.jpg) USSBiscayne (AVP-11) on 29 January 1942 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSBiscayne (AVP-11) |
| Namesake | Biscayne Bay inFlorida |
| Builder | Puget Sound Navy Yard,Bremerton, Washington |
| Laid down | 27 October 1939 |
| Launched | 23 May 1941 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. A. M. Charleton |
| Commissioned | 3 July 1941 |
| Decommissioned | 29 June 1946 |
| Reclassified | Amphibiouscommand ship, AGC-18, 10 October 1944 |
| Honors & awards | Sixbattle stars forWorld War II service |
| Fate | Transferred toU.S. Coast Guard 10 July 1946 |
| Acquired | Transferred from U.S. Coast Guard 9 July 1968 |
| Fate | Sunk as target 1968 |
 United States | |
| Name | USCGCDexter (WAGC-385) |
| Namesake | Samuel Dexter (1761–1816),United States Secretary of the Treasury (1801) |
| Acquired | By transfer fromUnited States Navy on either 10 July 1946,[1] 19 July 1946,[2] or 29 July 1946[3] |
| Commissioned | 20 September 1946[4] |
| Decommissioned | 17 December 1952 |
| Recommissioned | 30 June 1958 |
| Decommissioned | 18 January 1968 |
| Reclassified |
|
| Fate | Transferred to U.S. Navy 9 July 1968 |
| General characteristics (seaplane tender) | |
| Class & type | Barnegat-class smallseaplane tender |
| Displacement | 1,766 tons (light); 2,750 tons (full load) |
| Length | 310 ft 9 in (94.72 m) |
| Beam | 41 ft 1 in (12.52 m) |
| Draught | 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) |
| Installed power | 6,000horsepower (4.48megawatts) |
| Propulsion | Diesel engines, two shafts |
| Speed | 18.6 knots (34.4 km/h) |
| Complement |
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| Sensors & processing systems | Sonar |
| Armament |
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| Aviation facilities | Supplies, spare parts, repairs, and berthing for oneseaplanesquadron; 80,000 US gallons (300,000 L)aviation fuel |
| General characteristics (Coast Guard cutter) | |
| Class & type | Casco-classcutter |
| Displacement | 2,442 tons in 1965 |
| Length | 310 ft 9 in (94.72 m) overall; 300 ft 0 in (91.44 m) between perpendiculars |
| Beam | 41 ft 0 in (12.50 m) maximum |
| Draft | 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) maximum in 1965 |
| Installed power | 6,150 bhp (4,590 kW) |
| Propulsion | Fairbanks-Morse geareddiesel engines, two shafts; 144,442 US gallons (546,770 L) of fuel |
| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Complement | 78 (10officers, 2warrant officers, 66 enlisted personnel) in 1965 |
| Sensors & processing systems | |
| Armament | In 1965: 1 x single 5-inch (127 mm) 38-caliber Mark 30 Mod 57gun mount, 1 x Mark 52 Mod 2 director, 1 x Mark 26 Mod 3 fire-control radar |
USSBiscayne (AVP-11), laterAGC-18, was aUnited States NavyBarnegat-classseaplane tender in commission as a seaplane tender from 1941 to 1943 and as anamphibious forceflagship from 1943 to 1946. She saw service duringWorld War II. Transferred to theUnited States Coast Guard after the war, she was in commission as theCoast Guard cutterUSCGCDexter (WAGC-385), laterWAVP-385 andWHEC-385, from 1946 to 1952 and from 1958 to 1968.
Biscayne was laid down on 27 October 1939 atPuget Sound Navy Yard inBremerton, Washington. She was launched on 23 May 1941, sponsored by Mrs. A. M. Charleton, andcommissioned on 3 July 1941.
Following hershakedown cruise,Biscayne joined theAtlantic Fleet and operated out ofBoston, Massachusetts, on patrol and plane guard missions from 7 December 1941 until 27 May 1942. For the next four months she served as a seaplane tender and communications ship inNewfoundland andGreenland waters.
