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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USCGC Chincoteague (WHEC-375)
ex
 USCGC Chincoteague (WAVP-375) (1949 - 1966)
 USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) (1943 - 1949)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Oscar - Zulu
 NBOZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - 16 July 1943)
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (KIA and wounded 16 July 1943)

USCGC Chincoteague (WHEC-375) was transferred to South Vietnam and renamed RVNS Ly Thuong Kiet (HQ-16), later transferred to the Philippines and renamed RPS Andres Bonifacto (PF-7)
Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tender:
  • Laid down, 23 July 1941, at Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, WA.
  • Launched, 15 April 1942
  • Commissioned USS Chincoteague (AVP-24), 12 April 1943, CDR. Ira E. Hobbs in command
  • During World War II USS Chincoteague was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    New Georgia Group operation
    New Georgia-Rendova-Vangunu occupation, 17 July 1943     		Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 26 February 1944
    Action off Vanikoro, 17 to 21 July 1943 Consolidation of Solomon Islands
    Consolidation of northern Solomon Islands, April to July 1944
    Treasury-Bougainville operation
    Supporting air actions, 27 October 1943 to 1 May 1944     		Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 16 March 1945

  • Following World War II USS Chincoteague was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    23 October to 2 November 19453 November 1945 to 17 March 1946

  • Decommissioned, 21 December 1946, at Beaumont, TX.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group
  • Transferred on loaned to the US Coast Guard, 7 March 1949 and commissioned USCGC Chincoteague (WAVP-375)
  • Redesignated High Endurance Cutter (WHEC-375), 1 May 1966
  • Permanently transferred to the US Coast Guard, 26 September 1966
  • Decommissioned in June 1972
  • Returned to US Naval custody and transferred to South Vietnam, 21 June 1972, renamed RVNS Ly Thuong Kiet (HQ-16)
  • Taken over by the Republic of the Philippines in April 1975, renamed RPS Andres Bonifacto (PF-7)
  • Sold outright to the Republic of the Philippines, 5 April 1976
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • Decommissioned by the Philippine Navy in June 1985
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • Chincoteague earned six battle stars for World War II service
    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 Source
    USS Chincoteague (AVP-24)
    Chincoteague 31k Launch of Chincoteague (AVP-24), 15 April 1942, at Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, WA. Ron Reeves
    Chincoteague 352k Bomb damage diagram of USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) suffered on 17 July 1943 at Saboe Bay off the Santa Cruz Islands.
    Navy Department Library, USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) War Damage Report No. 47. Plate I    		 Mike Green
    Chincoteague 403k Bomb damage and flooding diagram of USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) suffered on 17 July 1943 at Saboe Bay off the Santa Cruz Islands.
    Navy Department Library, USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) War Damage Report No. 47. Plate II    		 Mike Green
    Chincoteague 412k Section damage diagram of USS Chincoteague (AVP-24)17 July 1943 after one bomb direct hit and three near misses at Saboe Bay off the Santa Cruz Islands.
    Navy Department Library, USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) War Damage Report No. 47. Plate III    		 Mike Green
    Chincoteague 85k Bomb fragment holes and water column damage from bomb No. 2 on the port side of USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) as seen in Mare Island Navy Yard dry-dock.
    Navy Department Library, USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) War Damage Report No. 47.    		 Mike Green
    Chincoteague 70k Shell indentation from near miss bomb explosion of bomb No. 4 to USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) and superstructure damage from water geyser as seen in Mare Island Navy Yard dry-dock.
    Navy Department Library, USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) War Damage Report No. 47.    		 Mike Green
    Chincoteague 81k Shell damage from near miss bomb explosion of bomb No. 4 to USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) and superstructure damage from water geyser as seen in Mare Island Navy Yard dry-dock.
    Navy Department Library, USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) War Damage Report No. 47.    		 Mike Green
    Chincoteague 129k Aft plan view of USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 15 December 1943. Chincoteague was in overhaul at Mare Island from 4 September to 30 December 1943. The covered lighter alongside is YF-535. USS Cony (DD-508) and USS Thatcher (DD-514) are berthed at the next pier over, while USS Trepang (SS-412) is on the building ways in the far background.
