USS St. George (AV-16)

Last updated
USS St. George (AV-16) at anchor, circa in mid-1944.jpg
USS St. George (AV-16)
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS St. George
NamesakeSt. George Sound in Apalachicola Bay, Florida
BuilderSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, Tacoma, Washington
Laid down4 August 1943
Launched14 February 1944
Commissioned24 July 1944
Decommissioned1 August 1946
Stricken1 July 1963
Honors and
awards
1 battle star (World War II)
FateSold to Italy
Naval Ensign of Italy.svgItaly
NameAndrea Bafile (A 5314)
Namesake Andrea Bafile, a Gold Medal of Military Valor recipient
Acquired11 December 1968
Decommissioned1981
Fateunknown
General characteristics
Class and type Kenneth Whiting-class seaplane tender
Displacement
  • 8,510 long tons (8,647 t) light
  • 12,610 long tons (12,812 t) full
Length492 ft (150 m)
Beam69 ft 5 in (21.16 m)
Draft22 ft (6.7 m)
PropulsionSteam turbine, 2 boilers, 1 shaft, 8,500 hp (6,338 kW)
Speed18.7 knots (34.6 km/h; 21.5 mph)
Complement1,077
Armament

USS St. George (AV-16) was a Kenneth Whiting-class seaplane tender in the United States Navy.

Contents

St. George was laid down on 4 August 1943 by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, Tacoma, Washington, launched on 14 February 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Alfred E. Montgomery; and commissioned on 24 July 1944.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations

After shakedown, St. George sailed from San Pedro, California, on 12 October 1944 to salvage a seaplane which had crashed at sea. She was diverted to Pearl Harbor after word was received that the plane had sunk.

After four days in Pearl Harbor, the ship sailed on 22 October to tend seaplanes in support of the Central Pacific drive. She stopped at Kwajalein between 29 October and 3 November, and then tended a squadron of aircraft at Eniwetok between 4 and 25 November. She moved frequently during the next four months, tending planes at Saipan between 28 November and 21 December; at Kossol Passage, Palau Islands, from 24 December 1944 to 6 February 1945, at Ulithi between 7 and 25 February, and at Saipan again from 27 February to 23 March. On 28 March, she arrived at Kerama Retto, Ryukyus, to support aircraft in the Okinawa operation.

Under attack by Japanese aircraft

During one of the frequent air raids there the ship's gunners shot down an enemy plane on 29 April. A week later, she was hit by a kamikaze. Thanks to a warning from Louis (Jack) Norvelle Tickle, an airplane mechanic who had been on deck at the time and was able to spot the Japanese before they hit, only three men were killed. Unfortunately, her seaplane crane was destroyed. Nevertheless, the tender remained on station, using a barge crane to lift seaplanes for repairs; and, in addition, provided repair support to destroyers and destroyer escorts.

Post-War operations

She left Kerama Retto on 12 July for drydocking and repairs at Guam, returning on 21 August to Okinawa, where she rode out a typhoon on 16 and 17 September. On 20 September, the seaplane tender sailed to Wakayama Wan, Japan, where her aircraft provided surveillance of the Japanese Inland Sea and supplied passenger, mail, and courier service between Tokyo, Sasebo, and Okinawa. While there, she rode out two more typhoons. The ship proceeded to Sasebo on 14 November and tended aircraft there from 16 November until starting home on 12 February 1946.

Post-War decommissioning

She arrived at San Diego, California, on 25 March 1946 and was decommissioned and placed in reserve there on 1 August 1946. USS St. George was struck from the Navy list on 1 July 1963 and simultaneously transferred to the Maritime Administration's reserve fleet at Suisun Bay, California.

Andrea Bafile (L 9871)

Italian navy ship Andrea Bafile Bafile L9871.jpg
Italian navy ship Andrea Bafile

She was reacquired by the U.S. Navy on 11 December 1968 for sale to Italy as Andrea Bafile (L 9871) as a transport ship for the 1st San Marco Regiment. She was decommissioned in 1981 and stricken on 31 July 1985 but was used until May 1988 as barracks ship in the Taranto Arsenal. [1]

Awards

USS St. George received one battle star for her World War II service.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Evans</i> (DD-552) Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Evans (DD-552), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans (1846–1912).

USS <i>Gillis</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Gillis (DD-260/AVD-12) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Commodore John P. Gillis and Rear Admiral James Henry Gillis.

