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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Tango - Oscar
NYTO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia Clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (4) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal



USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) was transferred to Norway and renamed KNM Haakon VII (A537)
Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tender
  • Laid down, 14 March 1944, at Lake Washington Shipyards, Houghton, WA.
  • Launched, 2 December 1944
  • Commissioned, USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39), 11 February 1945, CDR. Carlton C. Lucas in command
  • During World War II USS Gardiners Bay was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 3 to 30 June 1945
    3rd Fleet operations against Japan, 10 to 25 July 1945

  • USS Gardiners Bay was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal

    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 September 1945 to 29 January 19463 February to 9 August 1946
    13 August to 21 October 194615 to 17 June 1947
    12 to 13 June 19476 to 20 July 1947
    24 June to 4 July 194730 May to 29 June 1949
    24 July to 16 September 194718 September to 12 November 1949
    14 April to 29 May 19497 October 1951 to 20 March 1952
     7 August to 24 September 1952
     8 to 21 October 1952
     19 to 22 November 1952
     21 to 22 December 1952
     15 July to 7 August 1953
     14 and 26 to 29 August 1953
     21 to 24 November 1954
     26 July to 5 August 1955

  • During the Korean War USS Gardiners Bay participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korea Aggression, 2 to 28 October 1950 First UN Counter Offensive, 1 to 5 March 1951
    Communist China Aggression, 9 to 19 November 1950 Korean Summer-Fall 1953, 16 June to 1 July 1953

  • Decommissioned, 1 February 1958
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1958
  • USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) earned two battle stars for World War Two service and four battle stars for Korean War service
  • Transferred to Norway, 17 May 1958, renamed KNM Haakon VII (A537)
  • Struck from the Norwegian Navy for disposal in 1974
  • Final Disposition, scrapped
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,766 t.(lt) 2,800 t.(fl)
    Length 310'
    Beam 41' 2"
    Draft 13' 6" (limiting)
    Speed 18.2 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 14
    Enlisted 201
    Aviation Unit Accommodations
    Officers 59
    Enlisted 93
    Largest boom capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    one quad 40mm AA gun mount
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    Diesel 1,955 Bbls.
    Gasoline 84,340 Gals.
    Propulsion
    four Fairbanks Morse 38D8 1/8 Diesel engines
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gear
    Ships Service Generators
    two diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    two diesel-drive 200Kw 450V A.C.
    two propellers, 6,080shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)
    Gardiners Bay
    09433914
    200k
    Namesake
    Gardiners Bay - Is a small arm of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 10 miles long and 8 miles wide in the state of New York between the two flukelike peninsulas at the eastern end of Long Island. It is bounded on its eastern end, where it connects to Block Island Sound, by Gardiners Island and Promised Land. The bay is bounded on the western end by Shelter Island. It connects by two channels at the north and south end of Shelter Island to Great Peconic Bay. During the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, the bay was controlled by the British, who used Gardiners Island to store provisions. The British fleet assembled in Cherry Harbor in the bay before sailing to Chesapeake Bay to attack Washington, D.C. and burn the United States Capitol. (Wikipedia)
    Photo - Satellite view of Gardiners Island in Gardiners Bay, East Hampton, New York.
    Map - Block Island Sound & Gardiners Bay NY 1951 Nautical Map
    Tommy Trampp
    Gardiners Bay 91k USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) launching at Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, WA
    2 December 1944
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-79691, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Gardiners Bay 132k USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) underway in Lake Washington, 18 February 1945
    Paint scheme is Camouflage Measure 33, Design 1F
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-85076, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Gardiners Bay 153k USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) underway in Lake Washington, 18 February 1945
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-85074, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Gardiners Bay
    09433919
    344k USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) entering San Francisco Bay circa 1946-47 with Angel Island in the background. Photo possibley taken from the Golden Gate Bridge. Darryl Baker
    Gardiners Bay 141k CAPT. Frank G. Raysbrook (Commanding Officer); CDR. J.R. MacKroth (Executive Officer), stand on the bridge wing of the USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) during day-to-day operations.
    Photo courtesy of the USC Libraries Special Collections, Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA.
    Bill Gonyo
    Gardiners Bay 35k USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) underway, circa 1950's, location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Gardiners Bay 37k USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) moored pierside, circa 1950's, location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Gardiners Bay 39k USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) underway, circa 1956, location unknown.
    Photo courtesy LCDR. G.R.G. Murray, RN, from "Jane's Fighting Ships 1956-57".
    Robert Hurst
    Gardiners Bay 84k USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) underway in San Francisco Bay in 1957. Photo ©Allied Photographers of San Francisco. Robert M. Cieri
    Gardiners Bay
    09433918
    139k USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) following a regular overhaul at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA., 9 April 1958. Note the absence of any hull number. The U.S. Navy hull number was probably not painted anymore on the ship as Gardiners Bay was transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy on 17 May 1958.
    U.S. National Archives Identifier 7577412, U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-NN-AVP 39 Gardiners Bay-158556
    Robert Hurst
    KNM Haakon VII (A537)
    Gardiners Bay 45k Ex-USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) underway in British waters while in Norwegian service as KNM Haakon VII (A537), circa 1959.
    Photo Wright & Logan, Southsea, England, from "Jane's Fighting Ships 1959-60".
    Robert Hurst
    Gardiners Bay
    09433915
    363k The Norwegian training ship KNM Haakon VII (A537) arriving at Rotterdam, Holland, 17 February 1961.
    Photo by Herbert Behrens. Photo collection Anefo Report / Series : [ unknown ]. Anefo Copyright holder : National Archive Material. Archive inventory number : view access 2.24.01.04 Item number : 912-1093
    Robert Hurst
    Gardiners Bay 47k KNM Haakon VII (A537), circa 1968, location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Gardiners Bay 46k KNM Haakon VII (A537) at anchor,date and location unknown.
    R.Nor.R. Navy photo.
    Robert Hurst
    Gardiners Bay 59k KNM Haakon VII (A537) underway off Washington D.C. March 1970. Robert Hurst
    Gardiners Bay
    09433917
    253k KNM Haakon VII (A537) and two Norwegian coastal minesweepers KNM Sira (M312) and KNM Kvina (M332) entering the harbor at Amsterdam, Holland, 10 August 1973.
    Photographer Punt / Anefo Copyright holder : National Archive Material. inventory number : view access 2.24.01.04 Part number : 926-6019
    Robert Hurst
    Gardiners Bay
    09433916
    230k KNM Haakon VII (A537) with two Norwegian coastal minesweepers KNM Sira (M312) and KNM Kvina (M332) alongside at Amsterdam, Holland, 10 August 1973.
    Photographer Punt / Anefo Copyright holder : National Archive Material. inventory number : view access 2.24.01.05 Part number : 926-6018
    Robert Hurst

    USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Lucas, Carlton Charles11 February 1945 - 30 December 1946
    02CDR. Boyle, Peter Frederick30 December 1946 - May 1947
    04CAPT. Fenton, Charles RudolphJune 1948 - June 1949
    06CAPT. Young, Joseph Burwell Hawkins1950 - 27 July 1951
    07CAPT. Raysbrook, Frank George27 July 1951 - ?
    09CAPT. Short Jr., Wallace ClarkSeptember 1955 - August 1956
    10CAPT. Bakutis, Frederick Edward :RADMAugust 1956 - April 1957
    11CAPT. Sliney, James Gilmore :RADMApril 1957 - February 1958
    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
    Barnegat Class Seaplane Tenders
    US Navy Patrol Squadrons - USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)
    Profile and Sky Views - Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tenders - Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, WA.

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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 31 March 2023