[1] After shakedown off the coast of Florida and in the Caribbean, Hovey sailed from Newport, Rhode Island 19 December 1919 in company with Chandler for the Azores and Brest, France, for duty as station ship.

After shakedown out of San Diego and Mare Island she served principally as training ship for reservists until 9 April 1934 when she transited the Panama Canal, arriving at New York on 31 May.

After overhaul at Mare Island, she resumed her operations along the United States West Coast with additional exercises and fleet problems in the Canal Zone and Hawaiian waters.

Intensive US anti-aircraft fire caused the Japanese planes to drop their torpedoes prematurely and hence at too great a range, thereby rendering the attack almost totally ineffective.

Returning to New Caledonia, Hovey departed 10 October with two PT boats in tow and 127 drums of aviation gasoline on board, which she delivered to Tulagi two days later.

She then resumed her escort and patrol duties until 30 October when she joined Rear Admiral Theodore S. Wilkinson's III Amphibious Force for the Cape Torokina landing on 1 November 1943.

For the next week during the seizure of Empress Augusta Bay, Hovey operated with the invasion forces, screening transports and making pre-landing sweeps.

She returned to Espiritu Santo on 11 April and on the 20th joined Task Unit 34.9.3 (Captain Kane in Petrof Bay) delivering replacement planes to other carriers at Manus.

She sortied from Port Purvis on Florida Island, in the Solomons, 6 September as part of the anti-submarine screen for Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf's Western Gunfire Support Group for operations in the southern Palaus.

On the 17th she began sweeping ahead of the high speed transports and fire support vessels in the approach to the landing beaches on Dinagat Island.

She sortied 2 January 1945, proceeded south through Surigao Strait and passed into the Mindanao Sea en route to the landings on Lingayen, Luzon.

The stern remained nearly level and sinking to the top of the after deck house, the bow listed 40 degrees to starboard and rose out of the water, the ship breaking in half.

The commendation read in part: With his force suffering substantial losses from hostile suicide attacks carried out on an unprecedented scale, Captain Loud aggressively maneuvered the ships of his command in the successful fulfillment of their mission.

By his personal example of coolness and fortitude after his flagship had been damaged during a particularly heavy attack, he inspired those under his leadership to greater endeavor and contributed materially to the success of the Lingayen operation.