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USS Barnegat (AVP-10)
Encyclopedia
For the Barnegat class as a whole, see Barnegat class small seaplane tender.
The second USS Barnegat (AVP-10), in commission from 1941 to 1946, was the lead ship
of her class of small seaplane tender
s built for the United States Navy
just before and during World War II
. She was the second U.S. Navy ship to bear that name.
, Washington, by the Puget Sound Navy Yard and launched on 23 May 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Lucien F. Kimball. Barnegat was commissioned
on 3 July 1941 with Commander
Felix L. Baker in command.
For the next three months, Barnegat remained at Puget Sound
, conducting sea trials and testing equipment, such as her large aircraft handling crane. The “years of operation of patrol planes in the Fleet and the increasingly important role played by these planes” had also shown that the Lapwing-class
converted minesweepers
fell “far short of the characteristics needed” for mobile tenders to operate patrol planes “where shore facilities were not available.” This meant specifications that included a draft that would “permit entrance into the greater number of small harbors which might be suitable for seaplane anchorages,” the ability to tend a 12-plane patrol squadron, high maneuverability, and the ability to contribute to her own defense.
Her trials completed by mid-October 1941, Barnegat stood out of Seattle
, Washington, on 15 October 1941 and, later that afternoon, retrieved her assigned aircraft, a Curtiss SOC-1 Seagull
floatplane
, from Naval Air Station
Seattle. On 16 October 1941, Barnegat proceeded south and reached the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo
, California
, on 19 October 1941. There, she loaded ammunition
before sailing for the United States East Coast on 22 October 1941. Barnegat called at Acapulco
, Mexico
, from 27 October 1941 to 29 October 1941 and then sailed for Panama
, transiting the Panama Canal
on 2 November 1941. After pausing briefly at Hampton Roads
, Virginia
, en route, she reached the Boston Navy Yard
at Boston, Massachusetts
, on 12 November 1941. More tests and trials kept Barnegat busy in the local operating area into the early spring of 1942. By then, the United States
had entered World War II as a full partner in the Allied
cause.
on 1 May 1942, Barnegat transited the Cape Cod Canal
later that day, anchoring for the evening in Buzzard’s Bay
on the Massachusetts coast. From there, she sailed to Newport
, Rhode Island
, and moored at the Naval Torpedo Station Newport at Newport on the morning of 2 May 1942 to take on a dozen Mark XIII
aerial torpedo
es before she headed on to Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, Rhode Island, where she loaded equipment and stores for Patrol Squadron 73 (VP-73). on 4 May 1942, Barnegat embarked the squadron’s five officers and 117 enlisted men and put to sea that afternoon, bound for Iceland
. Along the way, she escorted the steamer
SS Cherokee to the Sambro Lightship and there turned over her charge to a Royal Canadian Navy
escort. Barnegat stopped at Argentia, Newfoundland
, from 7 May 1942 to 9 May 1942, and then resumed her voyage to Iceland. She arrived in Reykjavík
, Iceland, late on 13 May 1942. On 14 May 1942, she moored alongside seaplane tender and unloaded VP-73’s gear. On 16 May 1942, Barnegat arrived at the Fleet Air Base at Skagafjörður
, Iceland, her base of operations for most of the next three months.
There she provided not only tender services but salvage and logistic
support as well. Between 20 June 1942 and 22 June 1942, she recovered gear from a Consolidated
PBY-5A Catalina
which had been shot down at Kossandr Beach by “friendly fire
” from ships in Convoy
UR 29. After an interruption to locate and salvage a barge
and its valuable cargo
of gasoline
, she completed the task on 24 June 1942. While based at Skagafjörður, Barnegat also transferred aviation gasoline from tanker
s to a variety of ships, from Skagafjörður to Hvalfjordur, Iceland, supplying heavy cruiser
s and , battleship
, and British
aircraft carrier
in that fashion. She also supplied diesel fuel to the destroyer tender
. Later, on 14 August 1942, she got underway from Skagafjörður to salvage a German
Focke Wulf Fw 200 Condor
reconnaissance
plane that had been shot down by a United States Army
fighter from Gaetta Light. At the scene, Barnegat recovered some flotsam before returning to her moorings. On 5 September 1942, Barnegats tour in Icelandic waters took on a more Allied flavor as she sailed for three weeks of duty servicing Norwegian
Northrop N3PB
twin-float seaplane
patrol bomber
s of the Royal Norwegian Naval Air Force
's No. 330 Squadron based at Akureyri
, Iceland, support evolutions aided by a Norwegian
-speaking member of the Ship's company
who served as interpreter.
On 24 October 1942, Barnegat received orders to transport VP-73 to Derry
, Northern Ireland
. During the passage, Barnegat encountered heavy seas and, at 15:41 hours on 26 October 1942, took a “rapid, heavy roll to starboard” while efforts were underway topside to secure depth charge
s that had come adrift on deck. A torrent of water cascaded across the fantail and swept Ensign
George V. Grabosky and two sailors over the side. Barnegat herself had to try to recover her drifting men, since the stiff gale
precluded the lowering of a boat. Men on board worked lifeline
s and tended knot
ted lines, grapnels, and lifebuoy
s, as she struggled against the elements to maintain proper position for a rescue. The two enlisted men finally were recovered, but Ensign Grabosky was not found. On 27 October 1942, Barnegat arrived at Lissahally, Ireland
, where found another set of sailing orders waiting: She was to participate in Operation Torch
, the Allied landings in French North Africa. She got underway again on 29 October 1942 and steamed with British Convoy WS 24 until rendezvousing with Task Force
(TF) 34 and Convoy UGF 1.
, that same evening. Assigned to antisubmarine patrol and escort, Barnegat took up station inshore of six transports and two cargo ship
s whose assault troops were already in the boats. At 06:00 hours, nearby destroyer
s began bombarding their assigned targets to cover the passage of the troops to the beach
. Vichy French
batteries
returned fire within 10 minutes but, later, shifted their aim to the transports, forcing them to move out to sea. At 07:40 hours, soon after the French guns opened fire, Barnegats guns silenced one of them with 11 round
s. That work done, Barnegat retired seaward to resume screening and antisubmarine duty.
