USS San Carlos (AVP-51)

USS San Carlos off Houghton, Washington, on 30 March 1944
History
United States
Name:	USS San Carlos
Namesake:	San Carlos Bay, Florida
Builder:	Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, Washington
Laid down:	17 September 1942
Launched:	20 December 1942
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Henry D. Batterton
Commissioned:	21 March 1944
Decommissioned:	30 June 1947
Identification:	AVP-51
Honors and awards:	Three battle stars for World War II service
Name:	USNS Josiah Willard Gibbs
Namesake:	Josiah Willard Gibbs
Builder:	Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, Washington Converted in 1958 by Mobile Ship Repair Company, Mobile, Alabama
In service:	18 December 1958 with Military Sea Transportation Service
Out of service:	7 December 1971
Refit:	As oceanographic research ship July–December 1958
Struck:	7 December 1971
Identification:	T-AGOR-1
Fate:	Transferred to Hellenic Navy, 15 December 1971
Greece
Name:	Hephaistos
Acquired:	15 December 1971
Struck:	April 1976
Identification:	A413
General characteristics (as seaplane tender)
Class and type:	Barnegat-class seaplane tender
Displacement:	1,766 tons (light) 2,750 tons (full load)
Length:	310 ft 9 in (94.72 m)
Beam:	41 ft 2 in (12.55 m)
Draft:	13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Installed power:	6,000 hp (4,500 kW)
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:	Radar; sonar
Armament:	2 × 5-inch (127-millimeter) guns 2 × dual 20-millimeter antiaircraft guns 4 × dual 20-millimeter 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; 67,000 imp gal) aviation fuel

USS San Carlos (AVP-51) was a Barnegat-class seaplane tender built for the United States Navy during World War II. San Carlos, named after San Carlos Bay, Florida, was in commissioned from 1944 to 1947 and earned three battle stars for service in the Pacific during World War II. After eleven years in reserve, San Carlos was converted to oceanographic research ship USNS Josiah Willard Gibbs (T-AGOR-1)—named after American scientist Josiah Willard Gibbs—and placed in service as a non-commissioned ship of the Military Sea Transportation Service from 1958 to 1971. In December 1971, the ship was transferred to the Hellenic Navy as Hephaistos (A413), a motor torpedo boat tender. Hephaistos was struck from the rolls of the Hellenic Navy in April 1976.

San Carlos was laid down on 17 September 1942 by Lake Washington Shipyard at Houghton, Washington. She was launched on 20 December 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Henry D. Batterton, and commissioned on 21 March 1944 with Lieutenant Commander De Long Mills in command.

After shakedown, San Carlos departed Southern California on 1 June 1944. Arriving at Green Island on 25 June 1944, she engaged in air-sea rescue operations in the northern Solomon Islands from 26 June 1944 to 3 September 1944, and at Morotai Island, shortly after its capture from the Japanese, from 18 September 1944 to 30 September 1944.