Dobbin was launched on 5 May 1921 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. H. H. James, granddaughter of Secretary Dobbin. She was commissioned on 23 July 1924 with Commander D. C. Bingham in command. On 3 January 1925 Dobbin sailed for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by way of Newport, Rhode Island, and Hampton Roads, Virginia, where she loaded equipment and supplies for her mission as tender to Destroyer Squadron 14 of the Scouting Fleet. She joined that squadron at Guantanamo Bay, and took part in gunnery practice with the destroyers. From this base, on 13 February 1925, Dobbin steamed to the Panama Canal and crossed to the Pacific Ocean. After maneuvers at sea with the Scouting Fleet she arrived at San Diego on 9 March 1925 for 4 months of tender service along the west coast and at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Dobbin returned to the east coast in July 1925 and operated in the Atlantic Ocean for the next 7 years. During this time she participated in radio experiments and continued her services to the destroyers of the Scouting Fleet. In 1932, Dobbin returned to San Diego, arriving 1 September, and operated out of that port until 5 October 1939. At that time she was transferred to Hawaii and based on Pearl Harbor.
Missing captain
In July 1941 Commander Thomas C. Latimore, Dobbins captain, disappeared while hiking the localAiea Hills. His body was never found and was the subject of much local news coverage and rumor before being overshadowed by the Pearl Harbor attack. Commander Latimore was declared legally dead in July 1942. My father Lt Commander Jess Knight Dodge was serving aboard the Dobbin at this time. He told us that the ship sent crew members to look for Latimore as he like to hike around in the hills. He told us that the body was found with his throat cut wired to a fence with barbed wire, his face had been mutilated to make it appear as a huge ear to ear grin. He told us that the information was not released because of security concerns that it would alert spies that their presence was known. As he was serving aboard during the Pearl Harbor attack, he told us a lot about the events onboard the ship and the rescue efforts of the many terribly burned and wounded that they saved. His own ship mates gave underwear. toiletries and clothing to these rescued men because the American Relief Agency there at the time required payment for these items. Since many of the men had been rescued stark naked and had nothing with which to pay the crew members did the humane thing. He would never in the rest of his life give to that agency which still exits today because of this treatment of survivors.
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Dobbin was present during the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. At the time of the attack she was moored northeast of Ford Island with five destroyers,,,, and. Dobbins crew watched as Japanese planes targeted Battleship Row, but as the battleships each took heavy damage the Japanese pilots looked for other targets. Seeing that the ship had admiral flags, the aircraft tried to bomb Dobbin, but the ship only took shrapnel damage. Dobbins small craft spent the morning picking up survivors and taking the wounded to shore. The ship picked up hundreds of sailors from other ships, and when she left the harbor in search of the Japanese fleet, 200 men from alone were aboard.
Dobbin returned to San Diego on 7 December 1945 and was decommissioned on 27 September 1946. She was transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal on 24 December 1946.