On 9 November 1942, Barnegat received orders to ascend the Wadi Sebou to establish an air base at Port Lyautey, French Morocco. On 10 November 1942, destroyer led steamer SS Contessa up the Wadi Sebou to Port Lyautey, where U.S. Army troops landed and took the nearby airstrip. Barnegat followed on 11 November 1942 after she secured a French pilot
and reached her destination by late afternoon. On 12 November 1942, she unloaded VP-73's equipment, setting up Port Lyautey Air Station on the southeastern corner of the airfield. She also established a port directorate and a shipping control office. Later that day, Barnegat radioed VP-73 that the field was ready, and the first plane arrived from Lyeness, England
, at 08:00 hours on 13 November 1942. Within hours, most of VP-73 was in business there, flying their first patrols. Barnegat housed and fed VP-73 until the squadron managed to set up a mess ashore, but VP-73 was self-sufficient by 24 November 1942. On 10 December 1942, Barnegat got underway to transport a detachment of French native troops to Casablanca
. She reached her destination early on 11 December 1942 and disembarked the troops.
Chronic bad weather plagued the convoy, and it fell to Barnegat to escort three stragglers from Bermuda
to New York City
. One of them dropped astern on the 20 December 1942 and was not seen again, but Barnegat continued on with the steamers SS Examiner and SS Santa Maria. Setting course for the Nantucket Shoals lightship
early on 21 December 1942, Barnegat pounded heavily in the head seas on the night of 21–22 December 1942, and sprung seams flooded the sound
room and some 5-inch (127 mm) magazine
spaces. Ignoring the flooded sound room, additional weight forward apparently giving some advantage in heavy seas, her damage control parties pumped out the magazine spaces.
Releasing Examiner and Santa Maria to a local escort at 23:00 hours on 23 December 1942, Barnegat then made for the Boston Navy Yard, arriving on 24 December 1942. She spent the rest of 1942 receiving voyage repairs at South Boston, Massachusetts.
After trials and antisubmarine exercises near Casco Bay
, Maine
, Barnegat sailed on 5 February 1943 for Iceland. Diverted briefly to Argentia on 8 February 1943, she resumed her voyage to Iceland the next morning. Despite cautious steaming through pack ice, she reached Reykjavík on 13 February 1943.
Late in February, Barnegat returned to Boston
for repairs to her engines, degaussing
gear, and radar
. After a brief call at Quonset Point, she loaded aviation gasoline for Argentia at Boston on 8 March 1943. Upon completion of this cargo run, she returned to Boston and Quonset Point before she again underwent repairs for her temperamental engines. The operations of January and February continued well into the spring of 1943. The ship transported men and cargo between Boston, Argentia, and Quonset Point. She also served briefly as a target during exercises held off Block Island
and escorted the tanker SS Sabine Sun from Argentia to Boston late in April 1943.
, and other gear, Barnegat left Boston on 31 May 1943. She took part briefly in local exercises, then headed south on 6 June 1943. She reached Norfolk
, Virginia, on the morning of 7 June 1943, but on 15 June 1943 cleared the Virginia Capes
for Brazil
. Steaming via Bermuda
, Barnegat reached Natal
, on Brazil's northeastern coast, on 26 June 1943. Reporting for duty with Fleet Air Wing (FAW) 16, Barnegat relieved seaplane tender in servicing Admiral
Jonas Ingram's United States Fourth Fleet planes assigned to cover convoys from Brazil to Trinidad
. Her arrival coincided with the opening shots of a local German submarine
"blitz
" against coastal shipping; the day before, the German U-boat
U-513
had torpedoed the steamer SS Venetia.
Underway again on 28 June 1943, Barnegat dropped down the Brazilian coast and moored at Recife
, Brazil, on the morning of 29 June 1943 to start yet more repairs alongside destroyer tender
, an old Iceland comrade. Those repairs done, Barnegat made a brief trip north, touching at Natal and Recife before returning south with the tanker SS Gulfport. Stopping at Bahia
, Brazil, on 9 July 1943, the pair continued south and reached Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil, on 13 July 1943. Her presence there having been dictated by the recent rash of sinkings by U-boats in the region, after taking a load of gasoline from Gulfport, Barnegat departed Rio de Janeiro on 17 July 1943 for Florianópolis
, Brazil, less than 500 nautical miles (926 km) in a straight-line distance from Rio de Janeiro, as part of the temporary measures to meet the U-boat threat. Two Martin
Martin PBM-3C Mariner
flying-boat
patrol bombers of Patrol Squadron 74 (VP-74) also were sent to Florianapolis. Anchoring on 18 July 1943, Barnegat was ready to receive the two planes when they arrived less than four hours later.
Operations commenced on the morning of 19 July 1943. At 07:02 hours, PBM-3C "74-P-5", flown by Lieutenant, junior grade
, Roy S. Whitcomb, took off from San Miguel, Florianópolis, on an antisubmarine sweep. The patrol proceeded uneventfully until the radar operator reported a contact at 13:55 hours. As Whitcomb looked at the "sharp blip" on his own radar scope, the second pilot called his attention to something to starboard. Whitcomb recognized the object as a surfaced U-boat and sent his crew to battle stations. Soon, their quarry, U-513, saw the attacking plane and began to take evasive action. Whitcomb's PBM-3C dropped six depth charges and caught the U-boat in a starboard turn. The U-boat absorbed the full impact of at least two direct hits; two depth charges straddled the submarine and two others struck her deck
. Within moments, observers in the Mariner saw "rising boils and [a] brown stain on [the] water...." U-513 was no more.
Seeing 15 to 20 men struggling in the oily water, Whitcomb circled the scene and dropped life belts and two life rafts to the U-513 survivors, while informing Barnegat of the kill. Barnegat proceeded swiftly to the scene, arrived there in less than four hours, and began a search. At 19:15 hours, she sighted a life raft with seven men on board and closed to pick them up. The first man came on board at 19:30 hours and the last boarded 20 minutes later. Among them she counted the U-513s 28-year-old commanding officer, Kapitänleutnant Friedrich Guggenberger
, the ace awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
for sinking the British aircraft carrier off Gibraltar
in November 1941 as commander of the German submarine U-81.
