- USS Casco (AVP-12)
USS "Casco" (AVP-12) was a "Barnegat"-class small
seaplane tender commissioned by theU.S. Navy for use inWorld War II . "Casco" tended to seaplanes, and served in the volatilePacific War in combat areas that provided her threebattle stars by war’s end. Post-war she was assigned to theU.S. Coast Guard . She was twicetorpedo ed, the second time by the U.S. Navy sending her to the bottom, her wartime tasks faithfully and bravely completed.The third Navy vessel to be named "Casco", (AVP-12) was launched 15 November 1941 by
Puget Sound Navy Yard ; sponsored by Mrs. W. J. Giles; and commissioned 27 December 1941, Commander T. S. Combs in command.World War II North Pacific operations
After a period patrolling and caring for
seaplanes off the northwest coast, "Casco" arrived atSitka ,Alaska , 5 May 1942 for duty surveyingAleutian waters, laying moorings for seaplanes, and providing tender services. Based atCold Bay , she operated toDutch Harbor ,Chernofski Harbor ,Kodiak , andNazan Bay .Torpedoed while at anchor
While lying at anchor in Nazan Bay on 30 August, she was torpedoed by Japanese submarine "RO-61". The resulting explosion killed five of her men and wounded 20, but prompt and clearheaded action brought flooding to a halt and got the ship underway so that she could be beached and later salvaged. "Casco" was floated on 12 September, and after emergency repairs at Dutch Harbor and Kodiak, she received a thorough overhaul at Puget Sound Navy Yard.
Continued North Pacific operations
"Casco" returned to fog-bound Aleutian duty in March 1943, operating at
Constantino Harbor ,Amchitka , as tender to Fleet Air Wing Four. In May she steamed toAttu , to care for the seaplanes conductingantisubmarine patrol and search missions in support of the Army's invasion of Attu. Here she remained providing the essential base for flights which guarded against further Japanese reinforcement or penetration of the Aleutians. The tender's service in these waters where weather was often as formidable an enemy as the Japanese ended in November, when she sailed for overhaul atBremerton, Washington .Assigned to the South Pacific war zone
"Casco" arrived in the
Marshall Islands in February 1944 to tend seaplanes of patrol squadrons atMajuro andKwajalein during their occupation, and later atEniwetok until September. Temporarily assigned to carry cargo in the buildup for thePhilippine Islands operations, she shuttled betweenSaipan ,Ulithi , and thePalaus until November, then returned to tender duty, in the Palaus until January 1945, and at Ulithi until April. After overhaul at Saipan, she arrived inKerama Retto 25 April to care not only for seaplanes, but also for a motortorpedo boat squadron, all engaged in theOkinawa invasion and occupation.Post-war activity
Returning to the
U.S. West Coast in July 1945, "Casco" sailed back to theFar East in the spring of 1946 for operations in the Philippines, then served in training duty offGalveston, Texas .Transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard
She was decommissioned 10 April 1947, and transferred to the Coast Guard on 19 April 1949. She was commissioned USCGC "Casco" (WAVP-370), then redesignated WHEC-370 on 1 May 1966. In 1969, she was returned to Navy custody.
Final decommissioning
"Casco" was struck from the
Naval Register (date unknown) and was later sunk as a target. "Casco" was sunk at 16:33 on 15 May 1969, less than five minutes after being torpedoed a second time on herstarboard side. She sank atlatitude 36-40N andlongitude 024-16W.Military awards and honors
"Casco" received three
battle stars for World War II service.References
See also
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List of United States Navy ships External links
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