Biscayne departedNorfolk, Virginia, on 17 October 1942 and, after a short stop atGuantanamo Bay, Cuba, moved toFreetown, Sierra Leone, with Patrol Squadron 92 (VP-92), arriving on 2 November 1942.
Biscayne moved toCasablanca,French Morocco, on 18 November 1942 and remained there until 25 April 1943 supporting patrol squadrons.
Biscayne arrived atMers-el-Kebir, Algeria, on 26 April 1943 and became the flagship ofRear AdmiralRichard Lansing Conolly, Commander, Landing Craft and Bases, Northwest African Waters. While at Mers-el-Kebir she was fitted out as an amphibious force flagship byrepair shipUSS Delta (AR-9) between 2 and 31 May 1943, although she retained her seaplane tender classification and AVP-11 designation for the time being. In May 1943,Biscayne shifted her moorings toBizerte, Tunisia.
Departing Bizerte on 10 July 1943,Biscayne served as flagship of the Joss (Licata) Force inOperation Husky, theAllied invasion ofSicily. She remained off Sicily until 22 July 1943 and then returned to Bizerte.
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Beginning on 9 September 1943,Biscayne took part inOperation Avalanche, the Allied landings atSalerno, Italy, as flagship forVice AdmiralH. Kent Hewitt and Rear Admiral Conolly. On board the ship during the Anzio invasion was famed journalist Ernie Pyle. According to Lt. Earl V. Avery, Admiral Connolly was nicknamed "too close Connolly" by the crew. One time the admiral wanted to get a closer look at the beach at night and search lights lit them up "like a Christmas tree", according to Avery. Pyle wrote in his book that a young naval Lieutenant (Avery) remarked "Oh my God, my kids will be orphans." However, one by one the lights were turned off. They guessed they were Italian and didn't want to draw their fire. While off Salerno, she escaped unscathed from frequent air and gunfire attacks. On 12 September 1943, she sent a fire and rescue team on board theBritishammunition shipLyminge and saved that vessel and hercargo ofammunition from destruction.Biscayne also served as a temporaryhospital ship while off Salerno.Biscayne retired to Bizerte on 11 October 1943.
On 7 November 1943,Biscayne became the flagship of Rear AdmiralF. J. Lowry, Commander, 8th Amphibious Force. Sailing for Italy once again, she served as flagship duringOperation Shingle, the Allied landings atAnzio, from 22 January 1944 to 2 February 1944.
Biscayne became the flagship of Rear AdmiralB. J. Rodgers, Commander, Amphibious Group 2, 8th Amphibious Force, in May 1944. Between 15 August 1944 and 16 September 1944, she took part inOperation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southernFrance.
On 10 October 1944,Biscayne was officially reclassified as a miscellaneous flagship and redesignated AGC-18.
Biscayne left theMediterranean on 12 October 1944 bound for Boston, and then steamed to thePacific Ocean. She arrived atPearl Harbor,Hawaii, on 9 January 1945 and became flagship ofCaptainFrederick Moosbrugger, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 63.
Biscayne took part in the invasion ofIwo Jima from 19 February 1945 to 4 March 1945 as flagship of thetransport screen. she carried out similar duties duringOperation Iceberg, the landings onKerama Retto on 26 March 1945 and onOkinawa on 1 April 1945. She remained off Okinawa, supporting U.S. operations during and after theOkinawa campaign, until 1 July 1945, during which time she served as flagship for the occupation ofIheya andAguni Islands between 3 June 1945 and 9 June 1945.
After her tour at Okinawa,Biscayne retired toLeyte in thePhilippine Islands, and remained in the Philippines through the end of World War II, which concluded with the cessation of hostilities withJapan on 15 August 1945.
Biscayne received sixbattle stars for her World War II service.
23 June 1950 From: Chief of Naval Personnel Addressed to all personnel/sailorsSubject:Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon BarThe Secretary of the Navy has awarded the U.S.S. Biscayne the Navy Unit Commendation for meritorious service in action against enemy aircraft, shore batteries, surface forces and mines in both the European and Pacific Theaters of Operation.
