Concept/Program: The first purpose-built USN seaplane tenders. These ships were meant to provide maintenance, repair, supply and command facilities to squadrons of long-range patrol seaplanes. They were meant to operate as base ships in forward areas, so they were heavily armed and had all the facilities needed to keep squadrons of seaplanes operating in forward areas for many months.
Design: Large, high-freeboard hull with a relatively small superstructure. Accommodations and non-seaplane facilities were all located in the forward half of the ship. Large, flat seaplane working deck at the stern. Extensive maintenance shops in large superstructure block at the forward end of the working deck, joining the main superstructure. Two large cranes, one at the extreme stern and one at the rear of the superstructure. Heavy gun armament, including 2 5" forward and 2 atop the aft superstructure. These ships were considerably faster than most auxiliaries of the time.
Variations: The two forward 5" guns in Albemarle were both enclosed mounts, but Curtiss had one open and one enclosed mount forward.
Modifications: Two dual 40 mm and 12 20 mm AA added during WWII. Postwar the light guns were removed, but there were no major alterations until 1957, when Albemarle was converted.
Modernization: Albemarle was converted to support P6M Seamaster flying boats during the 1950's. The aft section of the seaplane working deck was converted into a small drydock with a ramp at its front. This arrangement was meant to allow docking of the large Seamaster, which could not be hoisted by a crane. The Seamaster program was cancelled and the ship was decommissioned.
Operational: AV 4 in the Pacific during WWII; AV 5 in the Atlantic. Postwar both apparently remained in seaplane support roles, unlike many other AVs which transferred to non-aviation roles.
Departure from Service/Disposal: Both decommissioned in the late 1950's/early 1960's, but Albemarle was reactivated, renamed, and converted to a helicopter repair ship in 1965. Conversion of a second sister to ARVH 2 was cancelled.
Remained in service postwar. Decommissioned to reserve 24 September 1957. Stricken for disposal 1 July 1963; subsequently sold and scrapped in 1972.
Decommissioned to reserve 1960 (date?). Stricken for disposal 1 September 1962 but not sold.
Re-instated on the Naval Vessels Register 8/1964 and converted at Charleston Navy Yard as a helicopter repair ship to support US Army helicopters in Vietnam. Conversion included removal of all weapons, small helicopter deck forward, workshop superstructure extended to the stern with a helicopter platform atop it, extensive helicopter repair shops. Renamed Corpus Christi Bay, redesignated ARVH 1 and placed in service 27 March 1965. Ship had a civilian crew (plus 308 Army personnel in the repair shops); was under MSTS/MSC administrative control (as T-ARVH 5) and Army operational control.
Decommissioned 1973, stricken for disposal 31 December 1974. Subsequently sold and scrapped.
Concept/Program: Continuation of the purpose-built heavy seaplane tenders, using a modified Curtiss class design. Notes for that class apply here, except as noted. Three additional ships were planned (AV 18-20), but by 1944 it was clear that these vessels could not be completed before early 1947 due to labor shortages and problems in obtaining propulsion machinery. Thus C-3 hulls were substituted (see below), but these were also cancelled and replaced by C-3 type destroyer tenders.
Design: The major change from the Curtiss class was one instead of two stacks, and related engine room modifications. A catapult was fitted aft so they could launch Marine Corps floatplane dive bombers in forward areas, but they did not operate in this role.
Operational: Only AV 7 served in the Pacific during WWII. Two ships completed too late to see any WWII combat service. Postwar three ships rotated as command ship for Western Pacific naval aviation and the Taiwan patrol force, while also serving in their seaplane role.
Departure from Service/Disposal: Norton Sound became an experimental ship soon after WWII and ceased to operate as a seaplane vessel. The other survived until decommissioning in 1967.
Served in the Pacific. Remained in service postwar. Decommissioned to reserve 31 October 1967, stricken for disposal 1 April 1971. Subsequently sold and scrapped.
