Hill DE-141

Hill

Edward J Hill was born 4 October 1894 in Philadelphia and enlisted in the Navy in 1912. Chief Boatswain Hill was awarded the Medal of Honor for distinguished conduct during the attack on the U.S. Fleet at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese 7 December 1941.
Hill
(DE-141: dp. 1,200; 1. 306'; b. 3B'7"; dr. 8'7"; sp. 21 k.;

cpl. 186; Q. 3 3", 2 40mm., 8 20mm., 3 21" tt., 2 dct., 8
dcp., 1 dcp. (h.h.); cl. Edsall)

Hill (DE-141) was launched 28 February 1943 by the Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex., sponsored by Mrs. Edward Hill, widow of Chief Boatswain Hill; and commissioned there 16 August 1943, Lt. Comdr. G. R Keating in command.

After shakedown out of Bermuda, Hill tested new torpedo explosives and engaged in training along the New England coast. Departing Hampton Roads 5 December, Hill escorted a convoy to Casablanca via Ponta del Gada, Azores, and returned to the States 18 January 1944. During the next year the destroyer escort made four more transatlantic voyages to the North African coast as Allied forces pushed up the Italian peninsula and began their assault on southern France. On her fourth voyage, Hill performed antisubmarine patrol at Bahia, Brazil, and Cape Town, South Africa.

Following operations in the Caribbean February March 1945, Hill proceeded to Argentia, Newfoundland, 3 April to serve as convoy screen and plane guard for escort carrier Mission Bag. After repairs at New York she participated in training exercises until sailing for the Caribbean 2 July. Two weeks later Hill sailed for the Pacific via the Canal Zone. En route to Hawaii, Hill received word of Japanese capitulation and, after putting in at Pearl Harbor sailed for home again. Hill reached Green Cove Springs, Fla., via San Pedro, the Panama Canal, and Charleston 27 October 1945. She decommissioned and was placed in reserve there 7 June 1946 where she remains.