No more attacks occurred until 0425, 7 January, when enemy aircraft were picked up on radar. At 0450, one plane flying low to the water came in from the starboard quarter passing ahead of "Hovey". A few moments later, another plane coming from the port beam was put on fire by "Chandler". This plane passed very low over "Hovey" and crashed on the starboard beam. At 0455, the instant the burning plane crashed, "Hovey" was struck by a torpedo on her starboard side in the after engine room. Lights and power were lost instantly. 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. Two minutes later the bow listed to 90 degrees, rose vertically and rapidly sank in of water. Twenty four men were killed in addition to twenty four more men who were survivors from "Long" and "Brooks". Survivors of the "Hovey", which included rescued survivors of the "Brooks" and "Long" were rescued by both , who recovered a total of 229 officers and enlisted that day, and later by .