USS Orca (AVP-49)
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | USS Orca |
Namesake | Orca Bay in Alaska |
Builder | Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, Washington |
Laid down | 13 July 1942 |
Launched | 4 October 1942 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. J. W. Reeves, Jr. |
Commissioned | 23 January 1944 |
Decommissioned | 31 October 1947 |
Recommissioned | 15 December 1951 |
Decommissioned | March 1960 |
Honors and awards |
|
Fate | |
History | |
Ethiopian | |
Name | Ethiopia (A-01) |
Namesake | The country of Ethiopia |
Acquired |
|
Commissioned | 1962 |
Decommissioned | 1991 |
Fate | |
General characteristics (seaplane carrier) | |
Class and type | Barnegat-class small seaplane tender |
Displacement |
|
Length | 310 ft 9 in (94.72 m) |
Beam | 41 ft 2 in (12.55 m) |
Draft | 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) (lim.) |
Installed power | 6,000 megawatts ) |
Propulsion | Diesel engine, two shafts |
Speed | 18.2 kn (33.7 km/h) |
Complement |
|
Sensors and processing systems | Radar; sonar |
Armament |
|
Aviation facilities | Supplies, spare parts, repairs, and berthing for one seaplane squadron; 80,000 US gallons (300,000 L) aviation fuel |
General characteristics (training ship) | |
Type | Training ship |
Displacement |
|
Length | 310 ft 8 in (94.69 m) |
Beam | 41 ft 0 in (12.50 m) |
Draft | 13 ft 5 in (4.09 m) (lim.) |
Installed power | 5,600 bhp (4,200 kW) |
Propulsion | Two Fairbanks-Morse 38D 8 1/8-10 diesel engines, two shafts |
Speed | 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) |
Complement |
|
Sensors and processing systems |
|
Armament |
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The second USS Orca (AVP-49) was a United States Navy seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1947 and from 1951 to 1960. She saw service during the latter stages of World War II and during the Cold War. In 1962 she was loaned to Ethiopia, where she served in the Ethiopian Navy as the training ship Ethiopia (A-01) until 1991. She was the Ethiopian Navy's largest ship until she was sold for scrapping in 1993.
Construction and commissioning
Orca was
World War II
New Guinea campaign
After
Orca's squadrons carried out "Black Cat" night bombing and
Philippines campaign
In early November 1944, Orca moved into the Leyte Gulf area in the Philippines, as that campaign was reaching the critical stage. She sent her planes into Ormoc Bay right under the noses of the Japanese on 3 December 1944, and they taxied around the bay for nearly an hour picking up survivors of destroyer USS Cooper (DD-695), sunk the previous night. After the Japanese finally realized what was taking place, they threw up quite a fusillade. The pilots bore down on the throttles and headed for the open sea. Heavily loaded, the old Martin PBM Mariners finally heaved themselves into the air, after about a three-nautical-mile (5.6 km) run. Making additional trips, they were able to rescue 167 Cooper survivors.
Orca was attacked by a lone plane on 27 August 1944, but her guns drove it off. That next night, the Japanese radio
Orca came under similar attack twice on 26 November 1944, and was credited with an assist on a plane which narrowly missed motor torpedo boat tender USS Oyster Bay (AGP-6).
On 6 January 1945,
Orca continued to service air squadrons and carry out rescue missions until the end of World War II on 15 August 1945.
Honors and awards
Orca earned three
Post-World War II, 1945-1947
On 26 September 1945, Orca arrived at
Orca's next big assignment was furnishing services for
1951-1960
Orca was recommissioned on 15 December 1951 and operated out of San Diego through 1952 under the command of Commander A. K. Espenas. On 5 January 1953 she was underway for the Philippines.
On 2 August 1954, Orca relieved the destroyer escort USS Walton (DE-361) at Hong Kong as station ship. By 25 February 1955 she was back in San Diego for leave and upkeep.
Orca deployed to the
Following extensive training during the early months of 1956, Orca deployed to the Western Pacific for a seven-month tour on 24 April 1956. During this deployment, she was awarded the Yellow "E" for excellence in the Air Department for fiscal year 1956. She returned to San Diego on 19 November 1956.
Orca made a subsequent Western Pacific cruise beginning 22 August 1956 and continued to provide service to the United States Pacific Fleet until she decommissioned again in March 1960 and went into reserve on the Columbia River in Oregon.
In January 1962, Orca was loaned to
In May 1991, at the end of the Eritrean War of Independence, the independence of Eritrea made Ethiopia a landlocked country. With all Ethiopian Navy bases coming under hostile Eritrean control, Ethiopia was among ten Ethiopian Navy ships to escape to Yemen.[6]
Final disposition
Never again operational after arriving in Yemen in May 1991, Ethiopia survived as a hulk there[7] until she was sold for scrap in 1993.[8] In 1996, the Ethiopian Navy itself was disestablished.
Notes
- ^ Jane's Fighting Ships, 1991-92, p. 172
- ^ Jane's Fighting Ships, 1992-93, p. 176
- ^ Jane's Fighting Ships, 1993-94, p. 185
- ^ Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996-97, p. 192
- ^ This quote, from Orca's Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entry at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o3/orca-ii.htm Archived 2010-12-08 at the Library of Congress Web Archives, is unattributed
- ^ Jane's Fighting Ships, 1992-93, p. 176
- ^ Jane's Fighting Ships, 1993-94, p. 185
- ^ Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996-97, p. 192
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- Department of the Navy: Naval Historical Center: Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships: USS Orca (AVP-49), 1944-1962
- NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive: AVP-49 Orca
- Chesneau, Roger. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. New York: Mayflower Books, Inc., 1980. ISBN 0-8317-0303-2.
- Blackman, Raymond V. B., M.I.Mar.E., M.R.I.N.A. Jane's Fighting Ships, 1962-63. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1962. No ISBN.
- Sharpe, Richard, Capt., RN. Jane's Fighting Ships, 1992-93. Alexandria, Virginia: Jane's Information Group, Inc., 1992. ISBN 0-7106-0983-3.
- Sharpe, Richard, Capt., RN. Jane's Fighting Ships, 1993-94. Alexandria, Virginia: Jane's Information Group, Inc., 1992. ISBN 0-7106-1065-3.
- Sharpe, Richard, Capt., RN. Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996-97. Alexandria, Virginia: Jane's Information Group, Inc., 1996. ISBN 0-7106-1355-5.