USS Coos Bay (AVP-25)

USS Coos Bay (AVP-25) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1943 to 1946.

Construction and commissioning
Coos Bay (AVP-25) was laid down on 15 August 1941 by Lake Washington Shipyards, Houghton, Washington, and was launched on 15 May 1942, sponsored by Mrs. L. E. Geheres. She was commissioned on 15 May 1943 with Commander W. Miller in command.

First tour 1943-1944
Coos Bay cleared San Diego, California on 22 July 1943 for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Espiritu Santo, and Cavutu, where she established a seadrome for Patrol Squadron 71 (VP-71) from 13 October 1943 until 23 November 1943. She was based successively at Tulagi, at Blanche Harbor in the Treasury Islands, and at Green Island until 16 June 1944.

After carrying men and equipment of Fleet Air Wing 1 (FAW-1) from New Georgia to Espiritu Santo, Coos Bay sailed on 21 August 1944 for Guadalcanal, where she unloaded aviation equipment. From 8 September 1944 to 9 December 1944 she served at Saipan as station tender, then returned to San Pedro, California, for an overhaul.

Damaged in collision at sea
Coos Bay returned to Pearl Harbor on 17 March 1945. On 21 March 1945 she departed for Ulithi Atoll. During her passage, on 31 March 1945, she collided with an oceangoing tug - M/V Matagorda, which took her in tow for emergency repairs at Eniwetok. Coos Bay proceeded to San Pedro for repairs and overhaul. Returning to Pearl Harbor, Coos Bay remained there until 1 September 1945. Meanwhile, hostilities with Japan ended on 15 August 1945.

Military awards and honors
Coos Bay received two battle stars for World War II service.

Post-World War II U.S. Navy service
On 1 September 1945, Coos Bay departed Pearl Harbor for Ominato Ko, Honshū, Japan. The formal Japanese surrendered to the Allies took place the following day. Arriving at Ominato Ko on 13 September 1945 for station tender duty, Coos Bay remained there until 2 December 1945, when she proceeded to Orange, Texas, where she arrived on 11 January 1946 for inactivation.

Decommissioning


Coos Bay was decommissioned and placed in reserve in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Orange on 30 April 1946.

On loan to the United States Coast Guard
Coos Bay was loaned to the United States Coast Guard on 5 January 1949 and commissioned as USCGC Coos Bay (WAVP-376) on 4 May 1949. She was reclassified as a high endurance cutter and redesignated WHEC-376 on 1 May 1966. Throughout her Coast Guard career, she served in the North Atlantic, based at Portland, Maine. Her primary duty was to patrol ocean stations to collect weather data and conduct search-and-rescue and law-enforcement operations.

The Coast Guard decommissioned Coos Bay on 1 September 1966, and berthed her at Curtis Bay, Maryland. The Coast Guard returned her to the Navy on 2 September 1967.

Sunk as target
Coos Bay was struck from the Naval Register. The Navy towed her from Curtis Bay to a point 120 nmi off the coast of Virginia, where on 9 January 1968 guided missile destroyer USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG-5), one other Navy ship, and 35 aircraft sank her as a target.