Biscayne departed the Philippines on 8 September 1945 to support the occupation ofKorea. She remained on occupation duty in Korean andChinese waters until 30 October 1945, when she left for theUnited States.
Biscayne arrived atSan Diego, California, on 21 December 1945 and atPortland, Maine, on 7 January 1946. She then moved to theUnited States Naval Academy atAnnapolis, Maryland, for use as quarters for the academy's aviation instruction staff.
Biscayne was decommissioned on 29 June 1946.
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Barnegat-class ships were very reliable and seaworthy and had good habitability, and the United States Coast Guard viewed them as ideal forocean station duty, in which they would perform weather reporting andsearch-and-rescue tasks, once they were modified by having aballoon shelter added aft and havingoceanographic equipment, an oceanographicwinch, and ahydrographic winch installed. After World War II, the Navy transferred 18 of the ships to the Coast Guard, in which they were known as theCasco-classcutters.
The Navy transferredBiscayne to the Coast Guard on either 10 July 1946,[5] 19 July 1946,[6] or 29 July 1946.[7] at theCoast Guard Yard atCurtis Bay atBaltimore,Maryland. After she underwent conversion for service as aweather reporting ship, the Coast Guard commissioned her asUSCGCDexter (WAGC-18) – the fourth ship of the U.S. Coast Guard or its predecessor, theUnited States Revenue Cutter Service, to bear the name – on 20 September 1946.[8]
Dexter was stationed at Boston, Massachusetts, which would remain herhome port until December 1952, and was redesignatedWAVP-385 at some point during her time there. Her primary duty was to serve on ocean stations in theAtlantic Ocean to gathermeteorological data. While on duty in one of these stations, she was required to patrol a 210-square-mile (544-square-kilometer) area for three weeks at a time, leaving the area only when physically relieved by another Coast Guard cutter or in the case of a dire emergency. While on station, she acted as an aircraft check point at thepoint of no return, a relay point for messages from ships and aircraft, as a source of the latest weather information for passing aircraft, as a floating oceanographic laboratory, and as a search-and-rescue ship for downed aircraft and vessels in distress, and engaged inlaw enforcement operations. She arrived at Boston to assume her duties on 17 October 1946.
On 30 November 1946,Dexter was atNaval Station Argentia,Newfoundland,Canada, underway to her first ocean station duty atOcean Station Charlie. By 28 December 1946 she was back in Boston. For the next few months, she was on Ocean Station Charlie andOcean Station Alfa, taking time out in October 1947 for underway training nearBerkley Station atNorfolk,Virginia.
Dexter served onOcean Station Able from 30 October 1947 to 10 December 1947. While on that duty, she responded to a request for assistance by themerchant ship SSLouisburg, which was flooding, on 4 November 1947.Dexter transferred alife raft anddamage controltimbers toLouisburg and escorted her safely toSt. John's, Newfoundland.Dexter then returned to Ocean Station Able.
On 4 November 1948, while underway from Ocean Station Alfa,Dexter assisted thefishing vesselPan Pades Andros, which was disabled about 30 nautical miles (56 km) southeast ofSable Island. Following this assistance case,Dexter was put into repair status until 12 February 1949, when repairs were completed and she was in port on standby.
On 14 February 1949,Dexter relieved the Coast Guard cutterUSCGC Winnebago (WPG-40) from duty onOcean Station Delta, and in turn was relieved by the Coast Guard cutterUSCGC Androscoggin (WPG-68). On 27 April 1949 she relieved the Coast Guard cutterUSCGC Ingham (WPG-35) onOcean Station Echo and on 29 April 1949 was underway toBermuda with an injured crew member. She resumed station on 3 May 1949. On 21 May 1949 she assisted the fishing vesselSea Hawk and on 22 May 1949 turnedSea Hawk over to the Coast Guard cutterUSCGC Legare (WSC-144) for further assistance. She then returned to Boston for repairs.