Assumed the role of missile test and experimentation ship soon after WWII. Redesignated as a guided missile ship (AVM 1) 8 August 1951. Testing started with captured enemy weapons, and eventually included nearly every USN missile, as well as many missile launchers, radars, etc. Served a Typhon test ship, then as Aegis test ship from 1974 to decommissioning, testing radars, missiles, launchers, etc. Decommissioned 11 December 1986, stricken for disposal 27 January 1987. Final disposal uncertain.
Remained in service postwar. Decommissioned to reserve 17 June 1967. Stricken for disposal 1 February 1971, subsequently sold and scrapped.
Remained in service postwar. Decommissioned to reserve 31 March 1967. Stricken for disposal 1971(?), subsequently sold and scrapped.
Concept/Program: Freighters taken over and converted to seaplane tenders during construction in order to fill an immediate need for additional tenders. These ships shared many features with the two classes of freighter conversions which followed, and may be considered half-sisters to those ships.
Class: Maritime Commission C3-Cargo(S) type.
Design/Conversion: Seaplane working deck was fitted aft of the bridge superstructure, raised one level above the main deck. A single large seaplane crane was fitted aft of the seaplane deck, at the extreme stern. Seaplane servicing and utility boats were carried on deck forward of the bridge. Cargo holds converted to berthing, stores and spares storage, repair shops, etc. as needed for seaplane support duties. The overall appearance and configuration of these ships was not drastically altered from the freighter appearance. These ships were converted prior to completion as merchant ships.
Modifications: Armament underwent several changes: initially 4 5/38 single mounts were carried; these were changed to 1 5/38 and several 40 mm. The armament was increased during the war; the figures given above are for end-of-war configuration.
Modernization: No major modernizations.
Operational: Served in the Pacific.
Departure from Service/Disposal: Both laid up in reserve immediately postwar, but retained in reserve until 1961, when they were stricken.
Decommissioned to reserve 5 October 1946. Stricken for disposal 1 June 1961; subsequently sold and scrapped.
Decommissioned to reserve 10 July 1946. Stricken for disposal 1 June 1961; subsequently sold and scrapped.
Concept/Program: Continuation of the C3-to-AV conversion program; almost identical to the Tangier class, but used C3-S-B1 hull. All notes for Tangier class apply to this ship.
Departure from Service/Disposal: Decommissioned immediately postwar, but served as a station/HQ ship while in reserve.
Decommissioned to reserve 12 February 1947. While in reserve she served as a station ship and as HQ ship for the Atlantic reserve fleet. Stricken for disposal 1 April 1971; subsequently sold and scrapped.
Concept/Program: Continuation of the C3-to-AV conversion program. Nearly identical to the previous classes, except built on C3-Special hulls. The crane was moved to the forward end of the seaplane deck to make space for a 5/38 mount aft. All notes for Tangier class apply, except as noted. The last three vessels were replacements for cancelled Currituck class ships, but were themselves cancelled in favor of destroyer tenders - ships which would be much more useful than seaplane tenders in the postwar world.
Departure from Service/Disposal: Most decommissioned immediately postwar, but one remained in service as a tender/aviation station ship through the 1950's.
Remained in service postwar. Decommissioned to reserve 30 September 1958. Stricken for disposal 1 July 1961; subsequently sold and scrapped.
Decommissioned to reserve 15 January 1947. Stricken for disposal 1 July 1963; subsequently sold and scrapped.
Decommissioned to reserve 10 April 1947. Stricken for disposal 1 July 1963 and transferred to MarAd for layup. Transferred to Italy 10 December 1968 as Andrea Bafile (A5314); converted as special forces support ship. Laid up in unmaintained reserve during the 1980's; stricken for disposal 31 May 1995. Subsequently sold and scrapped.
Decommissioned to reserve 27 May 1947. Stricken for disposal 1 July 1961; subsequently sold and scrapped.
Concept/Program: Planned conversion of a WWII-era dock landing ship to a tender for Seamaster seaplanes. The docking well would have been used as small drydock for the seaplanes. Three ships were planned 11/1959, but the whole Seamaster program was soon cancelled. Ashland had been the first dock landing ship, and had been initially classified APM.
