Barnegat - class seaplane tender The " Barnegat " class was a large class of United States Navy small seaplane tender s ( AVP ) built during World War II . Thirty were completed as seaplane tenders , four as motor torpedo boat tender s , and one as a catapult training ship . Design . Before World War II , the United States Navy foresaw a need for a large force of seaplane tenders in the event of a war in the Pacific , to allow air operations from undeveloped islands and atolls . Full - size seaplane tenders ( AVs ) were designed to support two squadrons of flying boat s each , but they were more expensive to build and had a deep draft , precluding their use in shallow harbors . The U . S . Navy therefore also planned for " small seaplane tenders " ( AVPs ) , with a shallower draft , capable of supporting only one squadron each but cheaper to build and able to operate in shallow waters ; the AVPs were not the descendants of the " seaplane tenders ( destroyer ) " ( AVDs ) , converted from old destroyer s because the Barnegat class could not be built quickly enough to meet the needs of the Navy at the start of the war . . Both the full - size and small seaplane tenders were designed to provide supplies , spare parts , fuel , repairs , and berthing for assigned seaplane squadrons , and were well - armed so that they could serve as the primary line of defense of the seaplane bases they set up . The " Barnegat " - class ships were the first purpose - built AVPs , prior ships carrying that designation having been minesweepers . In addition to carrying out the above - described responsibilities , they were well - enough armed to be employed as escorts for larger seaplane tenders , having a substantial anti - air and anti - surface gunnery capability , as well as depth charge racks and sonar for antisubmarine work . The gun battery varied greatly , being envisioned originally as two 5 - inch ( 127 - millimeter ) 38 - caliber guns , being expanded to an assigned total of four such guns in 1942 . Few ships mounted four of these guns , and batteries of three , two , or one 5 - inch guns were mounted during World War II , accompanied by various combinations of 40 - millimeter and 20 mm antiaircraft guns . The armament was reduced after the war ; those ships in commission as survey ships were entirely unarmed by 1959 . The ships were reliable , long - ranged , and seaworthy , and had good habitability . In the spring of 1943 , the U . S . Navy concluded that the number of " Barnegat " s ordered was excess to requirements . Four of them were converted during construction to motor torpedo boat tenders , while a fifth was modified during construction for use as a catapult training ship for battleship and cruiser floatplane pilots , her catapult equipment coming from that manufactured for canceled " Cleveland " - class light cruiser s . Six other " Barnegat " s were canceled — four on 22 April 1943 and two more on 29 April 1943 – without having been laid down , their diesel engines being needed for various escort ships and amphibious landing craft . Three " Barnegat " s were selected in 1945 for conversion to press information ships in anticipation of the 1945 – 1946 invasion of Japan , but when the war ended without this invasion being necessary they were converted back into seaplane tenders . Naming . The class was named for its lead unit , " Barnegat " . A few of the ships were named after islands , but the vast majority were named after bodies of water , mostly bay s and inlets , around the United States and the then - Territory of Alaska . Operations . The ships entered service between 1941 and 1946 , and all but three of them were commissioned in time to participate in combat actions in World War II . The motor torpedo boat tenders served in the Pacific during the latter half of the war , while the seaplane tenders saw service in virtually every theater in which the United States Navy operated during the war . The combination of the post - World War II downsizing of the U . S . Navy and the decline of the seaplane and motor torpedo boat in U . S . naval operations meant that all but the newest ships decommissioned in 1946 and 1947 . Those that did stay on in service as seaplane tenders decommissioned between the mid - 1950s and 1960s , some seeing service in the Korean War ( 1950 – 1953 ) . The last unit did not leave U . S . Navy service until 1973 . However , the ships proved versatile and durable , and had long second lives postwar . One became a specialized flagship late in her life . Some became oceanographic and hydrographic survey ships , either in U . S . Navy , United States Coast and Geodetic Survey , or Greek service . Eighteen were transferred to the United States Coast Guard – where they became known as " Casco " - class cutters – between 1946 and 1949 for service mostly as weather reporting ships , a role they played until the late 1960s and early 1970s ; some of the Coast Guard ships saw service in the Vietnam War , and one survived as a cutter until 1988 . A number of the units of the class were transferred to foreign navies , including those of Ethiopia , Italy , Norway , the Philippines , and South Vietnam , for use as patrol vessels and training ships , and a few saw commercial service as cruise ships in Greece . The murky information available on a unit incorporated into the Vietnam People ' s Navy after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975 suggests that she remained active until at least 2000 and may remain active today ; even if reports of her longevity are inaccurate , it should be noted that the last member of