On 30 July 1949,Dexter assisted the U.S. NavydestroyerUSS Livermore while at sea. On 9 September 1949, she was forced to proceed south of Sable Island to avoid the center of ahurricane. She proceeded on toOcean Station Bravo and relieved Coast Guard cutterUSCGC Humboldt (WAVP-372) on 12 September 1949. On 30 September 1949, she was relieved on Ocean Station Bravo by theCanadian Coast Guard shipCGSSt. Stephen. In October 1949, she participated in gunnery exercises in theNewport,Rhode Island, area.
For the next few months,Dexter had her regular ocean station patrols with nothing unusual happening until 7 August 1950, when she went off Ocean Station Charlie temporarily to assist the merchant ship SSBelfrey, and proceeded to escort her toward St. John's, Newfoundland, until 11 August 1950, when she was relieved of the escort duty by Coast Guard cutterUSCGC Spencer (WPG-36) and returned to Ocean Station Charlie. On 26 November 1950 she assisted U.S. Navydestroyer escortUSS Tweedy, which was adrift offCape Cod, Massachusetts.
On 2 January 1951Dexter departed Boston en route Ocean Station Hotel. In April 1951 she was temporarily off Ocean Station Echo for two days, while investigating a reporteddepth charge in the area. On 11 June 1951 she temporarily departed Ocean Station Delta on a distress-response mission and reoccupied the station on 14 June 1951. During November 1951, she was forced to leave Ocean Station Alfa for a short while due to an urgent medical case.
On 19 February 1952,Dexter leftOcean Station Hotel to assist the merchant ship SSHelen Stevenson, which had cracked across the main deckport andstarboard at thehatch. She escortedHelen Stevenson to a point less than 10 nautical miles (18.5 kilometers) east ofSt. George's, Bermuda, and then returned to station. On 18 October 1952, she departed Ocean Station Alfa and proceeded to Boston. On 8 November 1952, she departed Boston for the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland, arriving there on 9 November 1952.
On 17 December 1952,Dexter was decommissioned at the Coast Guard Yard and placed in storage there. In 1957 she was re-engined with four newFairbanks Morsediesel engines.[9]
Dexter was recommissioned on 30 June 1958 and assigned to a new home port,Alameda,California. She departed Curtis Bay on 14 July 1958 under the command of Commander Bainbridge Leland, USCG.
_arrives_San_Francisco.jpg)
Dexter arrived at Alameda on 11 August 1958. She assumed duty as theUnited States West Coasttraining ship for theUnited States Coast Guard Reserve training component. She provided training at sea for Coast Guard Reserve recruits undergoing training atAlameda Training Station. Crewed by a complement of 83—eightofficers, 10chief petty officers, and 65 otherenlisted sailors—to 85,Dexter had facilities for handling over 100 recruits at a time. Recruits spent approximately three months aboardDexter for indoctrination and one extended cruise beyond the waters ofSan Francisco Bay.Dexter also made cruises to various ports on the U.S. West Coast, as well as toBritish Columbia inCanada,Hawaii,Alaska, andMexico, in connection with training activities.
Dexter also participated as a search-and-rescue patrol vessel for varioussailing races andregattas, including the September 1958America's Cup Race at Newport, Rhode Island, and theTranspacific Yacht Races fromLos Angeles, California, toHonolulu, Hawaii, of 1959, 1961, and 1965.
Dexter also conducted search and rescue operations. On 18 July 1959, she towed the disabled fishing vesselCloud Nine until relieved by the Coast Guardbuoy tenderUSCGC Blackhaw (WLB-390). On 5 February 1965, she unsuccessfully searched for anF-4B Phantomjetfighter aircraft nearSan Clemente Island. In early February 1966, she towed the disabledsloopAllegro from 360 nautical miles (670 km) south-southwest ofSan Diego, California, toAsuncion Bay.
Dexter was reclassified as ahigh endurance cutter and redesignatedWHEC-385 on 1 May 1966.
On 18 January 1968, the Coast Guard decommissionedDexter. She was transferred to the U.S. Navy on 9 July 1968 and sunk as a target later that year.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere. United States Navy |
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Preceded by:Curtiss class Followed by:Currituck class | |||||||||||||
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1968 | |
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