USS Rockaway

	Rockaway (AVP-29), 6 October 1944, shortly after her main armament was reduced to a single 5"/38 gun
History
USA
Name	USS Rockaway
Namesake	An inlet at the southwestern part of Long Island at the entrance to New York Bay
Builder	Associated Ship Building Inc., Seattle, Washington
Laid down	30 June 1941
Launched	14 February 1942
Sponsored by	Mrs. Z. E. Briggs
Commissioned	6 January 1943 as USS Rockaway (AVP-29)
Decommissioned	21 March 1946, at Orange, Texas
In service	24 December 1948 as USCGC Rockaway (WAGO-377)
Out of service	21 January 1972 as USCGC Rockaway (WOLE-377)
Reclassified	AG-123, 30 July 1945; AVP-29, 26 October 1945
Stricken	September 1966
Honours and; awards	one battle star for World War II
Fate	scrapped, 21 October 1972
General characteristics
Type	Barnegat-class seaplane tender
Tonnage	1,766 tons
Tons burthen	2,750 tons
Length	311' 8"
Beam	41' 1"
Draft	13' 6"
Propulsion	Fairbanks-Morse, direct reversing diesels, shp 6,080
Speed	18.6 knots
Complement	Navy: 215; Coast Guard: 10 officers, 3 warrants, 138 enlisted
Armament	Navy: one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount; one quad 40mm AA gun mount; two dual 40mm AA gun mounts; four dual 20mm AA gun mounts. Coast Guard: two 81mm Mk 2; two .50 Cal MG, Mk 2; two Mk 32, Mod 5 torpedo launchers.

USS Rockaway (AVP-29/AG-123) was a Barnegat-class seaplane tender acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and, at war’s end, she was loaned to the U.S. Coast Guard where she was known as USCGC Rockaway (WAGO-377), USCGC Rockaway (WHEC-377) and later as USCGC Rockaway (WOLE-377).

Built in Seattle, Washington

Rockaway (AVP-29) was laid down 30 June 1941 by Associated Ship Building, Inc., Seattle, Washington; launched 14 February 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Z. E. Briggs; and commissioned 6 January 1943, Comdr. H. C. Doan in command.

World War II service

Following shakedown, the seaplane tender Rockaway became a unit of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, with home base at Norfolk, Virginia, in April 1943. The next 18 months were busy and eventful ones, during which she delivered essential supplies and personnel to outlying bases in the North Atlantic Ocean.

She transferred a complete squadron from Newfoundland to England, carried aviation cargo from Norfolk, Virginia, to the Ranger (CV-4) at Scapa Flow, delivered secret radar equipment to England to be used in the Normandy invasion, performed guard duty at Casablanca for 2 months, and transported aircraft engines to the Azores. She completed nine round trips, steaming independently, across the Atlantic during this interval. On several occasions, she made submarine contacts and dropped depth charges with undetermined results.

Invasion of France

During the invasion of France in June 1944, Rockaway performed sundry duties for 20 days - patrol and convoy work in the English Channel, flagship duty for Adm. J. Wilkes, USN, transportation of Army and Navy personnel and protection of Allied beachheads against enemy air attacks.

After a navy yard period in November, Rockaway was based in the Panama Canal Zone, completing two trips to the Galapagos Islands with aviation supplies and personnel. In December she rescued 13 survivors from a PBM which had crashed off Coco Solo.

On 21 February 1945, Rockaway, while steaming to Recife, Brazil, located and guarded a disabled tanker for 3 days until a fleet tug arrived on the scene. Duties during the following 5 months, spent in Brazil, entailed supplying the various naval bases from Belem to Bahia with essential men and equipment.

End-of-war activity

In the summer of 1945, Rockaway was being fitted out by the Boston Navy Yard as a press ship (reclassified AG-123, effective 30 July 1945) designed to carry 50 correspondents during future invasions; but, after Japan surrendered, she was reconverted to a seaplane tender and sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, 26 October.

Inactivation and transfer to the Coast Guard

Rockaway reported to the Inactive Fleet at Orange, Texas, on 12 November 1945. Decommissioned there 21 March 1946, Rockaway berthed with the Reserve Fleet at Orange, Texas, until transferred, on loan to the U.S. Coast Guard 24 December 1948. While operating with the Coast Guard, Rockaway performed a variety of tasks, earning her a variety of Coast Guard designations: WAGO-377, WHEC-377, and WOLE-377.

She remained in that status until struck from the Navy list and transferred, permanently, to the Coast Guard in September 1966.

Rockaway was scrapped, 21 October 1972.

Honors and awards

Rockaway earned one battle star for World War II service.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AVP-29 / AG-123 Rockaway - WAGO / WHEC / WOLE-377 Rockaway