul Slawson '20
LT John Jones '21
LT John French '22
October 1931
January 1932
April 1932
CDR Robert English '11
LCDR Lyman Swenson '16
LT Samuel Arthur '20
LT Robert Smith '20
LT Paul Slawson '20
LTjg William Hobby, Jr. '23
LT John Welch '23
October 1932
January 1933
April 1933
July 1933
October 1933
April 1934
July 1934
October 1934
January 1935
April 1935
October 1935
January 1936
April 1936
July 1936
January 1937
April 1937
September 1937
January 1938
July 1938
January 1939
October 1939
June 1940
November 1940
April 1941
Namesake
USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD 748) was named for Harry; the ship was sponsored by his daughter, Jean.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