this large and long - lived class of ships did not leave service until 1993 , when the ship transferred to Italy was decommissioned by the Italian Navy . Ships . USS " Barnegat " ( AVP - 10 ) . " Barnegat " , lead unit of the class , was commissioned in July 1941 . She served in the Atlantic until February 1945 , then finished World War II in the Pacific . She was in reserve from 1945 to 1958 , then was sold into commercial service and was used a Greek cruise ship from 1962 to 1986 . USS " Biscayne " ( AVP - 11 , later AGC - 18 ) . " Biscayne " was in commission from 1941 to 1946 . During the first half of World War II , she saw service as a seaplane tender in the Atlantic , in the Caribbean , in West Africa , and in North Africa . Converted into an amphibious force flagship in 1943 , she served in the Mediterranean in 1943 – 1944 , seeing action in the amphibious landings in Operation Avalanche at Salerno , Operation Shingle at Anzio , and Operation Dragoon in southern France . Redesignated AGC - 18 in 1944 , she then served in the Pacific in 1945 , serving at Iwo Jima , in the Okinawa campaign , and in the Philippines before the war ended . Postwar , she served in Korea and China . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Dexter " ( WAGC - 18 ) , later WAVP - 385 , later WHEC - 385 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1949 to 1952 and from 1958 to 1968 . USS " Casco " ( AVP - 12 ) . " Casco " was in commission from 1941 to 1947 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Casco " ( WAVP - 370 ) , later WHEC - 370 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1949 to 1969 . USS " Mackinac " ( AVP - 13 ) . " Mackinac " was in commission from 1942 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Mackinac " ( WAVP - 371 ) , later WHEC - 371 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1949 to 1968 . USS " Humboldt " ( AVP - 21 ) . " Humboldt " was in commission from 1941 to 1947 , performing her World War II service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean . She was among three " Barnegat " - class ships selected in 1945 for conversion to a press information ship , redesignated AG - 121 , for the projected invasion of Japan in 1945 – 1946 , but the war ended before the invasion could take place and she was converted back into a seaplane tender . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Humboldt " ( WAVP - 372 ) , later WHEC - 372 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1949 to 1969 . USS " Matagorda " ( AVP - 22 ) . " Matagorda " was in commission from 1941 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Atlantic . She was among three " Barnegat " - class ships selected in 1945 for conversion to a press information ship , redesignated AG - 122 , for the projected invasion of Japan in 1945 – 1946 , but the war ended before the invasion could take place and she was converted back into a seaplane tender . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Matagorda " ( WAVP - 373 ) , later WHEC - 373 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1949 to 1968 . USS " Absecon " ( AVP - 23 ) . " Absecon " was in commission from 1943 to 1947 . She was converted while under construction into a catapult training ship , and spent World War II in Florida waters training battleship and cruiser floatplane pilots in catapult launches , also serving as a mobile target for torpedo plane s . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Absecon " ( WAVP - 374 ) , later WHEC - 374 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1949 to 1972 . She was transferred to South Vietnam in 1972 and captured by North Vietnam on the collapse of the South Vietnamese government at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 . USS " Chincoteague " ( AVP - 24 ) . " Chincoteague " was in commission from 1943 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Chincoteague " ( WAVP - 375 ) , later WHEC - 375 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1949 to 1972 . She was transferred to South Vietnam in 1972 . Upon the collapse of the South Vietnamese government at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 , she fled to the Philippines . She served in the Philippine Navy from 1975 to 1985 . USS " Coos Bay " ( AVP - 25 ) . " Coos Bay " was in commission from 1943 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Coos Bay " ( WAVP - 376 ) , later WHEC - 376 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1949 to 1966 . USS " Half Moon " ( AVP - 26 , ex - AGP - 6 , ex - AVP - 26 ) . " Half Moon " was laid down as a seaplane tender , then was chosen as one of four " Barnegat " - class ships to be converted to a motor torpedo boat tender prior to completion and redesignated AGP - 6 , but ultimately was completed as a seaplane tender , with her sister ship " Oyster Bay " becoming the motor torpedo tender AGP - 6 instead . She was in commission from 1943 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific , where she saw action in the New Guinea campaign and the Philippines campaign . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Half Moon " ( WAVP - 378 ) , later WHEC - 378 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1948 to 1969 . USS " Mobjack " ( AGP - 7 , ex - AVP - 27 ) . " Mobjack " was one of four " Barnegat " - class ships to be converted during construction into a motor torpedo boat tender . She was in commission from 1943 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific , supporting operations at Morotai , in the Philippines campaign , and in the Borneo campaign . