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Photo #  19-N-61647:  USS Orca off Houghton, Washington, on 6 February 1944.

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Orca (AVP-49), 1944-1962

USS Orca, a 1,766-ton Barnegat class small seaplane tender, was built at Houghton, Washington, and was commissioned in January 1944. After shakedown training off San Diego, she proceeded to the Southwest Pacific via Pearl Harbor. She commenced duty tending a seaplane squadron at Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, in late May 1944. Over the next five months her squadrons carried out highly successful "Black Cat" night bombing missions against Japanese shipping that earned them the Presidential Unit Citation.

Orca moved to the Leyte Gulf area in early November 1944 and remained there for the rest of the war, servicing seaplane squadrons and carrying out rescue and escort missions. Soon after her arrival, her aircraft rescued 167 survivors of USS Cooper (DD-695) from Ormoc Bay under enemy fire. She came under enemy air attack several times between November 1944 and January 1945 but received only minor damage. In late September 1945 Orca arrived at Okinawa to support occupation operations there, but she was soon sent back to the West Coast and was overhauled at the Mare Island Navy Yard between November 1945 and January 1946. After supporting the A-Bomb tests at Bikini in 1946, Orca was decommissioned in October 1947 and placed in reserve at San Francisco.

Orca was recommissioned in December 1951. Initially earmarked for service as a flagship for Commander 1st Fleet, she subsequently performed a variety of duties for Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, and Commander Air Force, Pacific Fleet, during a series of deployments to the Westen Pacific. During 1954 she served as station ship at Hong Kong, and between February and July 1955 she was at San Diego for a period of leave and upkeep between deployments. Orca arrived at Astoria, Oregon, in February 1960 for inactivation and was decommissioned there in March 1960 and placed in the Columbia River reserve fleet.

In 1961 Orca was selected for transfer to Ethiopia as a training ship for its new navy. In December 1961 she completed reactivation and conversion at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard; modifications included a heavy tripod foremast with modern radars and a deckhouse extended nearly to the stern to provide additional space for accomodations and classrooms. She was transferred to Ethiopia in January 1962 and served under the name Ethopia as that nation's largest naval ship for almost 30 years. In 1991 during the Eritrean revolution she escaped to Yemen with other units of the Ethiopian navy. By then in unserviceable condition, she was probably sold locally for scrap.

This page features all our 1944-46 images of USS Orca, and provides links to all our other views of this ship.

For additional views relating to USS Orca, see:

  • USS Orca (AVP-49) -- Photos taken in 1947-1962.
  • USS Orca (AVP-49) -- Construction Photos.


    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-61647

    USS Orca (AVP-49)


    Off Houghton, Washington, on 6 February 1944, about two weeks after commissioning.
    She was completed with three 5"/38 guns, including an open mount on her fantail.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 70KB; 740 x 620 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 19-N-92244

    USS Orca (AVP-49)


    Off Mare Island, California, on 8 January 1946 after completion of an overhaul.
    Her 40mm quadruple mount had been moved forward replacing one 5"/38 mount, but she retained two 5"guns, including one in an open mount on her fantail.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 69KB; 740 x 625 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 19-N-92245

    USS Orca (AVP-49)


    Off Mare Island, California, on 8 January 1946 after completion of an overhaul.
    Her 40mm quadruple mount had been moved forward replacing one 5"/38 mount, but she retained two 5"guns, including one in an open mount on her fantail.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 53KB; 740 x 610 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 19-N-92246

    USS Orca (AVP-49)


    Off Mare Island, California, on 8 January 1946 after completion of an overhaul.
    Her 40mm quadruple mount had been moved forward replacing one 5"/38 mount, but she retained two 5"guns, including one in an open mount on her fantail.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 68KB; 740 x 625 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 19-N-92247

    USS Orca (AVP-49)


    Off Mare Island, California, on 8 January 1946 after completion of an overhaul.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 54KB; 740 x 635 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 19-N-92248

    USS Orca (AVP-49)


    At the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 8 January 1946 after completion of an overhaul.
    Note the flock of seagulls following the ship.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 68KB; 740 x 620 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 19-N-92249

    USS Orca (AVP-49)


    At the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 8 January 1946 after completion of an overhaul.
    Her 40mm quadruple mount had been moved forward replacing one of her two forward 5"/38 mounts.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 78KB; 565 x 765 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 19-N-92250

    USS Orca (AVP-49)


    At the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 8 January 1946 after completion of an overhaul.
    Alterations shown included her amidships boat stowage.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 103KB; 520 x 765 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 19-N-92251

    USS Orca (AVP-49)


    At the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 8 January 1946 after completion of an overhaul.
    The boats shown here displaced her 40mm quadruple mount, which was moved forward, but she retained the open 5"/38 mount on her fantail. A Mk. 51 director is also shown.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 106KB; 740 x 595 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     

    For additional views relating to USS Orca, see:

  • USS Orca (AVP-49) -- Photos taken in 1947-1962.
  • USS Orca (AVP-49) -- Construction Photos.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 27 December 2001