The Currituck -class seaplane tenders were four ships built for the United States Navy during World War II . The role of a seaplane tender was to provide base facilities for squadrons of seaplanes in a similar way that an aircraft carrier does for its squadrons. While three members of the class were removed from active service in the 1960s, Norton Sound was modified to serve as a testbed for advanced radar and combat management systems, such as the Aegis Combat System .
18-726: USS Pine Island (AV-12) , a Currituck -class seaplane tender , is the only ship of the United States Navy to hold this name. The ship was named after Pine Island Sound (off the coast of Lee County, Florida ). Pine Island was laid down on 16 November 1942 at the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company , San Pedro , California ; launched on 26 February 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Knefler McGinnis; and commissioned on 26 April 1945. Departing California on 16 June 1945, Pine Island steamed to Okinawa. There she tended seaplanes engaged in air-sea rescue operations during
36-694: The Currituck class was envisaged, with the United States Marine Corps planning to use them for advanced base operations, flying Marine Corps dive bomber aircraft and another one saw the ships used to transport aircraft to the front lines. Both of these were rejected, with escort carriers considered a more adequate ship type for the second role. During World War II , the Currituck class were used as conventional seaplane tenders. The Currituck -class ships measured 540 feet 5 inches (164.72 m) long overall and 520 ft (160 m) at
54-1021: The Galapagos Islands , where she provided assistance to scientists before returning to San Diego in February. Deployed to WestPac in June 1964, she served at Da Nang , South Vietnam , in August. In September 1965, she returned to WestPac, conducted seaplane operations in Cam Ranh Bay , South Vietnam, and participated in the 1966 Coral Sea anniversary festivities in Australia and New Zealand before returning to San Diego in June. It also took place in Operation Market Time . Decommissioned in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 16 June 1967, Pine Island entered
72-964: The Korean War , she departed for the Western Pacific in December. She tended seaplanes that flew missions over enemy-held territory in Korea, before returning to San Diego in September 1951. She was away from California on WestPac deployments January to September 1952, February to September 1953, January to August 1954, and February to August 1955. Deployed to WestPac in June 1956, she visited Brunei , Borneo , in August, before returning to San Diego in December. From April to December 1957 she operated again in WestPac. Sailing for WestPac in May 1958, she visited Bangkok , Thailand, and
90-530: The Maritime Administration 's National Defense Reserve Fleet , at Suisun Bay, CA, where she remained until stricken on 1 February 1971, and was later sold to Zidell Exploration of Portland, Oregon on 7 March 1972. Currituck class seaplane tender In the interwar period, the United States Navy sought to find a cheaper alternative to the construction of airstrips on land for its air fleet. The distances required for air support, primarily in
108-486: The Pacific Theater , were long and interwar naval treaties limited the size of aircraft carriers . The seaplane carrier was developed during interwar planning, with two versions being designed for use. The first design, designated AV, operated two full squadrons of patrol aircraft, provided quarters for the aircrew and repair functions. The second, designated AVP, was smaller, only capable of operating one squadron and
126-611: The RIM-50 Typhon missile system. In 1958 Norton Sound would be the launch platform for the Operation Argus nuclear tests in the south Atlantic. Pine Island and Salisbury Sound were placed in reserve in 1967. Currituck , Pine Island and Salisbury Sound were all stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in the 1970s. Maritime Administration Maritime administrations , or flag state administrations , are
144-481: The executive arms/state bodies of each government responsible for carrying out the shipping responsibilities of the state, and are tasked to administer national shipping and boating issues and laws within their territorial waters and for vessels flagged in that country, or that fall under their jurisdiction. The main functions are: This article related to water transport is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This government -related article