    US Navy photo # NH 97707 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Darryl Baker
    Chincoteague 108k Forward plan view of USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 15 December 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 8282    		 Darryl Baker
    Chincoteague 150k Port side amidships view of USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 15 December 1943 while completing repairs to severe battle damage incurred in July 1943. Significant changes, mostly to the anti-aircraft armament, boat stowage, and electronic antennas, are circled. The nearest destroyer in the background is USS Thatcher (DD-514).
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 97708, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command.    		 Robert Hurst
    Chincoteague 93k Bow on view of USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) off Mare Island Navy Yard, 27 December 1943.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 97710, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command.    		 Robert Hurst
    Chincoteague 79k Broadside view of USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) off Mare Island Navy Yard, 27 December 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 8427    		 Darryl Baker
    Chincoteague 65k USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) off Mare Island Navy Yard, 27 December 1943, following repairs to severe battle damage incurred in July 1943. One of the four 5"/38 guns in her original armament has been replaced by a quadruple 40mm mount.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-57482. A US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Chincoteague 83k USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) off Mare Island Navy Yard, 27 December 1943, following repairs to severe battle damage incurred in July 1943. One of the four 5"/38 guns in her original armament has been replaced by a quadruple 40mm mount.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-57483. A US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Chincoteague 73k Stern view of USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) departing Mare Island Navy Yard, 27 December 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 8429    		 Darryl Baker
    Chincoteague 116k USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) mid-1945 following a West Coast overhaul. Her quadruple 40mm mount has been moved forward, but she retains an unshielded 5"/38 gun on the fantail.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-88911. A US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Chincoteague 152k USS Chincoteague (AVP-24), mid-1945 following a West Coast overhaul. Her quadruple 40mm mount has been moved forward, but she retains an unshielded 5"/38 gun on the fantail.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-88909. A US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    USCGC Chincoteague (WAVP-375 / WHEC-375)
    Chincoteague 32k Ex USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) in US Coast Guard service as USCGC Chincoteague (WAVP-375), date and location unknown. Ken Laesser
    Chincoteague 53k USCGC Chincoteague (WAVP-375), off Norfolk, VA. in 1954. Stanley Svec
    Chincoteague 46k USCGC Chincoteague (WAVP-375), date and location unknown. Haze Gray & Underway Web Site
    Chincoteague 110k USCGC Chincoteague (WAVP-375) on fire, 26 January 1961.
    US Coast Guard photo.    		 Ron Reeves
    Chincoteague 45k USCGC Chincoteague (WAVP-375) in 1964, date unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo    		 US Coast Guard Historian's Office
    Chincoteague 52k USCGC Chincoteague (WHEC-375) in 1968, date unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo    		 US Coast Guard Historian's Office
    RVNS Ly Thuong Kiet (HQ-16)
    Bearing Strait 60k Ex-USCGC Chincoteague (WHEC-375), in South Vietnamese naval service as RVNS Ly Thuong Kiet (HQ-16) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Bang Le
    Bearing Strait 28k RVNS Ly Thuong Kiet (HQ-16) underway, date and location unknown. Bang Le
    RPS Andres Bonifacto (PF-7)
    Chincoteague 35k Ex-USCGC Chincoteague (WHEC-375) in Philippine naval service as RPS Andres Bonifacto (PF-7) Haze Gray & Underway Web Site
    USS Chincoteague (AVP-24)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Hobbs, Ira Earl12 April 1943 - 14 October 1943
    02CDR. Rasasco, Robert A.14 October 1943 - 21 January 1945
    03CDR. Smith, James Arthur21 January 1945 - ?
    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
    Profile and Sky Views - Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tenders -Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, WA.
    U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - USCGC Chincoteague WHEC-375
    US Navy Patrol Squadrons - USS Chincoteague (AVP-24)
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 12 December 2014