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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USCGC Dexter (WHEC-385)
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USCGC Dexter (WAVP-385 ( - 1966)
USCGC Dexter (WAGC-18) (1949 - )
USS Biscayne (AGC-18) (1944 - 1946)
USS Biscayne (AVP-11) (1941 - 1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Foxtrot - Foxtrot
NEFF
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Defense Service Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Fleet clasp) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (USCGC Dexter) - Philippines Liberation Medal


Barnegat Class Small Seaplane Tender:
  • Laid down, 27 October 1939, at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA.
  • Launched, 23 May 1941
  • Commissioned USS Biscayne (AVP-11), 3 July 1941, LCDR. Carleton C. Champion, Jr., USN in command
  • Converted to an Amphibious Force Command Ship at Mers-el-Kebir, Morocco
  • Redesignated (AGC-18), 10 October 1944
  • During World War II USS Biscayne was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater participating in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Sicilian occupation 11 to 15 July 1943 Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 4 March 1945
    Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 30 June 1945
    West Coast of Italy operations - 1944
    Anzio-Nuttuno advanced landings, 22 January to 1 March 1944
     
    Invasion of Southern France, 15 August to 25 September 1944  

  • Following World War II USS Biscayne (AGC-18) was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 9 September to 8 October 1945
  • Decommissioned, 29 June 1946
  • Custody transferred to US Coast Guard, 10 July 1946
  • USS Biscayne earned six battle stars for World War II service
  • Commissioned USCGC Dexter (WAGC-18), 8 June 1949, CDR. A. G. Morrill, USCG, in command
  • Redesignated WAVP-385, date unknown
  • Decommissioned, 17 December 1952, and laid up at Curtis Bay, MD.
  • Recommissioned, 30 June 1958, CDR. Bainbridge Leland, USCG, in command
  • Redesignated High Endurance Cutter (WHEC-385), 1 May 1966
  • Decommissioned, 9 July 1968
  • Returned to US Naval custody
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target in 1968
    AGC Specifications:
    Displacement 1,766 t.(lt) 2,750 t.(fl)
    Length 310' 9"
    Beam 41' 1"
    Draft 13' 6"
    Speed 18.6 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 50
    Enlisted 287
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-288 Diesel engines
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gears
    Ships' Service Generators
    two Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    two Diesel-drive 200Kw 450V A.C.
    two propellers, 6,400shp

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    Size Image Description Source
    USS Biscayne (AVP-11)
    Barnegat
    09431014
    234k U.S. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., viewed from the west, 25 July 1941, taken from an aircraft based at NAS Seattle, WA. Among the ships present are:
    USS Aroostook (AK-44), at right, and
    USS Prometheus (AR-3), center, alongside the near side of the long pier closest to the camera;
    USS Utah (AG-16) in drydock at left;
    USS Colorado (BB-45), alongside the middle of the three longest piers;
    USS Barnegat (AVP-10) and
    USS Biscayne (AVP-11), fitting out on the far side of the most distant long pier;
    USS Casco (AVP-12) and
    USS Mackinac (AVP-13), under construction in the drydock in the upper left. U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH-84927. >
    Robert Hurst
    Biscayne 34k USS Biscayne (AVP-11), painted camouflage scheme 12(modified), underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    Haze Gray & Underway Web Site
    Biscayne 95k USS Biscayne (AVP-11), painted camouflage scheme 12(modified), port bow view, at Boston Navy Yard, 19 January 1942, in her original configuration with a large crane and clear fantail for handling aircraft. She is carrying a Vought OS2U "Kingfisher.".
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-83976, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives.
    US Naval History and heritage Command
    Biscayne 76k USS Biscayne (AVP-11) near Boston Navy Yard, 19 January 1942, in her original configuration. The first two ships of the class were completed to the original design for the class with a large seaplane handling crane and a clear fantail onto which it could lift seaplanes for servicing. The aircraft shown here is a Vought OS2U Kingfisher.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-27316, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.
    Mike Green
    Biscayne 81k USS Biscayne (AVP-11), painted camouflage scheme 12(modified), port quarter view, at Boston Navy Yard, 19 January 1942, in her original configuration with a large crane and clear fantail for handling aircraft. She is carrying a Vought OS2U "Kingfisher.".
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-83977, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Biscayne 71k USS Biscayne (AVP-11), painted camouflage scheme 12(modified), off Boston Navy Yard, 7 May 1942. Her large seaplane handling crane has been replaced with a smaller model and she now carries anti-aircraft guns on her fantail.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-29521, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the U.S. National Archives.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Biscayne 274k USS Biscayne (AVP-11) officers, date and location unknown. William Avery
    Biscayne 153k USS Biscayne (AVP-11) serving as flagship in the Mediterranean, circa 1943-44. Jim Kurrasch
    Battleship Iowa Pacific Battleship Center
    Biscayne 93k USS Biscayne (AVP-11), serving as the flagship of the "Joss" (Licata) invasion force during the invasion of Sicily, July 1943. Photographed from USS Buck (DD-420).
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-259390, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the National Archives.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Biscayne
    10011818
    73k British Gen. J. L. Hawksworth and RADM Richard L. Conolly, USN, aboard USS Biscayne (AVP-11), 6 September 1943, three days before the Salerno landings.
    U.S. Navy Photo, now in the collections of the US National Archives
    Robert Hurst
    Biscayne 112k USS Biscayne (AVP-11), serving as invasion force flagship for the Anzio landings, 21-22 January 1944. Photographed from USS Frederick C. Davis (DE-136). Note the PT boat alongside.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-223478, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the National Archives.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Biscayne 112k USS Biscayne (AVP-11), docked at Arzew, Algeria, 11 June 1944, during amphibious exercises there. USS Doran (DD-634) and USS Cowie (DD-632) are outboard. Photographed from USS Catoctin (AGC-5).
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-240881 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the National Archives.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Biscayne 115k USS Biscayne (AVP-11), participating in amphibious exercises off Arzew, Algeria, as flagship of RADM B. J. Rodgers, 10-11 June 1944. Photographed from USS Catoctin (AGC-5).
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-240919, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the National Archives.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USCGC Dexter (WAVP-385) (WHEC-385)
    Biscayne 65k USCGC Dexter (WAVP-385) at the Bar Harbor, Maine Municipal pier during a port visit 1-5 April 1950.
    Photo courtesy the Strout Family Collection.
    Jonathan Eno
    Biscayne 127k USCGC Dexter (WAVP-385) under way, date and location unknown.
    USCG photo
     