162-602: The waterline with a beam of 69 ft 3 in (21.11 m) and a maximum draft of 22 ft 3 in (6.78 m). The Currituck s had a trial displacement of 14,000 long tons (14,000 t ) and a full load displacement of 15,092 long tons (15,334 t). The lead ship , Currituck , was powered by Parsons geared turbines , while the three others of the class were given Allis-Chalmers geared turbines. These were powered by steam created by four Babcock & Wilcox Express boilers turning two shafts creating 12,000 shaft horsepower (8,900 kW ). This gave
180-659: The Antarctic Circle on 25 December 1946. Carrying one Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopter, one Curtiss SOC Seagull amphibian, and tending three Martin PBM-5 Mariner flying boats; she contributed to the aerial exploration of Antarctica in Operation Highjump , and saved several downed aviators from the hostile climate. In addition a bay in Antarctica, Pine Island Bay, was named in honor of the ship. A glacier on Thurston Island
198-615: The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and re-entered service on 20 August 1960. The ship was taken out of service and assigned to the Maritime Administration Reserve Fleet in 1968 after the Martin P5M Marlin aircraft were retired from naval service. Norton Sound , Pine Island and Salisbury Sound were all built by Todd Shipyard on the west coast and entered service by mid-1945. In 1948 Norton Sound
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#1732852694413216-487: The design. During World War II , the vessels were armed with four single-mounted 5-inch (127 mm)/38-caliber dual-purpose guns , three quad-mounted and four twin-mounted 1.6 in (40 mm) guns . The 1.6-inch guns were removed postwar. The lead ship, Currituck , was constructed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and entered service in 1944. The ship was modernized under the 1957 conversions program at
234-618: The final phases of World War II. At the end of the war, she entered Tokyo Bay and contributed seaplane flight operations to the occupation of Japan in 1945. Following occupation duty in Japan, she conducted seaplane flight operations in the Huangpu River near Shanghai, China. She left the Pacific in 1946, and steamed via the Suez Canal to Norfolk, Virginia. Departing Norfolk on 4 December, she crossed
252-451: The seaplane tenders a maximum speed of 19.2 knots (35.6 km/h; 22.1 mph). The vessels had a wartime complement of 1,247 including 162 officers. During peacetime, the ship's had a complement of 553 including 30 officers. The vessels had a hangar for seaplanes and could operate up to two full squadrons. They also had a flush-decked catapult , that along with a larger hangar, resulted from those alternative uses put forth for
270-806: Was also named after the ship. Departing the Antarctic in March, she traveled from Rio de Janeiro via the Panama Canal to San Diego , California, arriving there in April 1947. Leaving California for the Far East in August 1947, she spent the winter at Qingdao, China and the summer of 1948 in the Northern Pacific Ocean . Stored awaiting a major overhaul in 1949, she was decommissioned on 1 May 1950. Recommissioned on 7 October 1950 at Alameda, California , in response to
288-741: Was at Kaohsiung, Taiwan , during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis . She returned to San Diego in December, and departed for WestPac in June 1959. During 1960 and 1961 she continued her Pacific duties. Deployed to WestPac from January to June 1962, she embarked news media personnel from several countries in March in connection with the SEATO exercise "Tulungan." Steaming for WestPac in March 1963, she operated out of Okinawa, received visitors at Chinhae, Korea , in June, and delivered fresh water to Hong Kong in August, before returning to San Diego in September. In January 1964 she departed San Diego for
306-439: Was intended for use in shallow harbors due to their shallower draft . The Currituck class were of the first design and were also well armed as the ships were expected to provide shore defence too. The primary role of the Currituck class was reconnaissance as their mobility gave them an advantage of land-based aircraft. They also had a secondary role of bombing and torpedo attacks. As the designs developed, alternative uses for
324-634: Was selected to be converted to a guided missile trials ship. The ship had its two forward 5-inch guns removed and a helicopter platform installed and also had its stern crane removed. Norton Sound was assigned to the Operation Test and Evaluation Force. The vessel carried out tests with American versions of the German V-1 flying bomb and the US Navy's Aerobee rocket, the RIM-24 Tartar missile system and
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