Coast, arriving 31 May via Pearl Harbor. Central Pacific campaigns Repairs complete, Hovey sailed for Pearl Harbor 29 July to become flagship for Mine Squadron Two (Commander W. R. Loud). 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. After sweeps between Angaur and Peleliu Islands and in Kossol Passage, Hovey took up antisubmarine patrol in the transport area off Peleliu Island. She joined the Minesweeping and Hydrographic Group of Rear Admiral Thomas Sprague's Escort Carrier Group for the invasion of Leyte (17–25 October 1944). 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. After more sweeps through Looc Bay and the Tacloban-Dulag approach Hovey retired to Manus 25 October. Invasion of Luzon As flagship for Commander Loud's Minesweeping and Hydrographic Group, Hovey departed Manus 23 December, arriving Leyte Gulf the 30th. She sortied 2 January 1945, proceeded south through Surigao Strait and passed into the Mindanao Sea en route to the landings on Lingayen, Luzon. Many reconnaissance aircraft harassed the convoy during the night but no attacks developed until morning of 3 January. From then on, the convoy was under such heavy air attack that Hovey had to adopt the policy of not firing unless she was directly under attack, fearing that she would expend all her ammunition. In the entrance to Lingayen Gulf, at 0800 the sweepers came under attack and Hovey immediately shot down one kamikaze. As the ships made a return sweep, two kamikazes made straight runs on the last two ships in the column, crashing into and . Hovey slipped her gear and stood in to assist Long. Longs entire bridge and well deck was on fire, with intermittent explosions coming from the forward magazine and ready ammunition. Because of the explosions and air attacks, Hovey could not get alongside, but spent an hour picking up 149 survivors. Of the survivors of the Long, rescued by Hovey, thirty-five were wounded by burns, and one died. At dark the sweepers made their night retirement and began steaming off the entrance to Lingayen Gulf. With the exception of the USS Southard struck on 6 January at 1732, no more damaging attacks occurred to the