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USS Finch (DE-328/DER-328)

Please see below for item level images and donated collections containing photographs of USS Finch (DE-328/DER-328)

USS Finch (DE-328) was launched 28 August 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.; sponsored by Miss Grace Gushing, fiancee of Lieutenant (junior grade) Finch; and commissioned 13 December 1943, Lieutenant Commander A. H. Nienau, USNR, in command.

USS Finch (DE-328) arrived at Curacao, Netherlands West Indies, 7 March 1944, and from that time until 31 May, twice escorted convoys of tankers laden with vital petroleum products to Casablanca and Algiers. Between 29 September 1944 and 8 May 1945, USS Finch (DE-328) sailed as escort to five convoys from New York and Boston to ports in Great Britain. Upon the end of the European phase of the war, the escort ship prepared for Pacific Fleet duty, and arrived at Pearl Harbor 12 July. 

USS Finch (DE-328) returned home by way of the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, thus concluding a round-the-world cruise with her arrival at Charleston, S.C., 29 May. USS Finch (DE-328) was decommissioned and placed in reserve 4 October 1946. From 24 August 1951 to 23 April 1954, Finch was on loan to the Coast Guard and in commission as USCGC Finch (WDE-428). USS Finch (DE-328) served on weather station duty along the west coast and in the Far East during the Korean War. Upon her return to the Navy, she was converted to a radar picket escort vessel. She was reclassified DER-328 on 17 August 1956, and recommissioned 17 August 1956.

Seattle was USS Finch (DER-328)'s home port from 17 December 1956 through 10 September 1958, as she made regular patrols on seaborne radar early warning duty. USS Finch (DER-328)' arrived at Pearl Harbor 16 September 1958 for similar duty until 16 May 1960, then sailed for San Francisco, her home port for barrier operations through 1962.

For a complete history of USS Finch (DE-328/DER-328) please see its DANFS page.