USS <i>Suisun</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Suisun (AVP-53) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1955. It was named for northern California's Suisun Bay, which takes its name from the Native American Suisun tribe.

USS <i>Pakana</i> Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Pakana (AT–108) was an Abnaki-class fleet ocean tug. It was named after the Pakana, a Native American tribe of Texas. This ship saw service in the Pacific theater of World War II, and was later transferred to the United States Bureau of Mines for use in Alaska before being deliberately sunk in 1975.

USS <i>Gregory</i> (DD-802) Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Gregory (DD-802) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the second Navy ship named for Rear Admiral Francis H. Gregory (1780–1866), who served from the War of 1812 to the Civil War.

USS <i>Adams</i> (DM-27) Robert H. Smith-class destroyer minelayer

USS Adams (DM-27) was a destroyer minelayer in the United States Navy. She was named for Lieutenant, junior grade Samuel Adams. The other two USS Adams that have existed were named after the second president.

USS <i>Hinsdale</i>

USS Hinsdale (APA-120) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Mackinac</i> (AVP-13) Tender of the United States Navy

The second USS Mackinac (AVP-13) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1942 to 1947 that saw service during World War II. After the war, she was in commission in the United States Coast Guard from 1949 to 1967 as the cutter USCGC Mackinac (WAVP-371), later WHEC-371, the second ship of the Coast Guard or its predecessor, the United States Revenue Cutter Service, to bear the name.

USS <i>Thomas E. Fraser</i> Robert H. Smith-class destroyer minelayer

USS Thomas E. Fraser (DD-736/DM-24) was a Robert H. Smith-class destroyer minelayer in the United States Navy.

USS <i>Weehawken</i> (CM-12) 1920 car ferry later converted to a mine layer

USS Weehawken (CM-12) was originally SS Estrada Palma – a car ferry built in 1920 by William Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia. It was acquired by the United States Navy on 15 June 1942; renamed Weehawken on 18 July 1942; converted to a minelayer by the Bethlehem Steel Co. at Hoboken, New Jersey; designated CM-12; and commissioned on 30 September 1942.

USS <i>Chandeleur</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Chandeleur (AV-10), a seaplane tender, was launched on 29 November 1941 by Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Francisco, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; transferred to the U.S. Navy 19 November 1942; and commissioned the same day.

USS <i>Kenneth Whiting</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Kenneth Whiting (AV-14) was the lead ship of her class of seaplane tenders in the United States Navy.

USS <i>Hamlin</i> (AV-15) Tender of the United States Navy

USS Hamlin (AV-15) was a Kenneth Whiting-class seaplane tender in the United States Navy.

USS <i>Onslow</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Onslow (AVP-48) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class seaplane tender in commission from 1943 to 1947 and from 1951 to 1960.

USS <i>Yakutat</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Yakutat (AVP-32) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1946. Yakutat tended seaplanes in combat areas in the Pacific during the latter stages of World War II. After the war, she was in commission in the United States Coast Guard from 1948 to 1971 as the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Yakutat (WAVP-380), later WHEC-380, seeing service in the Vietnam War during her Coast Guard career. Transferred to South Vietnam in 1971, she was commissioned into the Republic of Vietnam Navy as the frigate RVNS Trần Nhật Duật (HQ-03). When South Vietnam collapsed in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War, she fled to the Philippines, where the Philippine Navy took custody of her and cannibalized her for spare parts until discarding her in 1982.

USS <i>Shelikof</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Shelikof (AVP-52) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1947 and from 1952 to 1954.

USS <i>Bering Strait</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Bering Strait (AVP-34) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1946. She tended seaplanes during World War II in the Pacific in combat areas and earned three battle stars by war's end.

USS <i>William C. Cole</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS William C. Cole (DE-641) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, named in honor of Vice Admiral William C. Cole (1868–1935).

USS <i>Snowbell</i>

USS Snowbell (YN-71/AN-52) was a Ailanthus-class net laying ship which served the U.S. Navy during World War II. She operated in the Pacific Ocean until she was destroyed by Typhoon Louise off Okinawa, 9 October 1945.

USS <i>Gardiners Bay</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) was a United States Navy seaplane tender in commission from 1945 to 1958 that saw service in the latter stages of World War II and in the Korean War. After her decommissioning, she was transferred to Norway, and she served in the Royal Norwegian Navy as the training ship HNoMS Haakon VII (A537) from 1958 to 1974.

References

  1. "Andrea Bafile". Marina Miliotare. Retrieved 20 February 2021.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.