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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSHalf Moon (AVP-26) |
| Namesake | Half Moon Bay, on the coast ofCalifornia south ofSan Francisco |
| Builder | Lake Washington Shipyard,Houghton,Washington |
| Laid down | 10 March 1942 |
| Launched | 12 July 1942 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. T. A. Gray |
| Reclassified | Fromseaplane tender, AVP-26, tomotor torpedo boat tender, AGP-6, in March 1943, then back to seaplane tender, AVP-26, on 1 May 1943 |
| Commissioned | 15 June 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 4 September 1946 |
| Reclassified | Fromseaplane tender, AVP-26, tomotor torpedo boat tender, AGP-6, in March 1943, then back to seaplane tender, AVP-26, on 1 May 1943 |
| Honors & awards | Twobattle stars for herWorld War II service |
| Fate |
|
 United States | |
| Name | USCGCHalf Moon (WAVP-378) |
| Namesake | Previous name retained |
| Acquired |
|
| Commissioned | 14 September 1948 |
| Reclassified | High endurance cutter, WHEC-378, 1 May 1966 |
| Decommissioned | 15 July 1969 |
| Honors & awards | See note[note 1] |
| Fate | Sold for scrapping 29 April 1970 |
| General characteristics (seaplane tender) | |
| Class & type | Barnegat-classseaplane tender, converted during construction from amotor torpedo boat tender |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 310 ft 9 in (94.72 m) |
| Beam | 41 ft 2 in (12.55 m) |
| Draft | 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) |
| Installed power | 6,000horsepower (4.48megawatts) |
| Propulsion | Diesel engines, two shafts |
| Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h)s |
| Complement |
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| Sensors & processing systems | Radar;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 | 2,498 tons (full load) in 1967 |
| Length | 310 ft 9.5 in (94.729 m) overall; 300 ft 0 in (91.44 m) between perpendiculars |
| Beam | 41 ft 0 in (12.50 m) maximum |
| Draft | 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m) full load aft in 1967 |
| Installed power | 6,400 bhp (4,800 kW) |
| Propulsion | Fairbanks-Morse geareddiesel engines, (2.677:1), Model 38RD8-1/8 O.P.; two shafts; 171,851 US gallons (650,530 L) of fuel |
| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Complement | 151 (10officers, 3warrant officers, 138 enlisted personnel) in 1966 |
| Sensors & processing systems | |
| Armament |
|
USSHalf Moon (AVP-26) was aseaplane tender that in commission in theUnited States Navy from 1943 to 1946 that saw service in the latter half ofWorld War II. After the war, she was in commission in theUnited States Coast Guard as thecutterUSCGCHalf Moon (WAVP-378), laterWHEC-378, from 1948 to 1969, seeing service in theVietnam War during her Coast Guard career.
Half Moon waslaid down as a small seaplane tender (AVP-26) on 10 March 1942 byLake Washington Shipyards,Houghton,Washington, and waslaunched as such on 12 July 1942, sponsored by Mrs. T. A. Gray. In March 1943 she was selected for conversion into amotor torpedo boat tender and redesignated AGP-6, but she was so close to completion as a seaplane tender that it soon was decided to convert the seaplane tender USSOyster Bay (AVP-28) into a motor torpedo boat tender instead;Oyster Bay was designated AGP-6 and becameUSS Oyster Bay (AGP-6).Half Moon, meanwhile, was again classified as a seaplane tender, again designated AVP-26 on 1 May 1943, and commissioned as such on 15 June 1943.
Half Moon spent her first months inshakedown training offCalifornia, and was then assigned to theUnited States Pacific Fleet. DepartingSan Diego, California, on 25 August 1943, she embarked aUnited States Marine Corps air group atPearl Harbor,Hawaii, and steamed intoVila Harbor,New Hebrides, on 14 September 1943. She then sailed toBrisbane,Australia.
From Brisbane,Half Moon moved toNamoai Bay, onSariba Island,New Guinea, arriving on 6 October 1943. At Namoai BayHalf Moon began her tending duties. Her embarked squadron, flyingPBY Catalinaflying boats, conducted nightantishipping strikes in the New Guinea area. With the support of seaplane tenders likeHalf Moon these missions, called '"Black Cat" strikes, achieved important results in the destruction ofJapanesetransports.
Half Moon departed for Brisbane on 21 December 1943, remained there until 10 February 1944, and then steamed into a succession of New Guinea ports on the way to her new operating base,Finschafen, New Guinea. There she resumed her support of seaplane operations in the New Guinea theater.
