Help Identify Ship

[siege1863]

Cannot identify this ship or the class. Single stack, twin gun turrets forward, twin gun platforms aft, suggest some type of of destroyer or destroyer escort. However, the hull number appears to be only two digits instead of the typical three. Could it be one of the few surviving early ships with double-digit numbers?

 

Photo was taken at Casablanca in either January or June 1944. Note camo paint scheme.

 

[Teamski]

That, sir is a Barnegat class Seaplane Tender.....

 

-Ski

[m1ashooter]

Great question. I just looked at all of the WW2 class USN DE's and can't find a reference to twin turrets on the bow and the cut of the stern also doesn't look like a US made ship but I don't see one in any allied references either.

 

This was fun. a sea plane tender she is.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Barnegat_(AVP-10).jpg

[siege1863]

Thanks, guys! With it being a seaplane tender, I have had to search through many fewer ship histories and photos. With your help, I have been able to positively identify the ship and date of the image!

 

Here is a view of the USS MATAGORDA (AVP-22) taken November 1943. The angle is the same and the camo pattern matches exactly. Also, on a higher resoultion scan of my photo, I can make out what does appear to be "22" on the hull. According to the ship's history, the MATAGORDA, between 5 October 1943 and 5 March 1944, made two round trips across the Atlantic. The first was to deliver men and cargo to Pembroke and Bristol. The second was as an escort and to deliver supplies to CASABLANCA and Gibraltar. In June, the ship was operating in waters of Brazil. This would then date my photo to January 14-16, 1944.