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast and Geodetic Survey postwar , serving as the survey ship USC & GS " Pioneer " ( OSS 31 ) until 1966 . USS " Oyster Bay " ( AGP - 6 , ex - AVP - 28 ) . " Oyster Bay " was one of four " Barnegat " - class ships to be converted during construction into a motor torpedo boat tender . She was in commission from 1943 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific , where she saw action in the New Guinea and Philippine campaigns . Stricken from the Navy List in 1946 , she was reinstated as a seaplane tender in 1949 and kept in reserve until 1957 . She was transferred to Italy in 1957 , serving in the Italian Navy until 1993 . USS " Rockaway " ( AVP - 29 ) . " Rockaway " was in commission from 1943 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean . She was among three " Barnegat " - class ships selected in 1945 for conversion to a press information ship , redesignated AG - 123 , for the projected invasion of Japan in 1945 – 1946 , but the war ended before the invasion could take place and she was converted back into a seaplane tender . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Rockaway " ( WAVP - 377 ) , later WAGO - 377 , WHEC - 377 , and WOLE - 377 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1948 to 1972 . USS " San Pablo " ( AVP - 30 , later AGS - 30 ) . " San Pablo " was in commission from 1943 to 1947 as a seaplane tender , performing her World War II service in the Pacific , where she saw action in the Southwest Pacific , the New Guinea campaign , the Central Pacific , and the Philippines campaign . She recommissioned in 1948 after conversion to a hydrographic survey ship , redesignated AGS - 30 , and served in this capacity until 1969 . USS " Unimak " ( AVP - 31 ) . " Unimak " was in commission from 1943 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific through the end of 1944 , then in the Atlantic during the first half of 1945 . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Unimak " ( WAVP - 379 ) , later WHEC - 379 , later WTR - 379 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1949 to 1975 and from 1977 to 1988 . USS " Yakutat " ( AVP - 32 ) . " Yakutat " was in commission from 1944 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific , where she supported the Peleliu , Mariana Islands , and Okinawa campaigns . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Yakutat " ( WAVP - 380 ) , later WHEC - 380 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1948 to 1971 . She was transferred to South Vietnam in 1971 . Upon the collapse of the South Vietnamese government at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 , she fled to the Philippines , where she was cannibalized for spare parts . USS " Barataria " ( AVP - 33 ) . " Barataria " was in commission from 1944 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific , where she saw action in the Philippines campaign . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Barataria " ( WAVP - 381 ) , later WHEC - 381 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1948 to 1969 . USS " Bering Strait " ( AVP - 34 ) . " Bering Strait " was in commission from 1944 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Central Pacific , where she saw action in the Okinawa campaign . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Bering Strait " ( WAVP - 382 ) , later WHEC - 382 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1948 to 1971 . She was transferred to South Vietnam in 1971 . Upon the collapse of the South Vietnamese government at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 , she fled to the Philippines , and served in the Philippine Navy until 1985 . USS " Castle Rock " ( AVP - 35 ) . " Castle Rock " was in commission from 1944 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Castle Rock " ( WAVP - 383 ) , later WHEC - 383 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1948 to 1971 . She was transferred to South Vietnam in 1971 . Upon the collapse of the South Vietnamese government at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 , she fled to the Philippines , and served in the Philippine Navy until 1985 . USS " Cook Inlet " ( AVP - 36 ) . " Cook Inlet " was in commission from 1944 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific , where she served in Hawaii and saw action in the Iwo Jima campaign . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Cook Inlet " ( WAVP - 384 ) , later WHEC - 384 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1948 to 1971 . She was transferred to South Vietnam in 1971 . Upon the collapse of the South Vietnamese government at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 , she fled to the Philippines , where she was cannibalized for spare parts . USS " Corson " ( AVP - 37 ) . " Corson " was in commission from 1944 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Central Pacific . She was recommissioned in 1951 and saw service in support of United Nations forces in the Korean War ( 1950 – 1953 ) , then remained in commission until 1966 . USS " Duxbury Bay " ( AVP - 38 ) . " Duxbury Bay " was in commission from 1944 to 1966 . She performed her World War II service in the Central Pacific and in the Okinawa campaign . Postwar she served worldwide . USS " Gardiners Bay " ( AVP - 39 ) . " Gardiners Bay " was in commission from 1945 to 1958 , with World War II service in the Okinawa campaign . She also served four tours of duty in support of United Nations forces during the Korean War . In 1958 she was transferred to Norway , where she served as the naval cadet training ship HNoMS " Haakon