Currituck-class seaplane tender

The Currituck-class seaplane tenders were four ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. The role of a seaplane tender was to provide base facilities for squadrons of seaplanes in a similar way that an aircraft carrier does for its squadrons. While three members of the class were removed from active service in the 1960s, Norton Sound was modified to serve as a testbed for advanced radar and combat management systems, such as the Aegis Combat System.

USS Salisbury Sound (AV-13) at San Diego Bay, ca. 1957
Class overview
Name: Currituck class
Operators:  United States Navy
Built: 1942–1944
In commission: 1943–1987
Completed: 4
General characteristics
Type: Seaplane tender
Displacement: 14,000 tons (full load)
Length: 540 ft 5 in (164.72 m)
Beam: 69 ft 3 in (21.11 m)
Draft: 22 ft 3 in (6.78 m)
Propulsion:
  • Steam turbines
  • 4 × boilers
  • 2 × shafts
  • 12,000 shp (8,900 kW)
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement:
  • 1,247 (Norton Sound & Currituck)
  • 684 (Salisbury Sound & Pine Island)
Armament:
  • 4 × 5"/38 DP guns
  • 3 × quad 40 mm guns
  • 4 × dual 40 mm guns
  • 20 × 20 mm guns

The four ships of the class were:

The ships were named for features on the United States coast.

See also


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