After tending seaplanes onair-sea rescue missions fromHumboldt Bay, New Guinea, in May 1944,Half Moon spent several months substituting for transports in thePacific area, stopping at Brisbane,Manus Island,Milne Bay, and other ports. She took up "Black Cat" operations again on 25 August 1944 fromMiddelburg and laterMorotai.
Steaming out of Morotai on 6 October 1944,Half Moon joined a smallconvoy en route toLeyte Gulf to assist in the developing operations for the recapture of thePhilippine Islands. The convoy arrived at Leyte Gulf on 21 October 1944, andHalf Moon immediately steamed down the eastern coast ofLeyte in search of a properanchorage for herseaplane operations.
Anchoring inHinunangan Bay,Half Moon came under air attack on 23 October 1944, and soon realized that her anchorage was a rendezvous point for Japanese planes attacking Leyte. Late on 24 October 1944 theradar aboardHalf Moon began to pick up two large surface units converging and it was soon clear that she was to be a witness to the last engagement betweenbattlelines of surface ships, theBattle of Surigao Strait, one of several actions making up the largerBattle of Leyte Gulf of 23 October 1944 – 26 October 1944.Half Moon cautiously slipped out from behindOabugan Grande Island and was given permission to proceed up the coast of Leyte between, but well to the west of, the two fleets. She watched the spectacle ofRear AdmiralJesse B. Oldendorf'sbattleships,cruisers, anddestroyers pounding the Japanese ships, and after the battle returned to Hinamangan Bay. Another fierce air attack, however, soon convinced thecommanding officer ofHalf Moon thatSan Pedro Bay, further north, offered a more hospitable base for operation.
Half Moon weathered two severestorms, on 29 October 1944 and 8 November 1944, and operated with her seaplanes in Leyte Gulf until 27 December 1944. She was then designated as part of the support convoy for theMindoro landing, and departed forMangarin Bay on 27 December 1944. The convoy, known as "Uncle plus 15", encountered some of the most prolonged and determined air attacks of World War II as the Japanese strove mightily to preventAmerican reinforcements from reaching Mindoro. Air cover provided by land-based aircraft stopped only some of the Japanese attackers. Suicide planes (kamikazes),bombs, andstrafing hit many ships. TheLiberty Ship SSJohn Burke, loaded withammunition, exploded, leaving virtually no trace after akamikaze hit, thetankerUSS Porcupine (IX-126) and the motor torpedo boat tenderUSS Orestes (AGP-10) were severely damaged, and other ships also suffered hits.
Nevertheless, the convoy drove through, giving the Japanese planes a hot time with concentratedantiaircraft fire. During the convoy's three-day voyage, gunners onHalf Moon and the other ships were at their stations around the clock,Half Moon accounting for at least two and possibly four of the attacking aircraft.
The convoy arrived at Mindoro on 30 December 1944. Air attacks continued. On 4 January 1945 during one of these a large bomb skipped overHalf Moon's fantail, falling to explode.Half Moon remained inMangarin Bay tending seaplanes until returning to Leyte Gulf on 17 February 1945.
Following the victoriousPhilippine invasion,Half Moon moved to Manus and Humboldt Bay. While indry dock at Manus a sole Japanese aircraft launched atorpedo atHalf Moon, striking the dry dock and destroying its mess hall. There was no damage toHalf Moon and only one injury, a crew member who fell off the top of the dock while fishing. The following dayTokyo Rose reported thatHalf Moon had been sunk.
On 30 May 1945,Half Moon got underway for the Philippines again, arriving atTawi Tawi in theSulu Archipelago on 11 June 1945. She supported seaplaneantisubmarine searches fromTawi Tawi Bay until early August 1945, and then carried out the same mission from Mangarin Bay on Mindoro.
Half Moon received twobattle stars for her World War II service.
FollowingJapan's surrender on 15 August 1945,Half Moon proceeded toSubic Bay onLuzon in the Philippines, and from there got underway forOkinawa on 30 August 1945. On the afternoon of 31 August 1945 signs of a storm were evident and by 1 September 1945Half Moon was engulfed in a ragingtyphoon, with winds up to 120 knots (220 km/h) (222 kilometers per hour) andbarometer readings of 27.32 inches (925millibars). Smart seamanship allowed her to weather the storm, and she arrived safely at Okinawa on 4 September 1945.
