USS San Pablo ( AVP - 30 ) USS " San Pablo " ( AVP - 30 ) was a United States Navy " Barnegat " - class seaplane tender which was in commission as such from 1943 to 1947 and then served as a commissioned hydrographic survey ship , redesignated AGS - 30 , from 1948 to 1969 . Thus far , she has been the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for San Pablo Bay , a shallow northern extension of San Francisco Bay in California . Construction and commissioning . " San Pablo " was laid down on 2 July 1941 by Associated Shipbuilders , Inc . of Seattle , Washington . She was launched on 31 March 1942 , sponsored by Mrs . W . A . Hall , and commissioned on 15 March 1943 with Commander R . R . Darron in command . Following final fitting out , " San Pablo " conducted shakedown in the Puget Sound area and then steamed to San Diego , California for readiness training . World War II service . Operations at New Caledonia . On 15 June 1943 , " San Pablo " departed the United States West Coast and headed for the South Pacific Ocean . She embarked United States Marine Corps personnel and deck cargo at Espiritu Santo , then proceeded to Nouméa , New Caledonia . After offloading there , she went to Brisbane , Australia , to pick up the flight crews and aviation supplies , including spare parts and fuel , of Patrol Squadron 101 ( VP - 101 ) , then returned to Nouméa to commence operations as tender and base for Martin PBM Mariner and Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat s conducting " Black Cat " night - fighting , air - search , and reconnaissance missions . With VP - 101 and assigned crash boat s , " San Pablo " formed Task Group 73 . 1 and established a seaplane base by charting the bay , setting out mooring and marker buoys , and constructing quarters for squadron personnel at nearby Honey Hollow . They also built an advanced base at Samarai in Papua New Guinea . For the next several months , the " Black Cats " operated from these bases , attacking on Japan ese shipping along the coasts of New Guinea , New Britain , and New Ireland , and in the Bismarck Sea . They inflicted great losses on Japanese inter - island barge traffic as well as to heavy shipping , harassed Japanese troops with night bombing and strafing missions ; conducted photographic intelligence operations , provided at - sea search - and - rescue support for downed United States Army Air Forces fliers and sailors of sunken vessels , and carried high - ranking officers , Allied coast watcher s , and native guerrilla units . While continuously on the alert for enemy air attack , " San Pablo " sailors worked around the clock to fuel , repair , arm , and control the seaplanes and to feed and care for their crews . On 9 October 1943 , " San Pablo " was relieved at Nouméa by seaplane tender USS " Half Moon " ( AVP - 26 ) and sailed to Brisbane for long - needed repair , replenishment , and shore leave . " San Pablo " returned to Nouméa on 20 December 1943 and resumed operations , this time with Patrol Squadron 52 ( VP - 52 ) . Operations in the New Guinea campaign . During January 1944 , she gave direct support to the force which occupied Finschhafen , New Guinea , and helped to establish a new advance base at Langemak Bay , New Guinea . At times , she also tended the planes of Patrol Squadron 34 ( VP - 34 ) , then flying rescue missions for the United States Army Air Forces Fifth Air Force from Port Moresby , New Guinea . She once temporarily based two Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplane s from light cruiser USS " Boise " ( CL - 47 ) . From Langemak Bay , " San Pablo " s planes helped to prevent the Japanese from supplying their garrison s on Rabaul and Kavieng . On 25 February 1944 , relieved again by " Half Moon " , " San Pablo " returned to Nouméa for repairs by destroyer tender " Dobbin " ( AD - 3 ) . During the work , she assisted in removing a propeller from destroyer - minelayer USS " Aaron Ward " ( DM - 34 ) using her seaplane winch . This speeded repairs to " Aaron Ward " and allowed her to reach Ulithi Atoll in time to prepare for the forthcoming Okinawa campaign . By 24 March 1944 , " San Pablo " was conducting operations at Seeadler Harbor in the Admiralty Islands with planes of Patrol Squadron 33 ( VP - 33 ) and VP - 52 planes . They carried out night bombing missions in the Caroline Islands and search flights by day . The pace had so quickened by the end of March 1944 that seaplane tender USS " Tangier " ( AV - 8 ) was brought in to help carry the load . On 13 May 1944 , " San Pablo " and " Tangier " moved to Hollandia , New Guinea , to patrol the approaches to Wakde Island prior to Allied landings there . Relieved by seaplane tender USS " Orca " ( AVP - 49 ) on 26 May 1944 , " San Pablo " then refueled PT boat s at Humboldt Bay , New Guinea , and transported personnel and cargo between Manus Island , Seeadler Harbor , Emirau , and Mios Woendi . On 19 August 1944 , she commenced antisubmarine patrols with Patrol Squadron 11 ( VP - 11 ) planes at Mios Woendi and , during October and November 1944 , conducted antisubmarine operations off Morotai and Hollandia . Operations in the Philippines campaign . Relieved by seaplane tender USS " San Carlos " ( AVP - 51 ) , " San Pablo " moved to Anibongon Bay at Leyte in the Philippine Islands to support planes conducting search missions in the Philippines . On 8 December 1944 , " San Pablo " received survivors of destroyer USS " Mahan " ( DD - 364 ) who had been picked up by one of " San Pablo " s PBMs after " Mahan " had been hit by three " kamikaze " suicide aircraft and sank in Ormoc Bay . In late December 1944 , " San Pablo " joined Convoy " Uncle plus 15 " en route to