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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

Ship's patches courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Finch (DE 328)

Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - T - M - D
Tactical Voice Radio Call: "Dayton"

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Combat Action Ribbon - China Service Medal
Second Row: American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal
Third Row: World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal - National Defense Service Medal w/ star
Fourth Row: Vietnam Service Medal w/ 6 stars - Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Specifications:
Class: Edsall
Type: FMR (geared diesel, Fairbanks-Morse reverse gear drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1200 tons (light), 1590 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 10" (extreme)
Draft: 20' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 4 Fairbanks-Morse Mod. 38d81/8 geared diesel engines, 4 diesel-generators, 6000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 21 kts
Range: 9,100 nm @ 12 knots
Armament: 3 x 3"/50 Mk22 (1x3), 1 twin 40mm Mk1 AA, 8 x 20mm Mk 4 AA, 3 x 21" Mk15 TT (3x1), 1 Hedgehog Projector Mk10 (144 rounds), 8 Mk6 depth charge projectors, 2 Mk9 depth charge tracks
Complement: 8 / 201

Finch (DE 328) Building and Operational Data:

29 June 1943: Keel laid at the Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.

28 August 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Miss Grace Cushing, fiancee of Lieutenant (junior grade) Finch

13 December 1943: Commissioned, Lcdr Albert H. Nienau, USNR, in command

4 October 1946: Decommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Fla.

21 August 1951: Loaned to USCG and Recommissioned WDE 428 at Green Cove Springs, Fla., Cdr G. R. Boyce, Jr., USCG, in command

23 April 1954: Returned USN and Decommissioned at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, Cal.

1 October 1955: Conversion to DER commenced at Mare Island Naval Shipyard

17 August 1956: Reclassified as DER 328, Recommissioned, Lcdr James K. Athow in command, assigned to Escort Squadron 5 at Seattle, Wash.

16 September 1958: Homeport reassigned to Pearl Harbor, Hi.

22 May 1960: Homeport reassigned to Treasure Island, San Francisco, Cal.

29 June 1965: Homeport reassigned to Guam, as a unit of Escort Squadron 7

15 January 1969: Homeport reassigned to Pearl Harbor, Hi.

3 October 1969: Decommissioned at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash.

1 February 1974: Stricken

27 September 1974: Sold for scrapping to the Levin Metals Corp., San Jose, Cal.

Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
80k	undated wartime image	David Buell
110k	5 March 1954: Mare Island NSY, Vallejo CA - USCG *Finch* (WDE 428) at Mare Island. She was in overhaul at the yard from 7 January to 16 April 1954. (US Navy photo #DE 328 20362-3-54)	Darryl Baker
83k	undated image as WDE 428	Nick Tiberio
56k	Photo of Lcdr James Keith Athow first commanding officer of USS *Finch* as DER 328. (US Navy photo #DER 328 30290-7-56)	Darryl Baker
105k	17 August 1956: Mare Island NSY, Vallejo CA - Commissioning ceremonies for USS *Finch* (DER 328) at Mare Island. She was converted to her DER configuration at the yard from 1 October 1955, to 12 October 1956. (US Navy photo #DER 328 30746-8-56)
119k	17 August 1956: Mare Island NSY, Vallejo CA - Radm John R. Redman (Commandant 12th Naval District) is seen at the microphone as the main speaker at the commissioning of *Finch. (US Navy photo #DER 328 30749-8-56*)
111k	17 August 1956: Mare Island NSY, Vallejo CA - LCDR James Keith Athow reads his orders at the commissioning of *Finch. (US Navy photo #DER 328 30751-8-56*)
135k	17 August 1956: Mare Island NSY, Vallejo CA - View of the fantail of *Finch* during her commissioning ceremonies. USS *Durant* (DER 389) is seen in the background. (US Navy photo #DER 328 30748-8-56)
108k	28 August 1956: San Francisco Bay off Vallejo CA - Port bow photo of *Finch* off Mare Island. (US Navy photo #DER 328 30889-8-56)
155k	28 August 1956: San Francisco Bay off Vallejo CA - Port beam photo of *Finch* off Mare Island. (US Navy photo #DER 328 30890-8-56)
61k	March 1966: at Kaoshung, Taiwan (© Richard Leonhardt)	Richard Leonhardt
158k	1968: Guam - *Finch, moored inboard of USCGC Minnetonka* (WHEC 67).	Larry Roszkowiak

View the USS Finch (DE 328), DANFS history entry
located on the US Naval Historical Center web site.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Next Reunion
28 September - 2 October 2009
a cruise on the Celebrity Mercury from Seattle, Wash.

USS Finch DE-328 / DER-328, USCGC Finch WDE-428
Contact for ship history, reunions, crew list, both found and deceased
Contact Name: Chuck Poreda
E-mail: Chuck Poreda

Note About Contacts

Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists or rosters available. Please see the Frequently Asked
Questions section on Navsource's Main Page for that information.

Additional Resources

USS Finch Website
DER Group on MSN
Destroyer Escort Sailors Association

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Page Last Updated 30 April 2009