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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USCGC Half Moon (WHEC-378)
ex
 USCGC Half Moon (WAVP-378) (1948 - 1966)
 USS Half Moon (AVP-26) (1943 - 1948)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Quebec - Romeo
 NBQR
USS Half Moon (AVP-26) Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
USCGC Half Moon (WHEC-378) Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - National Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (1) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Half Moon (AVP-26) was transferred to the US Coast Guard after World War II
Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tender:
  • Laid down, 10 March 1942, at Lake Washington Shipyards, Houghton, WA.
  • Launched, 12 July 1942
  • Commissioned USS Half Moon (AVP-26), 15 June 1943, CDR. William O. Gallery in command
  • During WWII USS Half Moon (AVP-26) was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Western New Guinea operations
    Cape Sansapor operation, 21 to 26 August 1944     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October to 29 November 1944
    Battle of Surigao Strait, 24 to 26 October 1944
    Western New Guinea operations
    Morotai Landings, 15 September 1944     		 

  • Following World War II USS Half Moon was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 2 October 1945
  • Decommissioned, 4 September 1946, at San Diego
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Loaned to the Coast Guard and commissioned, USCGC Half Moon (WAVP-378), 30 July 1948
  • Redesignated High Endurance Cutter (WMEC-378) in 1966
  • During the Vietnam War USCGC Half Moon (WMEC-378) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    24 April to 31 May 1967     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    2 April to 30 June 1958
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 June 1967 to 29 January 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    1 July to 1 November 1968
    Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 1 April 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 November to 18 December 1968

  • Decommissioned, 15 July 1969
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrap
  • USS Half Moon received two battle stars for World War II service and USCGC Half Moon earned six campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,766 t.(lt) 2,800 t.(fl)
    Length 310' 9"
    Beam 41' 2"
    Draft 13' 6" (lim)
    Speed 18.2 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 14
    Enlisted 201
    Aviation Units Attached Accommodations
    Officers 59
    Enlisted 93
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    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
    Fuel Capacities
    Diesel 2,000 Bbls
    Gasoline 82,650 Gals
    Fuel Capacities
    Diesel 2,055 Bbls
    Gasoline 84,000 Gals
    Propulsion
    two Fairbanks Morse 38D8 1/8 Diesel engines
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    two Diesel-drive 200Kw 450V A.C.
    two Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    two propellers, 6,400shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USS Half Moon (AVP-26)
    Half Moon 86k USS Half Moon (AVP-26) off Houghton, WA., 15 June 1943, the day of her first commissioning. She was completed with a main battery of four 5"/38 guns.<
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-47445, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Half Moon 84k USS Half Moon (AVP-26) off Houghton, WA., 15 June 1943.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-47450, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Half Moon 129k USS Half Moon (AVP-26) at her builder's yard at Houghton, WA., 15 June 1943
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-47451, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Half Moon 161k USS Half Moon (AVP-26) at her builder's yard at Houghton, WA., 15 June 1943
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-47452, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Half Moon 261k Distant view of USS Half Moon (AVP-26) conducting 360 degree turning trials, 10 February 1944, probably near Brisbane, Australia.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-223139, a US Navy photo now in collections of the US National Archives.    		 Carl Musselman
    Half Moon
    80-G-1021245    		 544k USS Half Moon (AVP-26) coming alongside USS Tangier (AV-8) on 8 October 1944, probably near Morotai Island, for transfer of flag personnel.
    US National Archives photo #'s 80-G-1021245 and 80-G-1021244, US Navy photos now in collections of the US National Archives.    		 Carl Musselman
    Half Moon
    80-G-1021244    		 488k
    USCGC Half Moon (WAVP-378) (WHEC-378)
    Half Moon 40k ExUSS Half Moon (AVP-26) in US Coast Guard service as USCGC Half Moon (WAVC-378) underway, date and location unknown. Ken Laesser
    Half Moon 55k USCGC Half Moon (WAVP-378) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo    		 Ken Laesser
    Half Moon 35k USCGC Half Moon (WAVP-378) underway, circa 1952, location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Half Moon 44k USCGC Half Moon (WHEC-378) underway during UNREP off the coast of Vietnam, date unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo from the Office of the US Coast Guard Historian    		 Mike Green
    Half Moon 116k USCGC Half Moon (WHEC-378) fires her five-inch gun at a Vietcong stronghold in the Song Ong Doc area of South Vietnam while on Market Time patrol.
    US Coast Guard photo # 6218.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Half Moon (AVP-26)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Gallery, William Onahan :RADM15 June 1943 - 16 June 1944
    02CDR. Bandy, Jack Irving16 June 1944 - October 1945
    03CDR. Morrison, Carl HawkinsmithOctober 1945 - 4 September 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
    Profile and Sky Views - Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tenders -Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, WA.
    U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - Half Moon 1948
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Small Seaplane Tender (AVP) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 15 March 2013