Mindoro and came under severe attack by suicide planes for three consecutive days . Most of the " kamikaze " s were beaten off by antiaircraft fire from the convoy screen or by combat air patrol fighters . However , one hit an ammunition ship , which completely disintegrated in a tremendous explosion , and another crashed into a Liberty ship and caused severe damage . On 30 December 1944 at Mindoro , an Aichi D3A " Val " dive bomber barely passed astern of " San Pablo " and crashed into motor torpedo boat tender " Orestes " ( AGP - 10 ) , wounding four " San Pablo " men with shrapnel . On 31 December 1944 , a Mitsubishi G4M " Betty " bomber bombed nearby tanker USS " Porcupine " ( IX - 126 ) and then crashed into destroyer USS " Gansevoort " ( DD - 608 ) . Through January and early February 1945 , " San Pablo " supported Patrol Bombing Squadron 25 ( VPB - 25 ) and VP - 33 as their aircraft conducted search missions in the South China Sea and along the China coast . On 13 February 1945 , she was relieved by " Tangier " and returned to Leyte . Through April 1945 , " San Pablo " escorted landing ship tank USS " LST - 777 " , gasoline tanker USS " Chestatee " ( AOG - 49 ) , and various merchant ships operating as transports between Leyte and Palawan . She then steamed , via Morotai , to Manus Island . At the end of June 1945 , she moved to Samar and the Lingayen Gulf area for air search and rescue operations in the South China Sea and Formosa area . These lasted until 15 August 1945 when she received orders to cease offensive operations upon the cessation of hostilities with Japan . On 2 September 1945 , the day of Japan ' s formal surrender ceremony , " San Pablo " was in Lingayen Gulf , with her seaplanes providing antisubmarine patrols to cover occupation convoys bound for Japan . Honors and awards . " San Pablo " earned four battle star s for World War II service . Inactivation and decommissioning . After attempting to aid the disabled Boeing 314 flying boat " Honolulu Clipper " east of Oahu " San Pablo " arrived at Bremerton , Washington , on 17 November 1945 to prepare for inactivation . She moved to Alameda , California , on 25 March 1946 and remained idle there until decommissioned and placed in reserve on 13 January 1947 . Service as a hydrographic survey ship . Conversion and recommissioning . Following conversion to a hydrographic survey ship , " San Pablo " was recommissioned on 17 September 1948 at San Francisco , California , with Commander T . E . Chambers in command . She conducted shakedown training off San Diego from 29 October 1948 to 15 November 1948 and was then ordered to report to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard at Portsmouth , Virginia . She reached Portsmouth on 14 December 1948 and completed fitting out . Initial operations 1949 . On 3 February 1949 , " San Pablo " departed in company with hydrographic survey ship USS " Rehoboth " ( AVP - 50 ) , also a converted " Barnegat " - class seaplane tender , for oceanographic work in the western approaches to the Mediterranean Sea . Calling at Ponta Delgada in the Azores , at Plymouth in England , at Gibraltar , and at Bermuda , she returned to the United States , arriving at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , on 18 April 1949 . Later in 1949 , " San Pablo " conducted two similar cruises to survey and measure ocean current s . During the last of these voyages , she also made a study of the North Atlantic Current . She included in her ports of call Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands , Oslo , Norway , and Copenhagen , Denmark . Redesignation . " San Pablo " was redesignated AGS - 30 , reflecting her 1948 conversion and change of mission , on 25 August 1949 . Later operations 1950 - 1968 . Beginning 18 January 1950 , " San Pablo " conducted a survey of the Gulf Stream and , from 5 June 1950 to 26 June 1950 , served as survey headquarters ship for a group of American and Canadian vessels engaged in broad - coverage behavioral studies of that massive current . After a cruise to Casablanca , French Morocco , in July and August 1950 , she returned to the United States East Coast to conduct survey operations between New London , Connecticut , and Key West , Florida , for the remainder of 1950 . During 1951 , " San Pablo " conducted oceanographic studies during various cruises , ranging from Scotland to the Mediterranean Sea and along the New England coast in the Narragansett Bay area . Her tasks included making accurate profile studies of the ocean bottom for the purpose of evaluating new sonar devices . In 1952 , she spent the majority of her time in the North Atlantic Ocean , and devoted the latter part of the year to training operations out of Norfolk , Virginia . From 1953 through 1968 , " San Pablo " alternated between the North Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea , conducting studies on salinity , sound reflectivity , underwater photography techniques , deep - bottom core sampling , bottom profile mapping , and subsurface wave phenomena , as well as work on secret topics . For several months during 1965 , she used the port and docking facilities at Rosyth , Scotland , as a temporary home port , courtesy of the British Royal Navy . Inactivation , decommissioning , and final disposition . From 1 January 1969 to 29 May 1969 , " San Pablo " underwent inactivation at Philadelphia . She was decommissioned on 29 May 1969 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 June 1969 . " San Pablo " was loaned for a time to the Ocean Sciences Center of the Atlantic in Savannah , Georgia , after which she was sold on 14 September 1971 to Mrs . Margo Zahardis of Vancouver , Washington .