USS Orca (AVP-49)

USS Orca (AVP-49) off Houghton, Washington, on 6 February 1944, two weeks after commissioning.
History
United States
Name:	USS Orca
Namesake:	Orca Bay in Alaska
Builder:	Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, Washington
Laid down:	13 July 1942
Launched:	4 October 1942
Sponsored by:	Mrs. J. W. Reeves, Jr.
Commissioned:	23 January 1944
Decommissioned:	31 October 1947
Recommissioned:	15 December 1951
Decommissioned:	March 1960
Honors and awards:	Three battle stars for World War II service Yellow "E" for excellence in the Air Department for fiscal year 1956
Fate:	Loaned to Ethiopia January 1962 Sold to Ethiopia March 1976
History
Ethiopian
Name:	Ethiopia (A-01)
Namesake:	The country of Ethiopia
Acquired:	January 1962 on loan March 1976 by outright sale
Commissioned:	1962
Decommissioned:	1991
Fate:	Fled to Yemen May 1991; hulked there Sold for scrapping 1993
General characteristics (seaplane carrier)
Class and type:	Barnegat-class small seaplane tender
Displacement:	1,766 tons (light) 2,592 tons (trial)
Length:	310 ft 9 in (94.72 m)
Beam:	41 ft 2 in (12.55 m)
Draft:	13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) (lim.)
Installed power:	6,000 horsepower (4.48 megawatts)
Propulsion:	Diesel engine, two shafts
Speed:	18.2 kn (33.7 km/h)
Complement:	215 (ship's company) 367 (including aviation unit)
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar; sonar
Armament:	3 × 5-inch (127 mm) 38-caliber guns 8 × 40 mm antiaircraft guns 8 × 20 mm antiaircraft guns 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 (training ship)
Type:	Training ship
Displacement:	1,766 tons (light) 2,800 tons (full load)
Length:	310 ft 8 in (94.69 m)
Beam:	41 ft 0 in (12.50 m)
Draft:	13 ft 5 in (4.09 m) (lim.)
Installed power:	5,600 bhp (4,200 kW)
Propulsion:	Two Fairbanks-Morse 38D 8 1/8-10 diesel engines, two shafts
Speed:	18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph)
Complement:	215 (ship's company as U.S. Navy seaplane tender) 367 (total accommodation as U.S. Navy seaplane tender)
Sensors and processing systems:	RCA SPS-12 air search radar I-band navigation radar RCA/General Electric Mark 26 I/J-band fire control radar
Armament:	1 × 127-millimeter (5-inch) 38-caliber gun mount 2 × twin 40-millimeter antiaircraft gun mounts 1 × single 40-millimeter antiaircraft gun mount

The second USS Orca (AVP-49) was a United States Navy seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1947 and from 1951 to 1960. She saw service during the latter stages of World War II and during the Cold War. In 1962 she was loaned to Ethiopia, where she served in the Ethiopian Navy as the training ship Ethiopia (A-01) until 1991. She was the Ethiopian Navy's largest ship until she was sold for scrapping in 1993.

Orca was laid down on 13 July 1942 at Houghton, Washington, by the Lake Washington Shipyard. She was launched on 4 October 1942, sponsored by Mrs. J. W. Reeves, Jr., and commissioned on 23 January 1944, with Commander Morton K. Fleming, Jr., in command.

After shakedown off San Diego, California, Orca sailed for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, escorting th escort aircraft carrier USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70). Reporting to Commander, Naval Air Force, United States Seventh Fleet, she was ordered on to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, where she commenced operations with her first seaplane squadron on 26 May 1944.