Half Moon departed Okinawa forManila on 1 October 1945, operated in that area for about a month, and departed Manila on 7 November 1945 for deactivation. She arrived atSeattle, Washington, on 1 December 1945, steamed to San Diego on 12 April 1946,decommissioned there on 4 September 1946, and was placed in reserve.
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Barnegat-class ships were very reliable and seaworthy and had good habitability, and the Coast Guard viewed them as ideal forocean station duty, in which they would performweather 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 U.S. Navy transferred 18 of the ships to the Coast Guard, in which they were known as theCasco-class cutters.
The U.S. Navy loanedHalf Moon to theUnited States Coast Guard on 30 July 1948. After undergoing conversion for Coast Guard use, she was commissioned into the Coast Guard on 14 September 1948 asUSCGCHalf Moon (WAVP-378).
Half Moon was stationed atStaten Island andGovernors Island inNew York City throughout her Coast Guard career. 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 she engaged inlaw enforcement operations.
On 24 and 25 August 1951,Half Moon assisted themerchant shipCastello Guadalest in the North Atlantic at39°30′00″N058°32′00″W / 39.50000°N 58.53333°W /39.50000; -58.53333 ("Castello Guadalest").
While inBermuda on aUnited States Coast Guard Reserve training cruise,Half Moon helped civil authorities in fight a fire aboard the merchant shipCoastal Service atOrdnance Wharf inSt. George's, on 14 August 1963.
Half Moon was reclassified as ahigh endurance cutter and redesignatedWHEC-378 on 1 May 1966. Her loan period from the U.S. Navy came to an end on 26 September 1966, when she was transferred permanently from the Navy to the Coast Guard.
On 11 January 1967,Half Moon seized fourAmericanfishing vessels seven nautical miles (13 kilometers) northwest ofDog Rocks following a shooting incident in which one person was killed and another wounded.
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Half Moon sailed fromNew York Harbor on 1 April 1967 under the command of Commander Emmett G. McCarthy, bound forPearl Harbor,Hawaii, and an assignment to Coast Guard Squadron Three. The squadron, which was designatedTask Unit 70.8.6, was activated atPearl Harbor,Hawaii, on 24 April 1967 when its commander,Captain John E. Day, hoisted hisflag aboard hisflagship, theCoast Guard cutterUSCGC Gresham.
Coast Guard Squadron Three was tasked to operate in theSouth China Sea in conjunction with U.S. Navy forces inOperation Market Time, the interdiction ofNorth Vietnamese arms and munitions traffic along the coastline ofSouth Vietnam during theVietnam War. The squadron's other Vietnam War duties included fire support for ground forces, resupplying Coast Guard and Navypatrol boats, and search-and-rescue operations. Serving in the squadron withGresham andHalf Moon were the cuttersUSCGC Yakutat,USCGC Barataria andUSCGC Bering Strait; likeHalf Moon andGresham, they all were former NavyBarnegat-class ships. They departed Pearl Harbor on 26 April 1967 and reported to Commander,United States Seventh Fleet, for Market Time duty on 4 May 1967. They were joined by Navyradar picketdestroyer escorts (DERs) of Escort Squadrons 5 and 7.
The ten Market Time ships arrived atSubic Bay in thePhilippines on 10 May 1967. The five Coast Guard cutters and five Navy destroyer escorts continuously manned four Market Time stations off Vietnam, while only Navy warships served on twoTaiwan patrol stations. One ship rotated duty as the station ship inHong Kong.
During her tour,Half Moon conducted nine naval gunfire missions along the coast of South Vietnam in support of forces ashore. On 12 September 1967 she was ordered to fire on aViet Cong (VC) build-up inAn Xugen Province; her gunfire killed at least one VC soldier and destroyed three fortifications on that occasion. During her tour, she was credited with killing at least 13 VC soldiers, destroying 64 military emplacements and structures, and sinking foursampans.Half Moon also served as a home base for 50-foot (15.25 m) U.S. NavyPatrol Craft Fast and participated in search and rescue operations.
Half Moon concluded her Vietnam War tour on 29 December 1967.
See note.[note 1]
Half Moon returned from Vietnam to herhome port at New York City on 22 January 1968 and resumed her routine Coast Guard operations in the Atlantic. On 11 July 1968 she helped to evacuate an injured crewman from theWest German merchant shipBrunsdeich.
The Coast Guard decommissionedHalf Moon on 15 July 1969. She was sold for scrapping on 29 April 1970 toCantieri Navali,Genoa,Italy, for a bid price of $66,000 (USD).
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 | |||||||||||||
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