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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Tango - Oscar NYTO

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia Clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (4) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal

USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) was transferred to Norway and renamed KNM Haakon VII (A537)

Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tender

Laid down, 14 March 1944, at Lake Washington Shipyards, Houghton, WA.

Launched, 2 December 1944

Commissioned, USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39), 11 February 1945, CDR. Carlton C. Lucas in command

During World War II USS Gardiners Bay was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 3 to 30 June 1945	3rd Fleet operations against Japan, 10 to 25 July 1945

USS Gardiners Bay was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
2 September 1945 to 29 January 1946	3 February to 9 August 1946
13 August to 21 October 1946	15 to 17 June 1947
12 to 13 June 1947	6 to 20 July 1947
24 June to 4 July 1947	30 May to 29 June 1949
24 July to 16 September 1947	18 September to 12 November 1949
14 April to 29 May 1949	7 October 1951 to 20 March 1952
	7 August to 24 September 1952
	8 to 21 October 1952
	19 to 22 November 1952
	21 to 22 December 1952
	15 July to 7 August 1953
	14 and 26 to 29 August 1953
	21 to 24 November 1954
	26 July to 5 August 1955

During the Korean War USS Gardiners Bay participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaign
North Korea Aggression, 2 to 28 October 1950	First UN Counter Offensive, 1 to 5 March 1951
Communist China Aggression, 9 to 19 November 1950	Korean Summer-Fall 1953, 16 June to 1 July 1953

Decommissioned, 1 February 1958

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1958

USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) earned two battle stars for World War Two service and four battle stars for Korean War service

Transferred to Norway, 17 May 1958, renamed KNM Haakon VII (A537)

Struck from the Norwegian Navy for disposal in 1974

Final Disposition, scrapped

Specifications:
Displacement 1,766 t.(lt) 2,800 t.(fl)
Length 310'
Beam 41' 2"
Draft 13' 6" (limiting)
Speed 18.2 kts. (trial)

Complement

Officers 14

Enlisted 201

Aviation Unit Accommodations

Officers 59

Enlisted 93

Largest boom capacity 10 t.

Armament

one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount

one quad 40mm AA gun mount

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacities

Diesel 1,955 Bbls.

Gasoline 84,340 Gals.

Propulsion

four Fairbanks Morse 38D8 1/8 Diesel engines

single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gear

Ships Service Generators

two diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.

two diesel-drive 200Kw 450V A.C.

two propellers, 6,080shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)
09433914	200k	*Namesake* Gardiners Bay - Is a small arm of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 10 miles long and 8 miles wide in the state of New York between the two flukelike peninsulas at the eastern end of Long Island. It is bounded on its eastern end, where it connects to Block Island Sound, by Gardiners Island and Promised Land. The bay is bounded on the western end by Shelter Island. It connects by two channels at the north and south end of Shelter Island to Great Peconic Bay. During the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, the bay was controlled by the British, who used Gardiners Island to store provisions. The British fleet assembled in Cherry Harbor in the bay before sailing to Chesapeake Bay to attack Washington, D.C. and burn the United States Capitol. (Wikipedia) Photo - Satellite view of Gardiners Island in Gardiners Bay, East Hampton, New York. Map - Block Island Sound & Gardiners Bay NY 1951 Nautical Map	Tommy Trampp
	91k	*USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39)** launching at Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, WA 2 December 1944 US National Archives photo # 19-N-79691, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	132k	*USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39)** underway in Lake Washington, 18 February 1945 Paint scheme is Camouflage Measure 33, Design 1F US National Archives photo # 19-N-85076, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	153k	*USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39)** underway in Lake Washington, 18 February 1945 US National Archives photo # 19-N-85074, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives	US Naval History and Heritage Command
09433919	344k	*USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39)** entering San Francisco Bay circa 1946-47 with Angel Island in the background. Photo possibley taken from the Golden Gate Bridge.	Darryl Baker
	141k	CAPT. Frank G. Raysbrook (Commanding Officer); CDR. J.R. MacKroth (Executive Officer), stand on the bridge wing of the *USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39)** during day-to-day operations. Photo courtesy of the USC Libraries Special Collections, Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA.	Bill Gonyo
	35k	*USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39)** underway, circa 1950's, location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	37k	*USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39)** moored pierside, circa 1950's, location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	39k	*USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39)** underway, circa 1956, location unknown. Photo courtesy LCDR. G.R.G. Murray, RN, from "Jane's Fighting Ships 1956-57".	Robert Hurst
	84k	*USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39)** underway in San Francisco Bay in 1957. Photo ©Allied Photographers of San Francisco.	Robert M. Cieri
09433918	139k	*USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39) following a regular overhaul at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA., 9 April 1958. Note the absence of any hull number. The U.S. Navy hull number was probably not painted anymore on the ship as Gardiners Bay** was transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy on 17 May 1958. U.S. National Archives Identifier 7577412, U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-NN-AVP 39 Gardiners Bay-158556	Robert Hurst
KNM Haakon VII (A537)
	45k	Ex-*USS Gardiners Bay* (AVP-39) underway in British waters while in Norwegian service as KNM Haakon VII (A537)**, circa 1959. Photo Wright & Logan, Southsea, England, from "Jane's Fighting Ships 1959-60".	Robert Hurst
09433915	363k	The Norwegian training ship *KNM Haakon VII* (A537)** arriving at Rotterdam, Holland, 17 February 1961. Photo by Herbert Behrens. Photo collection Anefo Report / Series : [ unknown ]. Anefo Copyright holder : National Archive Material. Archive inventory number : view access 2.24.01.04 Item number : 912-1093	Robert Hurst
	47k	*KNM Haakon VII* (A537)**, circa 1968, location unknown.	Robert Hurst
	46k	*KNM Haakon VII* (A537)** at anchor,date and location unknown. R.Nor.R. Navy photo.	Robert Hurst
	59k	*KNM Haakon VII* (A537)** underway off Washington D.C. March 1970.	Robert Hurst
09433917	253k	*KNM Haakon VII* (A537) and two Norwegian coastal minesweepers KNM Sira (M312) and KNM Kvina (M332)** entering the harbor at Amsterdam, Holland, 10 August 1973. Photographer Punt / Anefo Copyright holder : National Archive Material. inventory number : view access 2.24.01.04 Part number : 926-6019	Robert Hurst
09433916	230k	*KNM Haakon VII* (A537) with two Norwegian coastal minesweepers KNM Sira (M312) and KNM Kvina (M332)** alongside at Amsterdam, Holland, 10 August 1973. Photographer Punt / Anefo Copyright holder : National Archive Material. inventory number : view access 2.24.01.05 Part number : 926-6018	Robert Hurst

USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Lucas, Carlton Charles	11 February 1945 - 30 December 1946
02	CDR. Boyle, Peter Frederick	30 December 1946 - May 1947
04	CAPT. Fenton, Charles Rudolph	June 1948 - June 1949
06	CAPT. Young, Joseph Burwell Hawkins	1950 - 27 July 1951
07	CAPT. Raysbrook, Frank George	27 July 1951 - ?
09	CAPT. Short Jr., Wallace Clark	September 1955 - August 1956
10	CAPT. Bakutis, Frederick Edward :RADM	August 1956 - April 1957
11	CAPT. Sliney, James Gilmore :RADM	April 1957 - February 1958


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Barnegat Class Seaplane Tenders
US Navy Patrol Squadrons - USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)
Profile and Sky Views - Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tenders - Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, WA.

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 31 March 2023