U.S.S. Albemarle
AV-5
1958
(Saratoga SMY-69)
- Class: Curtiss - 2 seaplane tenders of 1937-38
- Displacement: 9,090 tons standard / 12,053 tons full load
- Dimensions: 527'3" x 69'3" x 21'
- Machinery: 2-shaft geared turbines, SHP 12,000 = 19 knots
- Armament: 2-5"/38 (2x1) DP, 16-40mm (4x4) AA
- Complement: 1,195
- Builder: New York Shipbuilding Corp, Camden, NJ
- Laid down: 12 Jun 1939
- Launched: 13 Jul 1940
- Commissioned: 20 Dec 1940 / 21 Oct 1957
- Decommissioned: 14 Aug 1950 / 21 Oct 1960
- Notes: During World War II USS Albemarle was assigned to both the Europe-Africa-Middle East and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters. Postwar she participated in the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946 as Joint Task Force 1 Task Group 1.1 (Technical Group) Flagship and was responsible for instrumenting all target ships and target areas and the recording of all scientific data. Decommissioned in 1950 and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New York Group, Brooklyn.
Recommissioned in 1957 and modified as shown here as a tender for the projected Martin P6M Seamaster jet flying boat. The P6M program was canceled in Aug 1959 and Albemarle never serviced the aircraft. She decommissioned again in 1960 and was laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk Group.
Reinstated in Mar 1965 and converted to an Aircraft Repair Ship, Helicopter at Charleston Naval Shipyard. Placed in service as USNS Corpus Christi Bay (T-ARVH-1) in January 1966 under the control of the Military Sealift Command.
During the Vietnam War she participated in campaigns between 1966 to 1969. Placed out of-service in 1973 and returned to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Corpus Christi. Struck from the Naval Register, 31 Dec 1974. Sold for scrapping 1975.
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