USS San Pablo (AVP-30) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class seaplane tender which was in commission as such from 1943 to 1947 and then served as a commissioned hydrographic survey ship, redesignated AGS-30, from 1948 to 1969. Thus far, she has been the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for San Pablo Bay, a shallow northern extension of San Francisco Bay in California.
Construction and commissioning
San Pablo was laid down on 2 July 1941 by Associated Shipbuilders, Inc. of Seattle, Washington. She was launched on 31 March 1942, sponsored by Mrs. W. A. Hall, and commissioned on 15 March 1943.
Following final fitting out, San Pablo conducted shakedown in the Puget Sound area and then steamed to San Diego, California for readiness training.
World War II service
Operations at New Caledonia
On 15 June 1943, San Pablo departed the United States West Coast and headed for the South Pacific Ocean. She embarked United States Marine Corps personnel and deck cargo at Espiritu Santo, then proceeded to Nouméa, New Caledonia. After offloading there, she went to Brisbane, Australia, to pick up the flight crews and aviation supplies, including spare parts and fuel, of Patrol Squadron 101 (VP-101), then returned to Nouméa to commence operations as tender and base for PBM Mariner and PBY Catalina flying boats conducting "Black Cat" night-fighting, air-search, and reconnaissance missions.
With VP-101 and assigned crash rescue boats, San Pablo formed Task Group 73.1 and established a seaplane base by charting the bay, setting out mooring and marker buoys, and constructing quarters for squadron personnel at nearby Honey Hollow. They also built an advanced base at Samarai in Papua New Guinea. For the next several months, the "Black Cats" operated from these bases, attacking on Japanese shipping along the coasts of New Guinea, New Britain, and New Ireland, and in the Bismarck Sea. They inflicted great losses on Japanese inter-island barge traffic as well as to heavy shipping, harassed Japanese troops with night bombing and strafing missions; conducted photographic intelligence operations, provided at-sea search-and-rescue support for downed United States Army Air Forces fliers and sailors of sunken vessels, and carried high-ranking officers, Allied coast watchers, and native guerrilla units. While continuously on the alert for enemy air attack, San Pablo sailors worked around the clock to fuel, repair, arm, and control the seaplanes and to feed and care for their crews. On 9 October 1943, San Pablo was relieved at Nouméa by seaplane tender and sailed to Brisbane for long-needed repair, replenishment, and shore leave.
San Pablo returned to Nouméa on 20 December 1943 and resumed operations, this time with Patrol Squadron 52 (VP-52).
Operations in the New Guinea campaign
During January 1944, she gave direct support to the force which occupied Finschhafen, New Guinea, and helped to establish a new advance base at Langemak Bay, New Guinea. At times, she also tended the planes of Patrol Squadron 34 (VP-34), then flying rescue missions for the United States Army Air Forces Fifth Air Force from Port Moresby, New Guinea. She once temporarily based two OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes from light cruiser . From Langemak Bay, San Pablos planes helped to prevent the Japanese from supplying their garrisons on Rabaul and Kavieng.
On 25 February 1944, relieved again by Half Moon, San Pablo returned to Nouméa for repairs by destroyer tender . During the work, she assisted in removing a propeller from destroyer-minelayer using her seaplane winch. This speeded repairs to Aaron Ward and allowed her to reach Ulithi Atoll in time to prepare for the forthcoming Okinawa campaign.
By 24 March 1944, San Pablo was conducting operations at Seeadler Harbor in the Admiralty Islands with planes of Patrol Squadron 33 (VP-33) and VP-52 planes. They carried out night bombing missions in the Caroline Islands and search flights by day. The pace had so quickened by the end of March 1944 that seaplane tender was brought in to help carry the load.
On 13 May 1944, San Pablo and Tangier moved to Hollandia, New Guinea, to patrol the approaches to Wakde Island prior to Allied landings there. Relieved by seaplane tender on 26 May 1944, San Pablo then refueled PT boats at Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, and transported personnel and cargo between Manus Island, Seeadler Harbor, Emirau, and Mios Woendi. On 19 August 1944, she commenced antisubmarine patrols with Patrol Squadron 11 (VP-11) planes at Mios Woendi and, during October and November 1944, conducted antisubmarine operations off Morotai and Hollandia.