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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USCGC Humboldt (WHEC-372)
ex
 USCGC Humboldt (WAVP-372) (1949 - 19^^)
 USS Humboldt (AVP-21) (1941 - 1949)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Lima - Sierra
 NJLS
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tender:
  • Laid down, 6 September 1940 at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 17 March 1941
  • Commissioned USS Humboldt (AVP-21), 7 October 1941, CDR. William G. Tomlinson USN, in command
  • During World War II USS Humboldt was principally assigned to the American Theater in the South Atlantic
  • Redesignated Miscellaneous Auxiliary (press ship), (AG-121), 30 July 1945
  • Conversion canceled, 25 August 1945
  • Reverted to (AVP-21)
  • Decommissioned, 17 March 1947
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet
  • Loaned to the US Coast Guard, 24 January 1949
  • Commissioned USCGC Humboldt (WAVP-372), 29 March 1949
  • Redesignated High Endurance Cutter (WHEC-372), 1 May 1966
  • Decommissioned 30 September 1969 and returned to US Naval custody
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1970
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in Italy
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,766 t.(lt) 2,800 t.(fl)
    Length 311' 6"
    Beam 41' 1"
    Draft 12' 5"
    Speed 18.2 kts (trial)
    Complement
    USN
     Officers 14
     Enlisted 201
     USN Aviation Squadrons
     Officers 59
     Enlisted 93
     USCG
     Officers 13
     Enlisted 136
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    USCG Electronics
    Radar: SPS-23, SPS-29D
    Sonar: SQS-1
    Armament
    USN
     one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
     one quad 40mm AA gun mount
     two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
     four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
     USCG
     one single 5"/38 cal. Mk 12, Mod 1 dual purpose gun mount
     one Mk 52 Mod 3 director
     one Mk 26 fire control radar
     one Mk 11 A/S projector
     two Mk 32 Mod 5 torpedo tubes
    Fuel Capacities
    Diesel 2,055 Bbls
    Gasoline 84,340 Gals
    Propulsion
    Fairbanks-Morse, 38D8 1/2 Diesel engines
    single Fairbanks-Morse Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
     two Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
     two Diesel-drive 200Kw 450V A.C.
    two propellers, 6,400shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By/Source
    USS Humboldt (AVP-21)
    Humboldt
    19-N-30381    		 113k USS Humboldt (AVP-21) being launched at the Boston Navy Yard, 17 March 1941. Her sister, USS Matagorda (AVP-22) on the adjoining slipway, was launched a day later.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-30381 and 19-N-30389, US Navy photos from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the US National Archives    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Humboldt
    19-N-30381    		 102k
    Humboldt 82k USS Humboldt (AVP-21) shown here, 23 August 1943 upon completion of modifications at the Boston Navy Yard. During this upkeep period she received a third 5"/38 gun aft along with one quadruple and two twin 40-mm mounts.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-49686, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Humboldt 74k USS Humboldt (AVP-21) starboard quarter view, 23 August 1943. The ship had just completed an upkeep period at the Boston Navy Yard.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-49687, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Humboldt 66k
    USS Humboldt (AVP-21), painted camouflage scheme 32/5D, underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Haze Gray & Underway web site
    Humboldt 65k USS Humboldt (AVP-21), painted camouflage scheme 32/5D, circa. April 1944 in Hampton Roads, from USS San Jacinto (CVL-30)
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-265680, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Humboldt 86k USS Humboldt (AVP-21), painted camouflage scheme 32/5D, off Norfolk, Virginia, 17 November 1944 by an aircraft from the Norfolk Naval Air Station.
    US Navy photo # NH 46913, for the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Humboldt 68k USS Humboldt (AVP-21), painted camouflage scheme 32/5D, off the Norfolk Navy Yard, 17 November 1944. Her 5"/38 armament has been reduced to a single mount and her quadruple 40mm mount has been moved forward.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-78020, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Humboldt 88k USS Humboldt (AVP-21), painted camouflage scheme 32/5D, tending a PBM seaplane of Fleet Air Wing 16 at Bahia, Brazil, April 1945.
    US Navy photo # NH 78793, from the Collection of Capt. Roy C Smith III, now at the US Naval Historical Center         		US Naval Historical Center
    Humboldt 152k USS Humboldt (AVP-21) during an inclining experiment at the Norfolk Navy Yard, 13 November 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-110805, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Humboldt 112k USS Humboldt (AVP-21) during an inclining experiment at the Norfolk Navy Yard, 13 November 1945. USS Idaho (BB-42) is in the background.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-110806, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Humboldt 128k USS Humboldt (AVP-21) during an inclining experiment at the Norfolk Navy Yard, 13 November 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-110810, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Humboldt 78k USS Humboldt (AVP-21), painted camouflage scheme 32/5D, underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Bill Koonts AT2 VP56 1953-56
    USCGC Humboldt (WAVP-372) (WHEC-372)
    Humboldt 58k USCGC Humboldt (WAVP-372) underway in 1963, place unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo.    		 US Coast Guard Historian's Office
    Humboldt 123k USCGC Humboldt (WAVP-372), Boston, September 1963 ©Richard Leonhardt
    Humboldt 71k USCGC Humboldt (WAVP-372) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo.    		 US Coast Guard Historian's Office
    Humboldt 53k USCGC Humboldt (WAVP-372) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo.    		 US Coast Guard Historian's Office
    USS Humboldt (AVP-21)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Tomlinson, William Gosnell USN7 October 1941 to 5 September 1942
    02CDR. Montgomery, George Cannon USN :RADM5 September 1942 - 15 July 1943
    03CDR. Neblett, Thomas Barbee USN15 July 1943 to 7 August 1944
    04CDR. Koch, George Price USN :RADM 7 August 1944 -15 August 1945
    05LCDR. Daly, Frederick Funston USNR15 August 1945 - 20 October 1945
    06CDR. Hanson, Murray USN20 October 1945 - May 1946
    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
    USS Barnegat AVP-10 Class Seaplane Tenders
    U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - Humboldt 1949
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Miscellaneous Auxiliary (AG) Photo Index Back To The Small Seaplane Tender (AVP) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 3 May 2013