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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski, left patch created by Gerrard T. Przybylek

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS San Pablo (AGS-30)
ex
USS San Pablo (AVP-30) (1943 - 1948)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Uniform - Kilo
NBUK
San Pablo (AVP-30) Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from left to right top to bottom
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)


San Pablo (AGS-30) Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (6-Cuba) - National Defense Service Medal


Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tender:
  • Laid down, 2 July 1941, at Associated Ship Building Inc., Seattle, WA.
  • Launched, 31 March 1942
  • Commissioned, USS San Pablo (AVP-30), 15 March 1943, CDR. Roy R. Darron in command
  • During World War II USS San Pablo was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Eastern New Guinea operation
    Finschhafen operation, 21 January to 17 February 1944
    Western New Guinea operations
    Toem-Wakde-Sarmi area operation, 13 to 28 May 1944
    Morotai Landings, 15 October 1944
    Support and consolidating operations designated by Com 7th Flt, 12 October to 7 November 1944
    Bismarck Archipelago operation
    Admiralty Island landings, 24 March to 17 April 1944
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 21 to 29 November 1944
  • Decommissioned, 13 January 1947
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, USS San Pablo (AGS-30), 17 September 1948, San Francisco, CA., CDR. Thomas E. Chambers in command
  • Decommissioned, 29 May 1969
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 June 1969
  • USS San Pablo (AVP-30) earned four battle stars for World War II service
  • Loaned to Ocean Science Center of the Atlantic Commission, Savannah GA., 14 September 1971
  • Final Disposition, sold to Margo Zahardis, Vancouver, WA., fate unknown
    AVP Specifications:
    Displacement 1,766 t.(lt) 2,750 t.(fl), 2,800 t.(lim)
    Length 310' 9"
    Beam 41' 2"
    Draft 13' 6" (lim)
    Speed 18.2 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 73
    Enlisted 294
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament - As Built
    four single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    one quad 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    Diesel 1,955Bbls
    Gasoline 84,340Gals
    Propulsion
    four Fairbanks Morse Diesel 32D81/8
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gear Ship's Service Generators
    one Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    one Diesel-drive 200Kw 450V A.C.
    two propellers, 6,080shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    USS San Pablo (AVP-30)
    San Pablo
    09433013
    156k
    Namesake
    San Pablo - San Pablo Bay is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in the East Bay and North Bay regions of the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California. Most of the Bay is shallow; however, there is a deep water channel approximately in the middle of the bay, which allows access to major ports in Sacramento, Stockton, Benicia, and Martinez; and other smaller ports on the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta.
    San Pablo Bay was named after Rancho San Pablo, a Spanish land grant given to colonial Alta California settlers in 1815, on the bay at the site of the present-day city of San Pablo. The bay is approximately 10 mi across and has an area of approximately 90 sq mi.
    The bay receives the waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, via Suisun Bay and the Carquinez Strait on its northeast end, and it connects to the Pacific Ocean via the San Francisco Bay on its southern end. The bay is heavily silted from the contributions of the two rivers, which themselves drain most of the Central Valley of California. San Pablo Bay also receives the waters of Sonoma Creek through the Napa Sonoma Marsh, San Rafael Creek, and the Petaluma River directly, and the Napa River which flows into the Carquinez Strait via the Mare Island Strait near its entrance into the bay. All tributaries except for Sonoma Creek are commercially navigable and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
    Photo - Suisun Bay (bottom), Carquinez Strait (with bridges crossing it), and San Pablo Bay (upper center), with Point Reyes in the background; evening aerial shot looking west into the sun, 27 July 2017. Dicklyon
    Map - San Pablo Bay (Mapsoft.net)
    Tommy Trampp
    San Pablo 98k San Pablo (AVP-30) near Seattle, Washington, 9 March 1943, a few days before her commissioning, builder's photo
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-42493, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    San Pablo 103k San Pablo (AVP-30) near Seattle, Washington, 9 March 1943, a few days before her commissioning, builder's photo
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-42494, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    San Pablo
    09433014
    187k Post card image of San Pablo (AVP-30) underway, post World War II, date and location unknown. Carl Musselman
    San Pablo 102k USS San Pablo (AVP-30) and USS Rehoboth (AVP-50) moored at Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island, Azores, 22 February 1949. Both had been reactivated as surveying ships in 1948 although they retained their AVP classifications until August 1949.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-413565, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    US Naval History and Heritage Command