The gathering darkness prevented Barnegat from locating more survivors, and she finally ceased her efforts shortly after midnight
. Although she returned then to San Miguel Bay to resume operations, she had not heard the last of U-513. At 11:30 hours on 22 July 1943, her other plane, "74-P-7", reported sighting a life raft with survivors on board. Underway shortly after noon
, Barnegat proceeded to the scene and at 16:45 hours reached two rafts which had been lashed together. These 18 men -- Chief Engineer
Harold Van R. Forest of the recently sunk merchant ship Richard Caswell along with 11 men of her crew and six members of her Naval Armed Guard detachment—were clinging to the raft. Ironically, Richard Caswell--torpedoed on 16 July 1943—had been U-513s last victim. Barnegat returned to San Miguel Bay at 21:59 hours on 22 July 1943 but remained there only overnight, getting underway early on the morning of 23 July 1943 for Rio de Janeiro. Reaching that port at 11:00 hours on 24 July 1943, she was held incommunicado until her prisoners could be transferred to authorities ashore on the morning of 25 uly 1943. Once that happened, Barnegat shifted to another berth and disembarked the 18 men from Richard Caswell.
Over the next few days, Barnegat remained at Rio de Janeiro. While she was there, Trinidad-bound Convoy JT 3 departed under mixed air cover of both the U.S. Navy and the Brazilian Air Force
. Among the planes so tasked, the PBM-3C that had sunk U-513 carried out a routine antisubmarine sweep in advance of the convoy when its radar raised a contact. This proved to be U-199
, a Type IXD U-boat on her maiden war patrol and U-513s collaborator in the recent campaign against Allied shipping. U-199 increased speed, and her quartermaster
put her helm over to starboard. Confusion reigned below, however, as some of her forward tanks were flooded for an emergency crash dive.
The Mariner attacked at 07:18 hours, and U-199 opened fire as soon as the seaplane came into range. The Mariners machine guns swept the decks, while the plane straddled U-199 with a stick of six bombs that showered the submarine with tons of spray. After landing her two remaining bombs close aboard without sinking the submarine, the plane radioed for assistance. Though badly shaken, U-199 tried to repair her damage and clear the area, but she could not evade her pursuers. A Brazilian Lockheed Hudson
bomber responded to the Mariners call for help and attacked, followed shortly by a Brazilian PBY Catalina, which administered the coup de grace.
Informed at 09:58 hours that the U-boat had been sunk, Barnegat hurried to the scene led by another PBM Mariner. She spotted life rafts at 11:38 hours and, by shortly after noon, had picked up five officers and seven enlisted men, among them U-199s commanding officer, 28 year-old Kapitänleutnant Hans Werner Kraus, also a decorated U-boat commander and former executive officer to the U-boat ace
Gunther Prien
. In the post mortem on the attack, VP-74's commanding officer, Commander Joseph P. Toth, singled out Barnegat, for her “usual good performance...in recovering the survivors” of the sunken U-boat. Once again, Barnegat anchored in the harbor at Rio de Janeiro with her prisoners-of-war held incommunicado until they could be taken ashore. Between 05:20 and 05:40 hours, U-199s men disembarked under heavy guard, en route to the airport and a speedy trip to the United States for a thorough interrogation
.
Barnegat remained in Brazilian waters into the spring of 1944, operating at Bahia, Recife, Natal, Fortaleza
, Fernando de Noronha
, Sao Luiz, and Florianópolis. As before, she hauled freight, transported men and gear, and tended patrol planes of Fleet Air Wing 16 (FAW-16). Her only time out of Brazilian waters came when she briefly conducted tending operations at Montevideo
, Uruguay
, from 13 March 1944 to 16 March 1944. Another break in her routine came on 29 November 1943 and 30 November 1943, when she patrolled off the entrance to the harbor at Bahia to cover the arrival of a task group formed around battleship during Iowas return at the conclusion of her part in transporting President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
to the Teheran Conference.
, Azores
, and to Casablanca, before returning to Norfolk on 16 August 1944. On 7 September 1944, Barnegat departed Norfolk and proceeded to Eastern Bay
, in Maryland
at the mouth of the Patuxent River
, where she laid out a seaplane operating area, placing mooring buoy
s and seadrome lights to prepare for training operations with Patrol Wing 5 (VP-5). She worked with these aircraft over the next two weeks and returned to Norfolk on 23 September 1944.
Returning to transport duties soon thereafter, she again sailed for the Azores and Morocco on a voyage that also took her to Bristol, England, late in October 1944. She returned to Norfolk on the morning of 9 November 1944 and spent the remainder of that month and the first half of December 1944 at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth
, Virginia, undergoing repairs. Underway on 14 December 1944, Barnegat reached Bermuda on 16 December 1944 and occupied the next few days training with Patrol Bombing
Squadron 107 (VPB-107) and Patrol Bombing Squadron 125 (VPB-215) of Fleet Air Wing 9 (FAW-9) in practice fuelings, rearmings, and general servicing. Then she got underway on 29 December 1944 in company with destroyer to return to Norfolk, and reached Norfolk on 31 December 1944. She then spent a month getting repairs to hull damage suffered at Bermuda.
on 5 February 1945. She arrived at Coco Solo
, Panama, early on 11 February 1945 and relieved seaplane tender . For the next few months, Barnegat served in constant "ready duty" status, prepared to get underway, often within an hour. Her Central America
n service comprised tending patrol planes and transport duty. She supported the advanced naval air base at Baltra Island
in the Galapagos Islands
, making several trips there from the Canal Zone and remaining at such picturesque spots as Aeolian Cove and Tagus Cove on Isabella Island
, tending Patrol Bombing Squadron 74 (VPB-74) aircraft. She also visited Bahia Honda
, Colombia
, and Limon Bay
, Panama.
