USS Half Moon, a 1,766-ton Barnegat class small seaplane tender, was built at Houghton, Washington, and was commissioned in June 1943. She had been selected in March 1943 for conversion to a PT-boat tender, AGP-6, but Oyster Bay (AVP-28) was substituted in May because Half Moon was nearly complete as an AVP. Half Moon departed San Diego in late August 1943 for the Southwest Pacific, and between October and December she tended seaplanes at Namoai Bay on Sariba Island, New Guinea. She remained in the New Guinea theater until October 1944, tending seaplanes at Finshafen, Middleburg and Morotai as well as providing transport services within the theater.
In October 1944 Half Moon departed Morotai for the Philippines, where she established a seaplane base on the eastern coast of Leyte Island in support of invasion operations there. She witnessed the Battle of Surigao Strait, and continued to support seaplane operations in the Philippines through August 1945. She survived a typhoon while in transit to Okinawa in early September, returned to the Philippines in October, and departed for Seattle and deactivation in November. Half Moon was decommissioned at San Diego in September 1946.
In September 1948 Half Moon was loaned to the Coast Guard as the cutter Half Moon (WAVP-378, later WHEC-378). She served out of the New York City area, primarily on weather station duty. She was decommissioned in July 1969 and sold for scrap in May 1970.
This page features all our views of USS Half Moon.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: 19-N-47444 USS Half Moon (AVP-26) Photographed off Houghton, Washington, on 15 June 1943, the day of her first commissioning. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 19-N-47445 USS Half Moon (AVP-26) Photographed off Houghton, Washington, on 15 June 1943, the day of her first commissioning. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 81KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 19-N-47450 USS Half Moon (AVP-26) Photographed off Houghton, Washington, on 15 June 1943, the day of her first commissioning. She was completed with a main battery of four 5"/38 guns. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 82KB; 740 x 635 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 19-N-47451 USS Half Moon (AVP-26) Photographed at her builder's yard at Houghton, Washington, on 15 June 1943, the day of her first commissioning. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 124KB; 600 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 19-N-47452 USS Half Moon (AVP-26) Photographed at her builder's yard at Houghton, Washington, on 15 June 1943, the day of her first commissioning. One of her two after 5"/38 unshielded gun mounts and her seaplane crane are in the foreground. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 153KB; 595 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Half Moon (AVP-26). The following list features some of these images:
The images listed below are NOT in
the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
Distant view of USS Half Moon (AVP-26) conducting 360 degree turning trials on 10 February 1944, probably near Brisbane, Australia. Starboard bow view of USS Half Moon (AVP-26) approaching USS Tangier (AV-8) on 8 October 1944, probably near Morotai Island, for transfer of flag personnel. Starboard bow view of USS Half Moon (AVP-26) coming alongside USS Tangier (AV-8) on 8 October 1944, probably near Morotai Island, for transfer of flag personnel. The same photo is also on file as 80-G-301774, misdated 1945.
Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 4 February 2001