    Biscayne 40k USCGC Dexter (WAVP-385) under way, date and location unknown.
    USCG photo
    Ken Laesser
    Biscayne 64k USCGC Dexter (WAVP-385), 12 August 1958. Original caption: "Coast Guard Cutter Dexter Approaches New Homeport. SAN FRANCISCO, 11 August.--The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter DEXTER entered the Golden Gate at noon today enroute to the Alameda Coast Guard Base, her new homeport. The DEXTER will primarily run offshore cruises for the training of Coast Guard reservists. During World War II, the vessel was the Naval USS BISCAYNE, which served in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific. Turned over to the Coast Guard in 1946, and re-named DEXTER, she served as a North Atlantic Weather Patrol vessel until 1953 when she was decommissioned. After reconditioning at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland, she was recommissioned last June 30, and last month began the voyage to her new station in Alameda. Commander Bainbridge B. Leland, USCG, commands the DEXTER, which carries his staff of eight other officers, ten Chief Petty Officers and 65 enlisted men. Many of the DEXTER personnel will make their homes in the East Bay area."
    USCG photo # 80458:12 CGD/ah, from the collections of the Office of the US Coast Guard Historian.
    Mike Green
    Biscayne 583k USCGC Dexter (WAVP-385) docked at Vancouver BC on May 27, 1960.
    City of Vancouver Archives, Photo No. AM1506-S3-3-: CVA 447-4234, by Walter E. Frost.
    Mike Green

    USS Biscayne (AGC-18)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    USS Biscayne (AVP-11 / AGC-18) Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Champion Jr., Carleton Cole, USN (USNA 1920)3 July 1941 - October 1942
    02CDR. Young, Robert Cummings, USN (USNA 1932)October 1942 - 26 August 1943
    03CDR. Eckelmeyer Jr., Edward Herman, USN (USNA 1927) :RADM26 August 1943 - 17 September 1944
    04LCDR. Bates, Richard H., USNR17 September 1944 - 6 August 1945
    05CDR. Ryan, Charles Maurice, USN (USNA 1925)6 August 1945 - 29 June 1946
    USCGC Dexter (WAGC-18 / WAVP-385 / WHEC-385) Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Morrill, Arthur Giddings, USCG29 July 1946 - ?
    02CDR. Slade, Hans Franklin, USCG (USCGA 1929)April 1948 - July 1949
    03CDR. Childress, William Wilder, USCG (USCGA 1933) :RADMJuly 1949 - June 1950
    04CDR. Hay, Sidney Miller, USCG1951
    05CDR. Land, Harold (Gus), USCG (USCGA 1937)1952
    06CDR. Leland, Bainbridge Bradley, USCG (USCGA 1943)30 June 1958
    07CAPT. Morrison, William Llewelyn, USCG (USCGA 1939) :RADMSeptember 1960 - June 1961
    08CDR. Felton, Walter J., USCG1962
    09CDR. Wilson, Kenneth Evans, USCG (USCGA 1943)1963
    10CAPT. Carlson, Arnold E., USCG1964 - June 1965
    11CAPT. Logan, Lloyd Milton, USCGJune 1965 - 1967
    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
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    Last Updated 1 July 2022