Definition
USS Greenwich Bay (AVP‑41) was a Barnegat‑class small seaplane tender of the United States Navy. After a brief naval career, the vessel was transferred to the United States Coast Guard, where she served as USCGC Greenwich Bay (WAVP‑544/WHEC‑544) until decommissioning in 1975.
Overview
- Construction and commissioning: Laid down on 16 August 1944 at the Lake Washington Shipyard in Houghton, Washington, the ship was launched on 16 March 1945 and commissioned into the U.S. Navy on 12 May 1945.
- Naval service: USS Greenwich Bay completed shakedown training off the U.S. West Coast before sailing to the Atlantic. She arrived in the Caribbean in July 1945, where she operated in support of seaplane units and conducted weather‑observation missions. With the end of World War II, the ship’s active naval service was short; she was placed in reserve on 27 March 1946 and decommissioned on 30 May 1947.
- Coast Guard service: Transferred to the Coast Guard on 30 May 1947, the vessel was redesignated USCGC Greenwich Bay (WAVP‑544). She was later reclassified as a high‑endurance cutter (WHEC‑544) in 1966. During her Coast Guard career, Greenwich Bay performed ocean‑station duty, search‑and‑rescue operations, law‑enforcement patrols, and hydrographic surveys in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. The cutter was decommissioned on 23 June 1975 and sold for scrap later that year.
Etymology / Origin
The ship was named for Greenwich Bay, an inlet of Narragansett Bay located in the state of Rhode Island, United States. The naming follows the U.S. Navy tradition of assigning Barnegat‑class seaplane tenders the names of bays and sounds.
Characteristics
- Class & type: Barnegat‑class small seaplane tender (later Coast Guard cutter).
- Displacement: Approximately 1,766 tons standard; 2,750 tons full load.
- Dimensions: Length overall 310 ft (94.5 m); beam 41 ft (12.5 m); draft 13 ft (4.0 m).
- Propulsion: Two Fairbanks‑Morse 38D diesel engines, delivering 5,500 shaft hp to two propellers; maximum speed 18.6 knots.
- Range: About 8,000 nautical miles at 15 knots.
- Crew: Approximately 215 officers and enlisted personnel while serving as a naval seaplane tender; reduced complement of about 150 during Coast Guard service.
- Armament (Navy configuration): One 5‑inch/38 caliber gun, two 40 mm anti‑aircraft guns, and several 20 mm guns. All armament was removed or altered when the ship entered Coast Guard service.
- Capabilities: Designed to support, service, and refuel seaplanes; equipped with a flight deck, repair facilities, and storage for aviation fuel and spare parts. In Coast Guard service, the vessel was equipped for meteorological observation, search‑and‑rescue gear, and later, upgraded communications and navigation systems.
Related Topics
- Barnegat‑class seaplane tenders
- United States Navy ship naming conventions
- United States Coast Guard cutters (high‑endurance)
- USCGC Greenwich Bay (WAVP‑544/WHEC‑544) – the vessel’s Coast Guard designation
- Seaplane operations in the Pacific and Atlantic during the final months of World War II
- Ocean‑station vessels of the United States Coast Guard
- Navy‑to‑Coast Guard ship transfers after World War II