AGP-6 Oyster Bay
AVP-26, a small seaplane tender, was originally designed as a motor torpedo boat tender and designated AGP-6. She was launched by Lake Washington Shipyards, Houghton, Wash., 12 July 1942; redesignated AVP-26 on 1 May 1943; and commissioned 15 June 1943.
USS Oyster Bay, a 1,760-ton motor torpedo boat tender, was built at Houghton, Washington, and was commissioned in November 1943. Launched as a Barnegat class small seaplane tender (AVP-28) in September 1942, she was designated for conversion to a PT boat tender and reclassified AGP-6 in May 1943. She departed San Diego in January 1944 for the Southwest Pacific and tended PT boat squadrons in the forward area almost continuously through the end of the war.
USS Mobjack, a 1,760-ton motor torpedo boat tender, was built at Houghton, Washington, and was commissioned in October 1943. Launched as a Barnegat class small seaplane tender in September 1942, she was designated for conversion to a PT boat tender and reclassified from AVP-27 to AGP-7 in March 1943. After shakedown, she departed the West Coast in December 1943 and commenced duty tending PT boats in the Solomon Islands.
AGP-8 Wachapreague, a 1,760-ton motor torpedo boat tender, was built at Houghton, Washington, and was commissioned in May 1944. One of four Barnegat class small seaplane tenders designated during construction for conversion to PT boat tenders, she was reclassified from AVP-56 to AGP-8 in March 1943. She departed San Diego, California, in July 1944 after shakedown and in August arrived at Milne Bay, New Guinea, where she began tending a PT boat squadron. In October she sailed with her sisters Oyster Bay (AGP-6) and Willoughby (AGP-9), an AVP, and two army craft for Leyte in the Philippines, all escorting a group of 45 PT boats. During the transit Wachapreague refueled underway all 15 of the PT boats assigned to her. A few days after arriving in the Philippines, her PT boats played a prominent role in the Battle of Surigao Strait, in which the Japanese lost two battleships, two cruisers, and several destroyers.
(AGP-9: dp. 2,592; l. 310'9"; b. 41'1"; dr. 13'6"; s. 18.2 k.; cpl. 340; a. 2 5", 8 40mm., 8 20mm., 2 dct; cl. Oyster Bay) AGP-9 USS Willoughby, a 1,766-ton motor torpedo boat tender, was built at Houghton, Washington, and was commissioned in June 1944. One of four Barnegat class small seaplane tenders designated during construction for conversion to PT boat tenders, she was reclassified from AVP-57 to AGP-9 in March 1943 just before her keel was laid [others say on 11 May 1943]. The second Willoughby (AVP-57) was laid down on 15 March 1943 at Houghton, Wash., by Lake Washington Shipyards She was launched on 21 August 1943; ; and commissioned on 18 June 1944.Following shakedown training, she departed the West Coast in August 1944 and arrived in September at Mios Woendi in the Southwest Pacific, where she commenced tending a squadron of PT boats. In October she sailed with her sisters Oyster Bay (AGP-6) and Wachapreague (AGP-8), an AVP, and two army craft for Leyte in the Philippines, escorting a group of 45 PT boats in "the largest and longest mass movement of PTs under their own power during the war." A few days after their arrival in the Philippines, 39 of these 45 PT boats played a prominent role in the Battle of Surigao Strait, in which the Japanese lost two battleships, two cruisers, and several destroyers.
The Navy Barnegat (AVP-10) or Oyster-class 311-foot ship originally built as a small seaplane tender by the U.S. Navy but was converted during construction to a motor torpedo (PT) boat tender. The Casco class ships were built as small seaplane tenders by the US Navy. They were designed to operate out of small harbors and atolls and had a shallow draft. The fact that the class was very seaworthy, had good habitability, and long range made them well suited to ocean-station duty. The vessel has ample space for stores, living accommodations, ships, offices and recreational facilities. The main engine system is excellent.
The performance of the vessel in moderate to heavy seas was definitely superior. In very heavy seas, however, being flat bottomed the vessel pounds very heavily. She has an expansion joint which permits all the working to be absorbed by the hull. On heavy pounds observers counted as many as forty distinct vibrations. Constant check had been kept to observe and tearing away of hull plating from frames but in only one instance has so much as anything heavier than a whole gale so far but constant check will be maintained during the coming patrol on station "C" where winds of storm or hurricane velocity may be expected. The excessive amount of hull vibration also probably had an adverse effect on the piping although as pointed out above the primary difficulty is due to electrolytic action.
When fully loaded the vessel is down by the stern about two and a half feet. Under this condition of loading it is necessary to drive the ship into the sea at sufficient speed to cause heavy pounding in order to hold her head up, about eight knots being required for steerage way. As the tanks were emptied experiments in trim were conducted and it was found that with the head down about six inches to one foot her head could be held up into the sea with out three knots speed. At this speed only occasional pounding was experienced. Under both conditions of trim the vessel had to be operated at two thirds speed down wind in order to maintain adequate steerage way.
The primary internal difficulty is electrical. The two hundred KW generators theoretically furnish ample power for operation, but nearly all meters through out the ship are squirrel cage induction motors which put a tremendous load on the line when they are started. If most of the auxiliaries are operating as at sea and one of the fifteen horsepower blower motors are started the instantaneous current surge throws the circuit breakers. Failure of the gyro compass for this reason occurs every few days. The gyro has no auxiliary power system and the motor invariably troubles rendering the DRT inoperative for four or five hours. There is now in effect on this vessel a regular routine for restoring steering power when this occurs. Steering casualties also occur occasionally from other causes such as overloading the Selsyn motor by too rapidly turning the wheel. The corrective measure would be to install two (2) three hundred KW. Generators for operation at sea and keep the two (2) two hundred KW generators for in port use.
Another cause of difficulty was that all the salt water piping is of heterogeneous material and fittings, being cast steel in some sections, copper in others and copper nickel in others. After only two and a half years of operation the saltwater piping through out the ship is in such deplorable condition that a gang of men are kept busy repairing and re-rewing [sic] sections of the salt water piping. This can only be corrected by a completely new installation of homogenous material with suitable fittings through out the entire system.
All the drains on the ship discharge in the engine rooms on the tank tops and in the bilges. In the process the motor controlled rheostats are sprayed with water. This has caused at least one electrical fire which was promptly handled and did no harm. The bilges were constantly unsightly and maintenance work was greatly hindered as well as deterioration promoted. An alteration request has gone in requesting that one three (3) thousand gallon fuel oil tank be converted into a drain discharge tank.
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