The USS Mills (DE-383) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort constructed for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Laid down on 26 March 1943 by Brown Shipbuilding Co. in Houston, Texas, she was launched on 26 May 1943 and commissioned on 12 October 1943. The vessel was designed to serve primarily as an escort for convoys and Navy vessels, providing protection against submarine and air attacks in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Initially, the USS Mills conducted shakedown training out of Bermuda and trained crews for frigates and destroyer escorts off Norfolk, Virginia. Starting from 10 January 1944, she engaged in transatlantic convoy escort missions, notably participating in nine voyages by V-E Day, including operations to the Mediterranean, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France. During her service, she was involved in notable wartime actions, such as rescuing survivors from the Liberty ship SS Jared Ingersoll after it was attacked by German torpedo bombers near Algiers on 1 April 1944, and assisting in extinguishing fires and towing the damaged vessel to safety. Following the war, Mills served in various roles, including as a weather station, plane guard, and escort in Alaskan waters, before participating in occupation duties in Japan and later operating out of China until February 1946. She was decommissioned on 14 June 1946 and placed in reserve. Reactivated in 1957, Mills was reclassified as DER-383 and recommissioned to serve as a radar picket ship as part of the North American Continental Air Defense System. She conducted 17 radar picket patrols from Newfoundland to the Azores and participated in NATO barrier operations. Beginning in 1964, she was assigned to Operation Deep Freeze, supporting scientific research in Antarctica by providing weather data and navigational aid during seasonal deployments. Throughout her service, USS Mills was recognized with one battle star for her World War II service, reflecting her significant contribution to wartime and Cold War naval operations.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.