Barnegat established an independent air base at Tagus Cove, enabling the patrol bombers to extend their coverage farther off the coast of South America
than previously possible. There, she provided fuel for the planes, deployed lighted mooring buoys, billeted and fed the crews, provided bomb
s and bomb-loading crews, kept crash and fueling boats in the water at all times to fulfill all of the squadron’s needs. Occasionally, Barnegat also carried out salvage and rescue operations out of Coco Solo, participating in a search for a lost Grumman F6F Hellcat
fighter pilot
in March 1945 and assisting some downed PBM Mariners in June 1945.
in mid-August 1945 altered neither the tempo nor the scope of Barnegats operations, for she remained busy at Coco Solo into September 1945, making only one brief visit to the United States—at Miami
, Florida
-- between 18 September 1945 and 22 September 1945.
After returning to Coco Solo on 26 September 1945, Barnegat operated there into October 1945, sinking discarded PBM Mariner hulls at sea with gunfire on 6 October 1945 and 15 October 1945. She then transited the Panama Canal on 19 October 1945, en route to Baltra Island, arriving there early on 22 October 1945. Barnegat carried out practice operations with Patrol Bombing Squadron 201 (VPB-201) at Tagus Cove until 31 October 1945, when Patrol Bombing Squadron 204 (VPB-204) arrived for training. Shifting to Aeolian Cove on 8 November 1945, Barnegat sailed for the Canal Zone the next day. She transited the Panama Canal on 14 November 1945, returning soon thereafter to Coco Solo to dispose of more junked PBM Mariner hulls by gunfire between 19 November 1945 and 26 November 1945.
Relieved by seaplane tender , Barnegat set course for the United States
on 11 December 1945 and reached the Naval Repair Base, Algiers
, Louisiana
, on 15 December 1945. Shifting on 17 December 1945 to a berth alongside destroyer escort
, Barnegat spent the remainder of 1945 there. In January 1946, she moved on to Orange
, Texas
, arriving there on 14 January 1946.
on 23 May 1958. She was transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal.
cruise ship
line Kavounides Shipping Co., Ltd. Renamed MV Kentavros she operated on cruises out of Piraeus, Greece
. Finally, she was scrapped at Eleusis, Greece, in 1986
The second USS Barnegat (AVP-10), in commission from 1941 to 1946, was the lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of her class of small seaplane tender
Seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.-History:...
s built for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
just before and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was the second U.S. Navy ship to bear that name.
Early career
Barnegat was laid down on 27 October 1939 at BremertonBremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, Washington, by the Puget Sound Navy Yard and launched on 23 May 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Lucien F. Kimball. Barnegat was commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 3 July 1941 with Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Felix L. Baker in command.
For the next three months, Barnegat remained at Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
, conducting sea trials and testing equipment, such as her large aircraft handling crane. The “years of operation of patrol planes in the Fleet and the increasingly important role played by these planes” had also shown that the Lapwing-class
Lapwing class minesweeper
The Lapwing-class minesweeper, often called the Bird class, was an early "AM-type" oceangoing minesweeper of the United States Navy. Forty-eight ships of the class were commissioned during World War I, and served well into the 1950s. A number were refitted to serve as salvage vessels, seaplane...
converted minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
fell “far short of the characteristics needed” for mobile tenders to operate patrol planes “where shore facilities were not available.” This meant specifications that included a draft that would “permit entrance into the greater number of small harbors which might be suitable for seaplane anchorages,” the ability to tend a 12-plane patrol squadron, high maneuverability, and the ability to contribute to her own defense.
Her trials completed by mid-October 1941, Barnegat stood out of Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington, on 15 October 1941 and, later that afternoon, retrieved her assigned aircraft, a Curtiss SOC-1 Seagull
SOC Seagull
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8....
floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
, from Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
Seattle. On 16 October 1941, Barnegat proceeded south and reached the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, on 19 October 1941. There, she loaded ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
before sailing for the United States East Coast on 22 October 1941. Barnegat called at Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, from 27 October 1941 to 29 October 1941 and then sailed for Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, transiting the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
on 2 November 1941. After pausing briefly at Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, en route, she reached the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
at Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, on 12 November 1941. More tests and trials kept Barnegat busy in the local operating area into the early spring of 1942. By then, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had entered World War II as a full partner in the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
cause.
North Atlantic operations May–November 1942
Underway from the Boston Navy YardBoston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
on 1 May 1942, Barnegat transited the Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal
The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south...
later that day, anchoring for the evening in Buzzard’s Bay
Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay is a bay along the southern edge of Massachusetts in the United States. The name may also refer to:*Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, a village in Bourne, Massachusetts*Buzzards Bay , the name of the horse that won the 2005 Santa Anita Derby...
on the Massachusetts coast. From there, she sailed to Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, and moored at the Naval Torpedo Station Newport at Newport on the morning of 2 May 1942 to take on a dozen Mark XIII
Mark 13 torpedo
The Bliss-Leavitt Mark 13 torpedo was the U.S. Navy's most common aerial torpedo of World War II. It was designed with unusually squat dimensions for its type: diameter was and length . In the water, the Mark 13 could reach a speed of for up to . The Mark 13 ran slower than the Mark 14 torpedo...
aerial torpedo
Aerial torpedo
The aerial torpedo, airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo is a naval weapon, the torpedo, designed to be dropped into water from an aircraft after which it propels itself to the target. First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited...
es before she headed on to Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, Rhode Island, where she loaded equipment and stores for Patrol Squadron 73 (VP-73). on 4 May 1942, Barnegat embarked the squadron’s five officers and 117 enlisted men and put to sea that afternoon, bound for Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. Along the way, she escorted the steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
SS Cherokee to the Sambro Lightship and there turned over her charge to a Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
escort. Barnegat stopped at Argentia, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
, from 7 May 1942 to 9 May 1942, and then resumed her voyage to Iceland. She arrived in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland, late on 13 May 1942. On 14 May 1942, she moored alongside seaplane tender and unloaded VP-73’s gear. On 16 May 1942, Barnegat arrived at the Fleet Air Base at Skagafjörður
Skagafjörður
Skagafjörður is a deep bay in northern Iceland.-Location:Skagafjörður is about 40 km long and 15 km wide, situated between Tröllaskagi to the west and the Tjornes Peninsula to the east. There are two municipalities in the area, Skagafjörður Municipality and Akrahreppur Municipality Skagafjörður...
, Iceland, her base of operations for most of the next three months.
