Please Report Any Broken Links Or Trouble You Might Come Across To The Webmaster
Please Take A Moment To Let Us Know So That We Can Correct Any Problems And Make Your Visit As Enjoyable And As Informative As Possible.

Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

USS Willis (DE 395)

Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - H - V - J

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - Presidential Unit Citation - American Campaign Medal
Second Row: Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal w/ 1 star - WWII Victory 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

Willis (DE 395) Building and Operational Data:

17 July 1943: Keel laid by the Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex.

14 September 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. Marie E. Willis, mother of the late Ens. Willis

10 December 1943: Commissioned, Lcdr. G. R. Atterbury, USNR, in command

12 September 1947: Decommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Fla. after 3 years and 9 months of service

01 July 1972: Struck from the NVR

17 August 1973: Sold for scrapping to Edward O. Sanchez of New Bedford, Mass.

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
0639502	90k	undated wartime images (U.S. Navy Photos)	Glenn Crabtree
0639503	33k	undated wartime images (U.S. Navy Photos)	Glenn Crabtree
0639504	330k	undated wartime image (U.S. Navy Photo)	David Buell

Willis History
View the USS Willis (DE 395) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
View the official War History of USS Willis as submitted by the ship at war's end.

Willis' Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves

Dates of Command	Commanding Officers
1.) 10 Dec. 1943 – 17 Feb. 1945	Lcdr. George R. Atterbury, USNR (Comm. CO) (Radnor, Pa.)
2.) 17 Feb. 1945 – 08 Mar. 1945	Lt. John M. Sharp, USNR (temp.)
3.) 08 Mar. 1945 – 27 Oct. 1945	Lcdr. Joe Maxwell Gunn, USNR
4.) 27 Oct. 1945 – 20 Apr. 1946	Lcdr. George Peter Sotos, USNR (Kansas City, Mo.)
5.) 20 Apr. 1946 – 14 Jun. 1946	Lt.(jg) Paul J. Boeke, USNR (Decomm. CO)

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

None

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, rosters, or deck logs available. Please see the
Frequently Asked Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.

Additional Resources

Tin Can Sailors
The U.S. Navy Memorial
Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
The Destroyer History Foundation
Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry - USS Willis

To The DE, FF, LCS Photo Index Page

Back To The Main Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail: Webmaster.

This Page Created And Maintained By Mike Smolinski
All pages copyright Navsource Naval History