USS Biscayne

USS Biscayne (AVP-11) on 29 January 1942
History
United States
Name:	USS Biscayne (AVP-11)
Namesake:	Biscayne Bay in Florida
Builder:	Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington
Laid down:	27 October 1939
Launched:	23 May 1941
Sponsored by:	Mrs. A. M. Charleton
Commissioned:	3 July 1941
Decommissioned:	29 June 1946
Reclassified:	Amphibious command ship, AGC-18, 10 October 1944
Honors and awards:	Six battle stars for World War II service
Fate:	Transferred to U.S. Coast Guard 10 July 1946
Acquired:	Transferred from U.S. Coast Guard 9 July 1968
Fate:	Sunk as target 1968
United States
Name:	USCGC Dexter (WAGC-385)
Namesake:	Samuel Dexter (1761–1816), United States Secretary of the Treasury (1801)
Acquired:	By transfer from United States Navy on either 10 July 1946, 19 July 1946, or 29 July 1946
Commissioned:	20 September 1946
Decommissioned:	17 December 1952
Recommissioned:	30 June 1958
Decommissioned:	18 January 1968
Reclassified:	From WAGC-18 to WAVP-385 sometime between 1946 and 1952; High endurance cutter, WHEC-385, 1 May 1966
Fate:	Transferred to U.S. Navy 9 July 1968
General characteristics (seaplane tender)
Class and type:	Barnegat-class small seaplane tender
Displacement:	1,766 tons (light); 2,750 tons (full load)
Length:	310 ft 9 in (94.72 m)
Beam:	41 ft 1 in (12.52 m)
Draught:	13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Installed power:	6,000 horsepower (4.48 megawatts)
Propulsion:	Diesel engines, two shafts
Speed:	18.6 knots (34.4 km/h)
Complement:	215 (ship's company) 367 (including aviation unit)
Sensors and processing systems:	Sonar
Armament:	As built: 2 x single 5 in (130 mm) 38-caliber dual-purpose gun mounts Later: 1 × single 5-inch (127 mm) 38-caliber dual-purpose gun mount 1 × quad 40-mm antiaircraft gun mount 2 × dual 40-mm antiaircraft gun mounts 4 × dual 20-mm antiaircraft gun mounts 2 × depth charge tracks
Aviation facilities:	Supplies, spare parts, repairs, and berthing for one seaplane squadron; 80,000 US gallons (300,000 L) aviation fuel
General characteristics (Coast Guard cutter)
Class and type:	Casco-class cutter
Displacement:	2,442 tons in 1965
Length:	310 ft 9 in (94.72 m) overall; 300 ft 0 in (91.44 m) between perpendiculars
Beam:	41 ft 0 in (12.50 m) maximum
Draft:	12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) maximum in 1965
Installed power:	6,150 bhp (4,590 kW)
Propulsion:	Fairbanks-Morse geared diesel engines, two shafts; 144,442 US gallons (546,770 L) of fuel
Speed:	17.35 knots (32.13 km/h) (maximum sustained in 1965) 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h) (economic in 1965)
Range:	8,680 nautical miles (16,080 km) at 17.35 knots (32.13 km/h) in 1965 17,900 nautical miles (33,200 km) at 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h) in 1965
Complement:	78 (10 officers, 2 warrant officers, 66 enlisted personnel) in 1965
Sensors and processing systems:	Radars in 1965: SPS-23, SPS-29D Sonar in 1965: AN-UQN-1D
Armament:	In 1965: 1 x single 5-inch (127 mm) 38-caliber Mark 30 Mod 57 gun mount, 1 x Mark 52 Mod 2 director, 1 x Mark 26 Mod 3 fire-control radar

USS Biscayne (AVP-11), later AGC-18, was a United States Navy Barnegat-class seaplane tender in commission as a seaplane tender from 1941 to 1943 and as an amphibious force flagship from 1943 to 1946. She saw service during World War II. Transferred to the United States Coast Guard after the war, she was in commission as the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Dexter (WAGC-385), later WAVP-385 and WHEC-385, from 1946 to 1952 and from 1958 to 1968.

Biscayne was laid down on 27 October 1939 at Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington. She was launched on 23 May 1941, sponsored by Mrs. A. M. Charleton, and commissioned on 3 July 1941 with Lieutenant Commander C. C. Champion, Jr., in command.

Following her shakedown cruise, Biscayne joined the Atlantic Fleet and operated out of Boston, Massachusetts, on patrol and plane guard missions from 7 December 1941 until 27 May 1942. For the next four months she served as a seaplane tender and communications ship in Newfoundland and Greenland waters.

Biscayne departed Norfolk, Virginia, on 17 October 1942 and, after a short stop at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, moved to Freetown, Sierra Leone, with Patrol Squadron 92 (VP-92), arriving on 2 November 1942.