There she provided not only tender services but salvage and logistic
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
support as well. Between 20 June 1942 and 22 June 1942, she recovered gear from a Consolidated
Consolidated Aircraft
The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1923 by Reuben H. Fleet, the result of the Gallaudet Aircraft Company's liquidation and Fleet's purchase of designs from the Dayton-Wright Company as the subsidiary was being closed by its parent corporation, General Motors. Consolidated became...
PBY-5A Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
which had been shot down at Kossandr Beach by “friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
” from ships in Convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
UR 29. After an interruption to locate and salvage a barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
and its valuable cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
of gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
, she completed the task on 24 June 1942. While based at Skagafjörður, Barnegat also transferred aviation gasoline from tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
s to a variety of ships, from Skagafjörður to Hvalfjordur, Iceland, supplying heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
s and , battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
in that fashion. She also supplied diesel fuel to the destroyer tender
Destroyer tender
A destroyer tender is a ship designed to provide maintenance support to a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships. The use of this class has faded from its peak in the first half of the 20th century as the roles of small combatants have evolved .Due to the increased size and automation of...
. Later, on 14 August 1942, she got underway from Skagafjörður to salvage a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Focke Wulf Fw 200 Condor
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
plane that had been shot down by a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
fighter from Gaetta Light. At the scene, Barnegat recovered some flotsam before returning to her moorings. On 5 September 1942, Barnegats tour in Icelandic waters took on a more Allied flavor as she sailed for three weeks of duty servicing Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Northrop N3PB
Northrop N-3PB
The Northrop N-3PB Nomad was a single-engined American floatplane of the 1940s. Northrop developed the N-3PB as an export model based on the earlier Northrop A-17 design. A total of 24 were purchased by Norway, but were not delivered until after the Fall of Norway during the Second World War...
twin-float seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
patrol bomber
Patrol bomber
A maritime patrol aircraft , also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol roles - in particular anti-submarine, anti-ship and search and...
s of the Royal Norwegian Naval Air Force
Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service was alongside the Norwegian Army Air Service the forerunner to the modern-day Royal Norwegian Air Force.- History :...
's No. 330 Squadron based at Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
, Iceland, support evolutions aided by a Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
-speaking member of the Ship's company
Ship's Company
The Ship's Company refers to all officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel aboard a naval vessel. The size of the ship's company is the number of people on board, excluding civilians and guests.-Command structure:...
who served as interpreter.
On 24 October 1942, Barnegat received orders to transport VP-73 to Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. During the passage, Barnegat encountered heavy seas and, at 15:41 hours on 26 October 1942, took a “rapid, heavy roll to starboard” while efforts were underway topside to secure depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s that had come adrift on deck. A torrent of water cascaded across the fantail and swept Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
George V. Grabosky and two sailors over the side. Barnegat herself had to try to recover her drifting men, since the stiff gale
Gale
A gale is a very strong wind. There are conflicting definitions of how strong a wind must be to be considered a gale. The U.S. government's National Weather Service defines a gale as 34–47 knots of sustained surface winds. Forecasters typically issue gale warnings when winds of this strength are...
precluded the lowering of a boat. Men on board worked lifeline
Lifeline
Lifeline or Lifelines may refer to:Non-Medical In-Home Services to the Elderly:* Lifeline utility, in New Zealand, an essential service during major emergencies* Crisis hotline:** Lifeline , Australia-based, now international...
s and tended knot
Knot
A knot is a method of fastening or securing linear material such as rope by tying or interweaving. It may consist of a length of one or several segments of rope, string, webbing, twine, strap, or even chain interwoven such that the line can bind to itself or to some other object—the "load"...
ted lines, grapnels, and lifebuoy
Lifebuoy
A lifebuoy, ring buoy, lifering, lifesaver, life preserver or lifebelt, also known as a "kisby ring" or "perry buoy", is a life saving buoy designed to be thrown to a person in the water, to provide buoyancy, to prevent drowning...
s, as she struggled against the elements to maintain proper position for a rescue. The two enlisted men finally were recovered, but Ensign Grabosky was not found. On 27 October 1942, Barnegat arrived at Lissahally, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where found another set of sailing orders waiting: She was to participate in Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the Allied landings in French North Africa. She got underway again on 29 October 1942 and steamed with British Convoy WS 24 until rendezvousing with Task Force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
(TF) 34 and Convoy UGF 1.
North African operations November–December 1942
Early on 7 November 1942, Barnegat joined the task force, took her assigned station in Task Group (TG) 34.8 (the Northern Attack Group), and arrived off Mehedia, French MoroccoFrench Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, that same evening. Assigned to antisubmarine patrol and escort, Barnegat took up station inshore of six transports and two cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
s whose assault troops were already in the boats. At 06:00 hours, nearby destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s began bombarding their assigned targets to cover the passage of the troops to the beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
. Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
returned fire within 10 minutes but, later, shifted their aim to the transports, forcing them to move out to sea. At 07:40 hours, soon after the French guns opened fire, Barnegats guns silenced one of them with 11 round
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
s. That work done, Barnegat retired seaward to resume screening and antisubmarine duty.
On 9 November 1942, Barnegat received orders to ascend the Wadi Sebou to establish an air base at Port Lyautey, French Morocco. On 10 November 1942, destroyer led steamer SS Contessa up the Wadi Sebou to Port Lyautey, where U.S. Army troops landed and took the nearby airstrip. Barnegat followed on 11 November 1942 after she secured a French pilot
Maritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
and reached her destination by late afternoon. On 12 November 1942, she unloaded VP-73's equipment, setting up Port Lyautey Air Station on the southeastern corner of the airfield. She also established a port directorate and a shipping control office. Later that day, Barnegat radioed VP-73 that the field was ready, and the first plane arrived from Lyeness, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, at 08:00 hours on 13 November 1942. Within hours, most of VP-73 was in business there, flying their first patrols. Barnegat housed and fed VP-73 until the squadron managed to set up a mess ashore, but VP-73 was self-sufficient by 24 November 1942. On 10 December 1942, Barnegat got underway to transport a detachment of French native troops to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
. She reached her destination early on 11 December 1942 and disembarked the troops.
