USS Mackinac ( AVP - 13 ) The second USS " Mackinac " ( AVP - 13 ) was a United States Navy " Barnegat " - class small seaplane tender in commission from 1942 to 1947 . Construction and commissioning . " Mackinac " was laid down on 29 May 1940 at Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton , Washington . She was launched on 15 November 1941 , sponsored by Mrs . Ralph Wood , wife of the commanding officer , Naval Air Station Seattle , Washington , and commissioned on 24 January 1942 with Commander Norman R . Hitchcock in command . World War II service . First Pacific tour , 1942 - 1943 . After three months of shakedown , " Mackinac " , escorting a large convoy , departed the United States West Coast for Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , on 11 May 1942 , arriving there on 19 May 1942 . On 22 May 1942 , the famous explorer Rear Admiral ( retired ) Richard E . Byrd and his staff came on board for an inspection cruise of U . S . bases in the South Pacific , debarking at Auckland , New Zealand , on 23 June 1942 . She then headed to Nouméa , New Caledonia , on 18 July 1942 . Byrd , because of his worldwide recognition , had been drawn out of retirement to represent the U . S . to the French colonies in the South Pacific who were nominally under the German - controlled Vichy government , as their cooperation was vital to the war effort there . With preparations underway for the Guadalcanal ‑ Tulagi landing , scheduled for 7 August 1942 through 9 August 1942 , " Mackinac " was assigned the task of setting up a seaplane base at Malaita , the most advanced post of the campaign , while her Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat s searched northward and westward to watch the sealane between Truk and Guadalcanal in case of any Imperial Japanese Navy reaction from its base at Truk . No American was known to have visited Malaita since Jack London in 1908 , whence he had fled in disgust from fierce storms and head hunter s . Now Commander Hitchcock took " Mackinac " up the back of the island and threaded his way into Maramasike Estuary on the south - east coast , through waters for which there were no charts . " Mackinac " opened for business with nine PBY Catalinas on the morning of 8 August 1942 . One of the first ships to anchor in the Solomon Islands , " Mackinac " retired to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands on 12 August 1942 . Despite constant evacuation alerts and numerous search plane losses , " Mackinac " next set up base at Graciosa Harbor in the Santa Cruz Islands on 20 August 1942 . Early on the morning of 12 September 1942 , two Japan ese submarine s surfaced at the harbor entrance to shell " Mackinac " and seaplane tender USS " Ballard " ( AVD ‑ 10 ) and their seaplane s . The two seaplane tenders retaliated , but neither side suffered damage . Following her return to Espiritu Santo on 25 October 1942 , " Mackinac " assisted with her boats in rescuing survivors of the United States Army transport after " President Coolidge " had struck two naval mine s in the harbor entrance . On 12 November 1942 , " Mackinac " established an advanced seaplane base at Vanikolo Island in the Santa Cruz Islands , and began tending an average of six seaplanes a day . Several high - ranking officers visited her during this duty , including Vice Admiral William F . Halsey . Jr . " Mackinac " got underway from Espiritu Santo with a convoy for the United States West Coast on 9 July 1943 , arriving at San Francisco , California , on 25 July 1943 . She then underwent a two - month overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo , California . Second Pacific tour , 1943 - 1945 . " Mackinac " returned to Pearl Harbor on 28 September 1943 . After a month of transport duty between Midway Atoll and Maui , Hawaii , " Mackinac " left Pearl Harbor on 20 November 1943 escorting seaplane tender USS " Curtiss " ( AV - 4 ) to the Ellice Islands . When a PBY Catalina flying boat was forced down near Nui in the Gilbert Islands , " Mackinac " , after locating it early on 24 November 1943 , rescued the crew and safely towed the plane to Nuku Fetau despite adverse weather . On 1 December 1943 she arrived at recently secured Tarawa to tend seaplanes there through January 1944 , undergoing 22 air raids during her time there . " Mackinac " then steamed for Makin Atoll with Patrol Bombing Squadron 72 ( VPB ‑ 72 ) to participate in the Marshall Islands campaign with around ‑ the ‑ clock seaplane tending . With Majuro Atoll and Kwajalein Atoll secured by the early part of February 1944 , " Mackinac " was ordered on to Kwajalein Island , anchoring there on 9 March 1944 . While her patrol bombing squadron was conducting rescue operations at Majuro , Makin , Eniwetok , and Kwajalein , " Mackinac " was laying out the seaplane area and assisting the construction of a naval airbase on Ebeye Kwajalein . On 23 June 1944 , " Mackinac " departed for Eniwetok en route to Saipan . As the American conquest of Saipan was still in the assault stage , " Mackinac " was under almost constant Japanese fire while stationed there . Relieved at Saipan on 19 August 1944 , " Mackinac " joined seaplane tenders USS " Chandeleur " ( AV - 10 ) , USS " Pocomoke " ( AV ‑ 9 ) , USS " Yakutat " ( AVP ‑ 32 ) , and USS " Onslow " ( AVP ‑ 48 ) in sailing for Kossol Passage , Peleliu , in the Palau Islands , arriving on 15 September 1944 , one day after the American landings on Pelelieu . For the next three months , " Mackinac " marked navigational obstructions off Kossol before leaving for Ulithi Atoll on 25 December 1944 . On 21 January 1945 , " Mackinac " got underway with " Chandeleur " for San Diego , California , via Pearl Harbor , arriving on 7 February 1945 . Third Pacific Tour 1945 . " Mackinac " returned to Saipan in April 1945 . On 11 May 1945 , she joined a seaplane group based at Kerama Retto in the Ryukyu Islands during the Okinawa campaign , and continued a variety of duties , including air - sea rescue and bombardment of Japanese ‑ held Rose Island . After the seaplane group moved its operations to Okinawa on 14 July 1945 , " Mackinac " tended motor torpedo boat s through early August 1945 . After the Japanese capitulation on 15 August 1945 , she was assigned to join Task Group 30 . 5 , arriving at Sagami Bay , Tokyo , Japan , on 28 August 1945 . " Mackinac " received six battle stars for World War Il service . Post - World War II Navy service . Following occupation duty in Japan , " Mackinac " left for the United States West Coast on 10 January 1946 , arriving at San Pedro , California , on 29 January 1946 . After repairs , she sailed for the Gulf of Mexico via the Panama Canal , arriving at Orange , Texas , on 26 March 1946 . " Mackinac " decommissioned and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Orange in January 1947 . U . S . Coast Guard service . " Mackinac " was loaned to the United States Coast Guard in April 1949 and served as Coast Guard cutter USCGC " Mackinac " ( WAVP - 371 ) , later WHEC ‑ 371 , until 1968 , when she was returned to the Navy and sunk as a target off Virginia .