page_title: Seaplane tender
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: Seaplane tender / History / World War II
caption_attribution_description: English: The United States Navy seaplane tender USS Timbalier (AVP-54) with two Martin PBM-3D Mariner flying boats from Patrol Squadron 45 Pelicans in the late 1948. Timbaler´s quadruple 40mm gun mount on the fantail was added in around 1948.
context_page_description: A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, the seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are regarded by some as the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.
context_section_description: During the Second World War, both the American and the Japanese Navies built a number of seaplane tenders to supplement their aircraft carrier fleets. However, these ships often had their catapults removed, and were used as support vessels that operated seaplanes from harbours rather than in a seaway. These aircraft were generally for long range reconnaissance patrols. The tenders allowed the aircraft to be rapidly deployed to new bases because their runways did not have to be constructed, and support facilities were mobile much like supply ships for submarines or destroyers.
  Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine, in the Second World War, did not operate any seaplane tenders. However, the Luftwaffe had nineteen seaplane tenders. These ships were mostly converted from existing civilian seaplane tenders, and were capable of carrying 1-3 seaplanes. The French and Italian Navies also had seaplane tenders.
  Seaplane carriers became obsolete at the end of the Second World War. A few remained in service after the war but by the late-1950s most had been scrapped or converted to other uses such as helicopter repair ships.
caption: USS Timbalier with two Martin PBM Mariner flying boats shortly after the Second World War.
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