North Atlantic Operations December 1942-May 1943
Barnegat received orders to proceed to the United States with Convoy GUF 2A, and she headed homeward on 12 December 1942.Chronic bad weather plagued the convoy, and it fell to Barnegat to escort three stragglers from Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. One of them dropped astern on the 20 December 1942 and was not seen again, but Barnegat continued on with the steamers SS Examiner and SS Santa Maria. Setting course for the Nantucket Shoals lightship
Lightship Nantucket
The Lightship Nantucket station was the name given to the lightvessel which marked the hazardous Nantucket Shoals in Massachusetts. Several ships have been commissioned and served at the Nantucket Shoals lightship station and have been called Nantucket...
early on 21 December 1942, Barnegat pounded heavily in the head seas on the night of 21–22 December 1942, and sprung seams flooded the sound
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
room and some 5-inch (127 mm) magazine
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
spaces. Ignoring the flooded sound room, additional weight forward apparently giving some advantage in heavy seas, her damage control parties pumped out the magazine spaces.
Releasing Examiner and Santa Maria to a local escort at 23:00 hours on 23 December 1942, Barnegat then made for the Boston Navy Yard, arriving on 24 December 1942. She spent the rest of 1942 receiving voyage repairs at South Boston, Massachusetts.
After trials and antisubmarine exercises near Casco Bay
Casco Bay
Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Barnegat sailed on 5 February 1943 for Iceland. Diverted briefly to Argentia on 8 February 1943, she resumed her voyage to Iceland the next morning. Despite cautious steaming through pack ice, she reached Reykjavík on 13 February 1943.
Late in February, Barnegat returned to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
for repairs to her engines, degaussing
Degaussing
Degaussing is the process of decreasing or eliminating an unwanted magnetic field. It is named after Carl Friedrich Gauss, an early researcher in the field of magnetism...
gear, and radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
. After a brief call at Quonset Point, she loaded aviation gasoline for Argentia at Boston on 8 March 1943. Upon completion of this cargo run, she returned to Boston and Quonset Point before she again underwent repairs for her temperamental engines. The operations of January and February continued well into the spring of 1943. The ship transported men and cargo between Boston, Argentia, and Quonset Point. She also served briefly as a target during exercises held off Block Island
Block Island
Block Island is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block...
and escorted the tanker SS Sabine Sun from Argentia to Boston late in April 1943.
World War II South Atlantic operations June 1943-May 1944
After installation of YG homing equipment, QC sonarSonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
, and other gear, Barnegat left Boston on 31 May 1943. She took part briefly in local exercises, then headed south on 6 June 1943. She reached Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Virginia, on the morning of 7 June 1943, but on 15 June 1943 cleared the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
for Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Steaming via Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, Barnegat reached Natal
Natal, Rio Grande do Norte
-History:The northeastern tip of South America, Cabo São Roque, to the north of Natal and the closest point to Europe from Latin America, was first visited by European navigators in 1501, in the 1501–1502 Portuguese expedition led by Amerigo Vespucci, who named the spot after the saint of the day...
, on Brazil's northeastern coast, on 26 June 1943. Reporting for duty with Fleet Air Wing (FAW) 16, Barnegat relieved seaplane tender in servicing Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Jonas Ingram's United States Fourth Fleet planes assigned to cover convoys from Brazil to Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. Her arrival coincided with the opening shots of a local German submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
"blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
" against coastal shipping; the day before, the German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
U-513
German submarine U-513
U-513 was a German U-boat built for service in the Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was sunk in Brazilian waters off São Francisco do Sul, Santa Catarina state on 19 July 1943, with seven survivors including her captain Friedrich Guggenberger, and rediscovered on 14 July 2011, at a depth of ,...
had torpedoed the steamer SS Venetia.
Underway again on 28 June 1943, Barnegat dropped down the Brazilian coast and moored at Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
, Brazil, on the morning of 29 June 1943 to start yet more repairs alongside destroyer tender
Destroyer tender
A destroyer tender is a ship designed to provide maintenance support to a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships. The use of this class has faded from its peak in the first half of the 20th century as the roles of small combatants have evolved .Due to the increased size and automation of...
, an old Iceland comrade. Those repairs done, Barnegat made a brief trip north, touching at Natal and Recife before returning south with the tanker SS Gulfport. Stopping at Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
, Brazil, on 9 July 1943, the pair continued south and reached Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil, on 13 July 1943. Her presence there having been dictated by the recent rash of sinkings by U-boats in the region, after taking a load of gasoline from Gulfport, Barnegat departed Rio de Janeiro on 17 July 1943 for Florianópolis
Florianópolis
-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...
, Brazil, less than 500 nautical miles (926 km) in a straight-line distance from Rio de Janeiro, as part of the temporary measures to meet the U-boat threat. Two Martin
Glenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
Martin PBM-3C Mariner
PBM Mariner
The Martin PBM Mariner was a patrol bomber flying boat of World War II and the early Cold War period. It was designed to complement the PBY Catalina in service. A total of 1,366 were built, with the first example flying on 18 February 1939 and the type entering service in September 1940.-Design and...
flying-boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
patrol bombers of Patrol Squadron 74 (VP-74) also were sent to Florianapolis. Anchoring on 18 July 1943, Barnegat was ready to receive the two planes when they arrived less than four hours later.
Operations commenced on the morning of 19 July 1943. At 07:02 hours, PBM-3C "74-P-5", flown by Lieutenant, junior grade
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
, Roy S. Whitcomb, took off from San Miguel, Florianópolis, on an antisubmarine sweep. The patrol proceeded uneventfully until the radar operator reported a contact at 13:55 hours. As Whitcomb looked at the "sharp blip" on his own radar scope, the second pilot called his attention to something to starboard. Whitcomb recognized the object as a surfaced U-boat and sent his crew to battle stations. Soon, their quarry, U-513, saw the attacking plane and began to take evasive action. Whitcomb's PBM-3C dropped six depth charges and caught the U-boat in a starboard turn. The U-boat absorbed the full impact of at least two direct hits; two depth charges straddled the submarine and two others struck her deck
Deck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
. Within moments, observers in the Mariner saw "rising boils and [a] brown stain on [the] water...." U-513 was no more.