VII " ( A - 537 ) until 1974 . USS " Floyds Bay " ( AVP - 40 ) . " Floyds Bay " was in commission from 1945 to 1960 . She served at Okinawa at the end of World War II , cruised around the world in 1947 – 1948 , and then served in the Pacific and Far East . USS " Greenwich Bay " ( AVP - 41 ) . " Greenwich Bay " was in commission from 1945 to 1966 . She arrived in the Western Pacific just after the end of World War II . She cruised around the world in 1946 , then operated in the Pacific before spending most of her career in the Middle East and Mediterranean . USS " Hatteras " ( AVP - 42 ) . The contract for the construction of " Hatteras " was cancelled on 22 April 1943 before she was laid down . USS " Hempstead " ( AVP - 43 ) . The contract for the construction of " Hempstead " was cancelled on 22 April 1943 before she was laid down . USS " Kamishak " ( AVP - 44 ) . The contract for the construction of " Kamishak " was cancelled on 22 April 1943 before she was laid down . USS " Magothy " ( AVP - 45 ) . The contract for the construction of " Magothy " was cancelled on 22 April 1943 before she was laid down . USS " Matanzas " ( AVP - 46 ) . The contract for the construction of " Matanzas " was cancelled on 29 April 1943 before she was laid down . USS " Metomkin " ( AVP - 47 ) . The contract for the construction of " Metomkin " was cancelled on 29 April 1943 before she was laid down . USS " Onslow " ( AVP - 48 ) . " Onslow " was in commission from 1943 to 1947 , seeing World War II service in the Central Pacific , Palau Islands , and Okinawa campaign . She was recommissioned in 1951 and saw service in support of United Nations forces in the Korean War ( 1950 – 1953 ) , performing four tours in Korea between 1951 and 1955 , and then remained in commission until 1960 , when she was sold into commercial service in the Philippines . USS " Orca " ( AVP - 49 ) . " Orca " was in commission from 1944 to 1947 , performing her World War II service in the New Guinea and Philippines campaigns . She was again in commissioned from 1951 to 1960 , seeing service the Pacific and Far East ( 1950 – 1953 ) . In 1962 she was transferred to Ethiopia , and served as that country ' s largest warship " Ethiopia " ( A - 01 ) until 1991 . USS " Rehoboth " ( AVP - 50 , later AGS - 50 ) . " Rehoboth " was in commission from 1944 to 1947 , performing her World War II service in the United Kingdom and Brazil . She was recomissioned in 1948 after conversion to an oceanographic survey vessel . Redesignated AGS - 50 in 1949 , she saw service in this role from 1948 to 1970 . USS " San Carlos " ( AVP - 51 ) . " San Carlos " was in commission from 1944 to 1947 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific , where she saw action in the Solomon Islands , at Morotai , and Philippines campaign . After years in reserve , she returned to U . S . Navy service in 1958 in a non - commissioned status as the hydrographic survey ship United States Naval Ship USNS " Josiah Willard Gibbs " ( T - AGOR - 1 ) with a mostly civilian crew , serving in this role until 1971 . In 1971 she was transferred to Greece , which also employed her as a hydrographic survey ship . USS " Shelikof " ( AVP - 52 ) . " Shelikof " was in commission from 1944 to 1947 , performing her World War II service in the Central Pacific and in the Okinawa campaign . She was in reserve from 1947 to 1960 , when she was sold into commercial service . She served as a Greek cruise ship until she sank in a storm while laid up in 1981 . USS " Suisun " ( AVP - 53 ) . " Suisun " was in commission from 1944 to 1955 , performing her World War II service in the Central Pacific , then serving postwar in the Pacific and Far East . She was in reserve from 1955 to 1966 , then was sunk as a target . USS " Timbalier " ( AVP - 54 ) . " Timbalier " was in commission from 1946 to 1954 , performing most of her active service in the Caribbean and along the United States East Coast . She was in reserve from 1954 to 1960 , then sold into commercial service . She operated as a Greek cruise ship from 1960 to 1989 . USS " Valcour " ( AVP - 55 , later AGF - 1 ) . " Valcour " was in commission from 1946 to 1973 , spending her career in the Atlantic , Mediterranean , and Middle East . In 1965 she was reclassified as a " miscellaneous command flagship " , redesignated AGF - 1 . USS " Wachapreague " ( AGP - 8 , ex - AVP - 56 ) . " Wachapreague " was one of four " Barnegat " - class ships to be converted during construction into a motor torpedo boat tender . She was in commission from 1944 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific , where she saw action in the Philippine and Borneo campaigns . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " McCulloch " ( WAVP - 386 ) , later WHEC - 386 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service from 1946 to 1972 . She was transferred to South Vietnam in 1972 . Upon the collapse of the South Vietnamese government at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 , she fled to the Philippines , and served in the Philippine Navy until 1985 . USS " Willoughby " ( AGP - 9 , ex - AVP - 57 ) . " Willoughby " was one of four " Barnegat " - class ships to be converted during construction into a motor torpedo boat tender . She was in commission from 1944 to 1946 , performing her World War II service in the Pacific , where she saw action in the Philippine and Borneo campaigns . She was transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard postwar as USCGC " Gresham " ( WAVP - 387 ) , later WHEC - 387 and WAGW - 387 , and was in commissioned Coast Guard service until 1973 .