French frigate Hova

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Hova.

Hova was an Escorteur in the Free French Naval Forces during World War II and the French Navy post-war. The ship was originally built as USS Hova (DE-110), an American Cannon-class destroyer escort, and then designated in France as the F704 Escorteur.

Port side view of Free French Destroyer Escort Hova(F704).
History
United States
Name	USS Hova (DE-110)
Builder	Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware
Laid down	25 September 1943
Launched	22 January 1944
Commissioned	18 March 1944
Fate	Transferred to Free France, 18 March 1944
Stricken	14 May 1952
History
Free France
Name	Hova (F-704)
Namesake	Hova
Acquired	18 March 1944
History
France
Name	Hova (F-704)
Acquired	14 October 1946
Stricken	Returned to the US Navy May 1964
Fate	Scrapped
General characteristics [1]
Class & type	Cannon-class destroyer escort
Displacement	1,240 long tons (1,260 t) standard 1,620 long tons (1,646 t) full
Length	306 ft (93 m) o/a 300 ft (91 m) w/l
Beam	36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Draft	8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Propulsion	4 × GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp (4,474 kW), 2 screws
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range	10,800 nmi (20,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	15 officers and 201 enlisted
Armament	3 × single Mk.22 3"/50 caliber guns 1 × twin 40 mm Mk.1 AA gun 8 × 20 mm Mk.4 AA guns 3 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 1 × Hedgehog Mk.10 anti-submarine mortar 8 × Mk.6 depth charge projectors 2 × Mk.9 depth charge tracks

History

World War II

During World War II, Hova was transferred to the Free French Naval Forces under lend lease on 29 February 1944, and retained the name Hova.

Hova participated in Operation Anvil-Dragoon on 15 August 1944 and Operation Vénérable in April 1945.^[2]

Ownership of the vessel was transferred to France on 21 April 1952 under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program.

See also

• List of escorteurs of the French Navy