Seeing 15 to 20 men struggling in the oily water, Whitcomb circled the scene and dropped life belts and two life rafts to the U-513 survivors, while informing Barnegat of the kill. Barnegat proceeded swiftly to the scene, arrived there in less than four hours, and began a search. At 19:15 hours, she sighted a life raft with seven men on board and closed to pick them up. The first man came on board at 19:30 hours and the last boarded 20 minutes later. Among them she counted the U-513s 28-year-old commanding officer, Kapitänleutnant Friedrich Guggenberger
Friedrich Guggenberger
Friedrich Guggenberger was a German U-boat commander of the Second World War, and was highly successful during this period. From November 1940 until his capture in July 1943, he sank 17 ships for a total of and damaged another for . He was also responsible for sinking the British aircraft carrier...
, the ace awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
for sinking the British aircraft carrier off Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in November 1941 as commander of the German submarine U-81.
The gathering darkness prevented Barnegat from locating more survivors, and she finally ceased her efforts shortly after midnight
Midnight
Midnight is the transition time period from one day to the next: the moment when the date changes. In the Roman time system, midnight was halfway between sunset and sunrise, varying according to the seasons....
. Although she returned then to San Miguel Bay to resume operations, she had not heard the last of U-513. At 11:30 hours on 22 July 1943, her other plane, "74-P-7", reported sighting a life raft with survivors on board. Underway shortly after noon
Noon
Noon is usually defined as 12 o'clock in the daytime. The word noon is also used informally to mean midday regarding the location of the sun not the middle of a persons day. Although this is a time around the middle of the day when people in many countries take a lunch break...
, Barnegat proceeded to the scene and at 16:45 hours reached two rafts which had been lashed together. These 18 men -- Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
In marine transportation, the chief engineer is a licensed mariner in charge of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. "Chief engineer" is the official title of someone qualified to oversee the entire engine department; the qualification is colloquially called a "chief's...
Harold Van R. Forest of the recently sunk merchant ship Richard Caswell along with 11 men of her crew and six members of her Naval Armed Guard detachment—were clinging to the raft. Ironically, Richard Caswell--torpedoed on 16 July 1943—had been U-513s last victim. Barnegat returned to San Miguel Bay at 21:59 hours on 22 July 1943 but remained there only overnight, getting underway early on the morning of 23 July 1943 for Rio de Janeiro. Reaching that port at 11:00 hours on 24 July 1943, she was held incommunicado until her prisoners could be transferred to authorities ashore on the morning of 25 uly 1943. Once that happened, Barnegat shifted to another berth and disembarked the 18 men from Richard Caswell.
Over the next few days, Barnegat remained at Rio de Janeiro. While she was there, Trinidad-bound Convoy JT 3 departed under mixed air cover of both the U.S. Navy and the Brazilian Air Force
Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
. Among the planes so tasked, the PBM-3C that had sunk U-513 carried out a routine antisubmarine sweep in advance of the convoy when its radar raised a contact. This proved to be U-199
German submarine U-199
German submarine U-199 was a Type IXD2 U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. U-199 was sunk off the Brazilian coast in 1943 by a combination of attacks by Brazilian and American planes....
, a Type IXD U-boat on her maiden war patrol and U-513s collaborator in the recent campaign against Allied shipping. U-199 increased speed, and her quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
put her helm over to starboard. Confusion reigned below, however, as some of her forward tanks were flooded for an emergency crash dive.
The Mariner attacked at 07:18 hours, and U-199 opened fire as soon as the seaplane came into range. The Mariners machine guns swept the decks, while the plane straddled U-199 with a stick of six bombs that showered the submarine with tons of spray. After landing her two remaining bombs close aboard without sinking the submarine, the plane radioed for assistance. Though badly shaken, U-199 tried to repair her damage and clear the area, but she could not evade her pursuers. A Brazilian Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
bomber responded to the Mariners call for help and attacked, followed shortly by a Brazilian PBY Catalina, which administered the coup de grace.
Informed at 09:58 hours that the U-boat had been sunk, Barnegat hurried to the scene led by another PBM Mariner. She spotted life rafts at 11:38 hours and, by shortly after noon, had picked up five officers and seven enlisted men, among them U-199s commanding officer, 28 year-old Kapitänleutnant Hans Werner Kraus, also a decorated U-boat commander and former executive officer to the U-boat ace
Ace
An ace is a playing card. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the case of the Ace of Spades...
Gunther Prien
Günther Prien
Lieutenant Commander Günther Prien was one of the outstanding German U-boat aces of the first part of the Second World War, and the first U-boat commander to win the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Under Prien's command, the submarine sank over 30 Allied ships totaling about...
. In the post mortem on the attack, VP-74's commanding officer, Commander Joseph P. Toth, singled out Barnegat, for her “usual good performance...in recovering the survivors” of the sunken U-boat. Once again, Barnegat anchored in the harbor at Rio de Janeiro with her prisoners-of-war held incommunicado until they could be taken ashore. Between 05:20 and 05:40 hours, U-199s men disembarked under heavy guard, en route to the airport and a speedy trip to the United States for a thorough interrogation
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
.
Barnegat remained in Brazilian waters into the spring of 1944, operating at Bahia, Recife, Natal, Fortaleza
Fortaleza
Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. With a population close to 2.5 million , Fortaleza is the 5th largest city in Brazil. It has an area of and one of the highest demographic densities in the country...
, Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, offshore from the Brazilian coast. The main island has an area of and had a population of 3,012 in the year 2010...
, Sao Luiz, and Florianópolis. As before, she hauled freight, transported men and gear, and tended patrol planes of Fleet Air Wing 16 (FAW-16). Her only time out of Brazilian waters came when she briefly conducted tending operations at Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, from 13 March 1944 to 16 March 1944. Another break in her routine came on 29 November 1943 and 30 November 1943, when she patrolled off the entrance to the harbor at Bahia to cover the arrival of a task group formed around battleship during Iowas return at the conclusion of her part in transporting President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
to the Teheran Conference.
