WWII/the USS WALKER/when & where?

[sha...@compassnet.com]

My uncle served on board the USS Walker during World War II, and died
in the service (1943). The following is the only information I can
find pertaining to this ship. If anyone has any other info on the USS
Walker, and is willing to email it to me, I would appreciate it.
Would like to know commission date, sites used in WWII (Pacific??),
de-commission date, and where is it now? Have heard it was now in the
Italian Navy, but not sure of reliability of source. Thanks in
advance.

USS Walker (DD517) built by Iron Bath Works, delivered to the USN on
April 3, 1943. It is in the Fletcher class of destroyers.

Thanks again,

S.Goodman

[Myron Howard]

sha...@compassnet.com wrote:

= = snipped = =

>USS Walker (DD517) built by Iron Bath Works, delivered to the USN on
>April 3, 1943. It is in the Fletcher class of destroyers.

>Thanks again,

>S.Goodman

Hi,
These are the places I have had good luck with. The folks at the
Archives II phone number were very helpful. I believe you may be able
to get a war diary for the Walker, but won't swear to it 8-}. The
Historical Center will probably send you xerographic copies of the
appropriate pages from The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting
Ships. This may be available in your local library or by interlibrary
loan. A web site that might have information is the Rail, Sea and Air
Home Page maintained by Andrew Toppan at www.wpi.edu/~elmer/
There may be other pages on the web that will give information about
destroyers, but being an old submarine sailor I don't seek too much
information on skimmers 8-}.

Good luck,
Myron

For Ship's Histories and Photo Information try:

Naval Historical Center-LY
Washington Naval Yard
Wahington, D.C. 20374-5060
Web Site http/www.history.navy.mil/index.html (more detail about

what is stored where)

For photos only:

Photo Library
U.S. Naval Institute
118 Maryland Ave
Annapolis, MD 21402-5035
410-268-6110

For Ship's Logs and Muster Rolls try:

Archives II
Reference Branch
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
301-713-7250
email: inq...@arch2.nara.gov

National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
phone 314-538-4261
DSN 639-3901

For deck logs from July 1945 through 1961, write to:

National Archives
Suitland Reference Branch (NNRR-M)
Washington, D.C. 20409

For deck logs from July 1962 through the present, write to:

Naval Historical Center (DL)
Washington Navy Yard
901 M Street S.E.
Washington DC., 20374-5060

[twojean]

sha...@compassnet.com wrote:
>
> My uncle served on board the USS Walker during World War II, and died
> in the service (1943). The following is the only information I can
> find pertaining to this ship. If anyone has any other info on the USS
> Walker, and is willing to email it to me, I would appreciate it.
> Would like to know commission date, sites used in WWII (Pacific??),
> de-commission date, and where is it now? Have heard it was now in the
> Italian Navy, but not sure of reliability of source. Thanks in
> advance.
>

> USS Walker (DD517) built by Iron Bath Works, delivered to the USN on
> April 3, 1943. It is in the Fletcher class of destroyers.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> S.Goodman

From JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS OF WWII, p281: 1940-1941 programme: Walker,
Bath Iron Works Corpn., standard displacement 2050T full load, 353 crew,
376 1/2 feet long, 39 1/3 feet wide, 12 1/4 feet draft. She had 5 5 in 38
cal, 6 40mm Bofors, 10 20mm Oerlikon, etc. Tubes: 10 21 in. torpedo
Machinery: GE geared turbines, 2 shafts, SHP=60,000@36.5 knots. Boilers:
4 Babcock & Wilcox. Cost: $11,086,000 per ship, avg, for class. Keel laid
in 1942, launched 31/1/1943; completed 1943. DD517. Nothing said about
what happened to her after the war.

Larry