    USS San Pablo (AVP-30) during the recovery and towing attempts of of Pan Am B-314 Honolulu Clipper that made an emergency landing 600 NE of Hawaii, 3 November 1945. The aircraft was eventually sunk with 20mm gun fire from San Pablo, 14 Nov 1945, after being deemed a hazard to navigation by the U.S. Navy after all towing attempts in slightly heavy seas failed. The photo of the ship pointed at the plane was taken 7 November 1945 just before the plane took a bad wave and slammed into the ship. The second photo is believed to have been taken between 5 an 14 November 1945. Included with the photos is Mr. Musselman's 1/350 diorama of this incident.
    Carl Musselman
    San Pablo
    09433015
    San Pablo
    09433016
    San Pablo
    09433017
    San Pablo
    09433018
    San Pablo
    09433019

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    USS San Pablo (AGS-30)
    San Pablo 47k USS San Pablo (AGS-30) underway, date and location unknown. Haze Gray & Underway Web Site
    San Pablo 90k USS San Pablo (AGS-30) moored outboard of USS Rehoboth (AGS-50) at Monoco, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, November 1959
    Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    San Pablo 41k USS San Pablo (AGS-30) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from DANFS.
    Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    San Pablo 108k USS San Pablo (AGS-30) at sea off Bermuda, 16 January 1962.
    US Navy photo # NH 97534 by PH2 Warren, from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command .
    Robert Hurst
    San Pablo
    09433011
    41k USS San Pablo (AGS-30) returning to Cramp Shipbuilding at Philadelphia. PA. from sea trials in 1963 Chin Yu Chu
    San Pablo
    09433012
    44k
    San Pablo 137k USS San Pablo (AGS-30) underway, circa 1967, location unknown.
    US Navy photo # NH 97535-KN from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command .
    Robert Hurst
    San Pablo 79k USS San Pablo (AGS-30) Ship's plaque Ron Reeves


    For more photos and information about USS San Pablo see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • Barnegat Class Seaplane Tenders

  • Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Darron, Roy Raymond, USN (USNA 1922)15 March 1943 - 15 May 1943AVP-30
    02LCDR. Dunlap, Stanton Baldwin, USN (USNA 1926) :RADM15 May 1943 - 21 June 1944AVP-30
    03CDR. Willard, Chauncey Shearer, USN (USNA 1932)21 June 1944 - 14 March 1945AVP-30
    04CDR. Hughes, George Ervin, USN (USNA 1932)14 March 1945 - 10 October 1945AVP-30
    05CDR. Eisenbach, Charles Robert, USN (USNA 1936)10 October 1945 - 17 July 1946AVP-30
    06LCDR. Young, Jack Curtis, USN (USNA 1939)17 July 1946 - August 1946 AVP-30
    07LCDR. Gadberry, William Franklin, USNAugust 1946 - 13 January 1947AVP-30
     Decommissioned13 January 1947 - 17 September 1948 
    08CDR. Chambers, Thomas Edward, USN (USNA 1932)17 September 1948 - October 1949AGS-30
    09CAPT. Petersen, Adolph John, USNOctober 1949 - 10 October 1951AGS-30
    10CDR. Day, Walter Deforest, USN10 October 1951 - January 1954AGS-30
    11CDR. Gregg, Tomas Albert, USNJanuary 1954 - 1 February 1955AGS-50
    12CDR. Tippey, James Morton, USN1 February 1955 - 4 February 1956AGS-30
    13CDR. Bidwell, Robert Gordon, USN (USNA 1938)4 February 1956 - 22 June 1957AGS-30
    14CDR. Clark, Harry Archer, USN22 June 1957 - 22 December 1958AGS-30
    15CDR. Hunt, Deacon, USN 22 December 1958 - 10 September 1959AGS-30
    16LCDR. Foard, John Stager, USNR 10 September 1959 - 8 December 1959AGS-30
    17CDR. Vandale, John James, USNR8 December 1959 - 29 July 1960AGS-30
    18CDR. Sattler Jr., Robert Lewis, USNR29 July 1959 - 21 September 1962AGS-30
    19CDR. Grafton, Warren Carroll, USN21 September 1962 - 16 January 1964AGS-30
    20CDR/CAPT. Zettel, Ralph Anton, USNR16 January 1964 - 2 October 1965AGS-30
    21CDR. Ruehrmund, James Carl, USN (USNA 1948-A)2 October 1965 - 28 July 1967AGS-30
    22CDR. Ragland, Roy Junior, USN28 July 1967 - 14 March 1969AGS-30
    23CDR. Batten, Charles, Gunther14 March 1969 - 6 May 1969AGS-30
    24LCDR. McMillan, Lee Quincy, USN (USNA 1956)6 May 1969 - 29 May 1969AGS-30
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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    Last Updated 16 February 2024