(United States)

Notes: These seaplane tenders were designed in the pre-WWII era, when it was envisioned that a future naval war would be fought by battleships supported by seaplanes dispersed at forward bases. The dawn of the aircraft carrier made this tactic irrelevant; however these vessels later served a myriad of roles (as evidenced by the array of hull numbers they carried) including survey ship, PT boat tender, and patrol cutter. It was originally planned to convert most of the class into command ships for “Operation Olympic” (the planned invasion of Japan) but only a few were converted before the war’s end. Many were later transferred abroad. They had a shallow draught enabling use of undeveloped anchorages and were excellent sea keepers in bad weather.

There was a huge variety of light armament configurations throughout the ship’s career; so no weaponry fit is listed below. The main gun was a Mk38 5”, different numbers of 20mm and 40mm were carried, many later removed. Likewise, the sensor fit varied greatly throughout their careers.

Displacement: 1766t standard, 2750t full Dimensions: 311’8”x41’1”x13’6” Machinery: 4 Fairbanks-Morse 38D8 diesels, 2 shafts Max speed: 18.6kts Range: 15,000NM @ 12kts Complement: 215 (360 during WWII)

Notes: The ships commissioned out-of-order vs. their pennant numbers due to the plethora of different yards awarded the construction contracts; a block of ships was also cancelled to free up yard space for more urgently needed vessels during WWII. Many were transferred as high-endurance cutters to the Coast Guard postwar (some changing names); while one went to Military Sealift Command and another to the Department of Commerce’s Coast & Geodetic Survey. Some of the USCG ships carried a Hedgehog ASW weapon for some time. The final two ships never carried a seaplane tender number, they occupy AVP-56 and -57 in naval records but this is moot as the USN built no more seaplane tenders and has since retired the designation.

There were many variations from ship to ship; for example some had the seaplane crane removed.

Notes: Transferred as a “training ship” under the Foreign Military Sales programme. Ethiopia had the AN/SPS-12 radar on her foremast and Mk26 and Mk52 fire-control radars; the 5” gun and WWII 40mm guns were retained but the 20mm deleted prior to transfer. When Eritrean rebels overran the last Ethiopian port in May 1991, Ethiopia fled to Aden, Yemen. In 1993 the Yemeni government asked the homeless Ethiopian navy to leave, however the decrepit Ethiopia was unable to make steam and abandoned. Janes Fighting Ships stopped listing her in 1994 and the hulk was likely scrapped that year or in 1995.

Notes: This ship was completely unarmed and used for survey work.

Notes: Although configured as a survey ship at time of transfer, the Italian navy used Pietro Cavezale as a tender to amphibious craft and patrol boats. Armament was a single open 3” gun and a twin Mk2 40mm in front of the bridge. Sensors were AN/SPS-6 air search radar and an Italian SPN-748 I-band navigation set. Crew was 7 officers and 107 enlisted. The ship was slated to be deleted in 1991 but retained an extra three years due to budget shortfalls for a replacement.

Notes: Transferred as a general-purpose auxiliary.

Notes: These six ships limped into Subic Bay in April/May 1975 after the fall of Saigon. They presented a slight legal dilemma to the USN as in theory they should have reverted to the new “provisional government” in the former South Vietnam. Eventually it was decided that since the United States did not recognize that government, they were nobody’s property, and were sold to the Philippine navy in 1976 (primarily to spare the US taxpayer the expense of having to move them out of Subic Bay for disposal). All were in poor condition, the last pair so much that they were beyond economic restoration. In 1979, the entire aft deck on the remaining four was replaced by a helipad for one Bo-105 helicopter, and a 3’3” tub for a displaced aft 40mm mount was added. Final radar fit was AN/SPS-53, AN/SPS-29, and Mk26.

Astonishingly, the final Marcos-era naval budget included plans to add new radars and BGM-84 Harpoon missiles to these slow elderly vessels (the same fanciful budget also included plans for a Filipino submarine force); this came to nothing after Marcos was deposed and the ships were discarded as part of a general drawdown.

Notes: These ships were designed to complement the two frigates transferred to the South Vietnamese navy as general patrol ships. Some had two 81mm shore bombardment mortars added. On 29 April 1975, with the South Vietnamese government collapsing and North Vietnamese troops entering Saigon; five of the six ships set sail and later made a rendezvous at Son Island, the last remaining morsel of free South Vietnam. They remained at anchor until 2 May, when they set sail for Subic Bay, still flying the South Vietnamese flag. Once they arrived in the Philippines, they were “repossessed” by the US Navy, which later donated them to the Filipino navy.

Tham Ngu Lao was in refit when Saigon fell and captured intact by the North Vietnamese.

Notes: When North Vietnamese troops overran the Saigon Dockyard company’s drydocks, they captured this ship intact. It was subsequently written off by the US Navy as “Permanently transferred to Vietnam”. In 1984, two SS-N-2 “Styx” launchers (of the type seen on “Komar” class patrol boats) were installed aft on the main deck, in addition to two twin Type 70K 37mm AA guns and two 2M3 25mm twin mounts. Reportedly a locker was also installed for crew-fired SA-7 “Grail” MANPADS. Pham Ngu Lau was making regular patrols as late as 1993, however in the mid-1990s the missiles were deleted and the ship was converted into a training vessel. Since 2006 the ship has not been seen at sea and is likely a pierside training hulk.