North Atlantic operations May 1944-January 1945
Barnegat wrapped up her work in Brazilian waters, at Sao Luiz, on 12 May 1944 and departed for the United States that afternoon. Steaming via Bermuda and Norfolk, she arrived at Boston on 24 May 1944. Following voyage repairs and alterations at the Boston Navy Yard, she sailed to Norfolk in early July 1944 and then made passenger and freight voyages to Bahia Praia and HortaHorta
-Meaning:* horta, 'orchard' or 'vegetable garden' in Portuguese and Valencian/Catalan, Spanish huerta-People:* Nelson Horta , a Cuban Journalist, now living in Miami,Florida USA* Adolfo Horta , a Cuban boxer...
, Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, and to Casablanca, before returning to Norfolk on 16 August 1944. On 7 September 1944, Barnegat departed Norfolk and proceeded to Eastern Bay
Eastern Bay
The Eastern Bay is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay located between Queen Anne's County, Maryland and Talbot County, Maryland on the Eastern Shore. Its main tributaries include the Miles River and the Wye River...
, in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
at the mouth of the Patuxent River
Patuxent River
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...
, where she laid out a seaplane operating area, placing mooring buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
s and seadrome lights to prepare for training operations with Patrol Wing 5 (VP-5). She worked with these aircraft over the next two weeks and returned to Norfolk on 23 September 1944.
Returning to transport duties soon thereafter, she again sailed for the Azores and Morocco on a voyage that also took her to Bristol, England, late in October 1944. She returned to Norfolk on the morning of 9 November 1944 and spent the remainder of that month and the first half of December 1944 at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, Virginia, undergoing repairs. Underway on 14 December 1944, Barnegat reached Bermuda on 16 December 1944 and occupied the next few days training with Patrol Bombing
Patrol bomber
A maritime patrol aircraft , also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol roles - in particular anti-submarine, anti-ship and search and...
Squadron 107 (VPB-107) and Patrol Bombing Squadron 125 (VPB-215) of Fleet Air Wing 9 (FAW-9) in practice fuelings, rearmings, and general servicing. Then she got underway on 29 December 1944 in company with destroyer to return to Norfolk, and reached Norfolk on 31 December 1944. She then spent a month getting repairs to hull damage suffered at Bermuda.
Pacific operations February 1945-August 1945
Barnegat departed for the Canal ZonePanama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
on 5 February 1945. She arrived at Coco Solo
Coco Solo
Coco Solo was a United States Navy submarine base established in 1918 on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Panama Canal Zone, near Colón, Panama....
, Panama, early on 11 February 1945 and relieved seaplane tender . For the next few months, Barnegat served in constant "ready duty" status, prepared to get underway, often within an hour. Her Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
n service comprised tending patrol planes and transport duty. She supported the advanced naval air base at Baltra Island
Baltra Island
Baltra Island, or Isla Baltra, is a small island of the Galápagos Islands. Also known as South Seymour , Baltra is a small flat island located near the center of the Galápagos. It was created by geological uplift...
in the Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
, making several trips there from the Canal Zone and remaining at such picturesque spots as Aeolian Cove and Tagus Cove on Isabella Island
Isabella Island
Isabella Island is an island nature reserve, with an area of 11.4 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Big Green Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait west of Flinders in the Furneaux Group...
, tending Patrol Bombing Squadron 74 (VPB-74) aircraft. She also visited Bahia Honda
Bahia Honda (Colombia)
Bahia Honda is a bay in La Guajira, Colombia on the Atlantic Ocean. It lies approximately from the Venezuelan border on the Guajira Peninsula in the northeast region of Colombia. The bay opens to the Caribbean Sea.-External links:*...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, and Limon Bay
Limon Bay
Limon Bay is a natural harbor located at the north end of the Panama Canal, west of the cities of Cristóbal and Colón. Ships waiting to enter the canal stay here, protected from storms by breakwaters....
, Panama.
Barnegat established an independent air base at Tagus Cove, enabling the patrol bombers to extend their coverage farther off the coast of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
than previously possible. There, she provided fuel for the planes, deployed lighted mooring buoys, billeted and fed the crews, provided bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
s and bomb-loading crews, kept crash and fueling boats in the water at all times to fulfill all of the squadron’s needs. Occasionally, Barnegat also carried out salvage and rescue operations out of Coco Solo, participating in a search for a lost Grumman F6F Hellcat
F6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big...
fighter pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
in March 1945 and assisting some downed PBM Mariners in June 1945.
Postwar career
The end of hostilities with Germany in early May 1945 and with JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in mid-August 1945 altered neither the tempo nor the scope of Barnegats operations, for she remained busy at Coco Solo into September 1945, making only one brief visit to the United States—at Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
-- between 18 September 1945 and 22 September 1945.
After returning to Coco Solo on 26 September 1945, Barnegat operated there into October 1945, sinking discarded PBM Mariner hulls at sea with gunfire on 6 October 1945 and 15 October 1945. She then transited the Panama Canal on 19 October 1945, en route to Baltra Island, arriving there early on 22 October 1945. Barnegat carried out practice operations with Patrol Bombing Squadron 201 (VPB-201) at Tagus Cove until 31 October 1945, when Patrol Bombing Squadron 204 (VPB-204) arrived for training. Shifting to Aeolian Cove on 8 November 1945, Barnegat sailed for the Canal Zone the next day. She transited the Panama Canal on 14 November 1945, returning soon thereafter to Coco Solo to dispose of more junked PBM Mariner hulls by gunfire between 19 November 1945 and 26 November 1945.
Relieved by seaplane tender , Barnegat set course for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 11 December 1945 and reached the Naval Repair Base, Algiers
Algiers, Louisiana
Algiers is a neighborhood within the city of New Orleans. It is the portion of Orleans Parish on the West Bank of the Mississippi River.Algiers is also known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans.-History:...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, on 15 December 1945. Shifting on 17 December 1945 to a berth alongside destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
, Barnegat spent the remainder of 1945 there. In January 1946, she moved on to Orange
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, arriving there on 14 January 1946.
Decommissioning and disposal
Decommissioned on 17 May 1946, Barnegat saw no more active service. Her name was struck from the Navy ListNaval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 23 May 1958. She was transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal.
Commercial service
The Maritime Administration sold Barnegat in 1962 to the GreekGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
line Kavounides Shipping Co., Ltd. Renamed MV Kentavros she operated on cruises out of Piraeus, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Finally, she was scrapped at Eleusis, Greece, in 1986