The second USS Barnegat (AVP-10), in commission from 1941 to 1946, was the lead ship of her class of small seaplane tenders 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.
After the end of her U.S. Navy career, the former Barnegat operated as the Greek cruise ship MV Kentavros from 1962, and finally was scrapped in 1986.
Early career Barnegat was laid down on 27 October 1939 at Bremerton, 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.
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"This quote, from the ship's Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entry (see ) is unattributed. had also shown that the Lapwing-class converted minesweepers fell "far short of the characteristics needed"This quote, from the ship's Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entry (see ) is unattributed. for mobile tenders to operate patrol planes "where shore facilities were not available".This quote, from the ship's Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entry (see ) is unattributed. 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",This quote, from the ship's Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entry (see ) is unattributed. 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.
World War II
North Atlantic operations May–November 1942 Underway from the Boston Navy Yard 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 torpedoes 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 tankers to a variety of ships, from Skagafjörður to Hvalfjordur, Iceland, supplying heavy cruisers 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 bombers 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 on 26 October 1942, took a "rapid, heavy roll to starboard"This quote, from the ship's Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entry (see ) is unattributed. while efforts were underway topside to secure depth charges 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 lifelines and tended knotted lines, grapnels, and lifebuoys, 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.
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 Morocco, that same evening. Assigned to antisubmarine patrol and escort, Barnegat took up station inshore of six transports and two cargo ships whose assault troops were already in the boats. At 06:00, nearby destroyers 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, soon after the French guns opened fire, Barnegats guns silenced one of them with 11 rounds. 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 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 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.
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 to New York City. One of them dropped astern on 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 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.
World War II South Atlantic operations June 1943–May 1944 After installation of YG homing equipment, QC sonar, 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 had torpedoed the steamer SS Venetia.