Childs (AVD 1).
In 1938, the Navy perceived a need for fast tenders that could be deployed as mobile bases for squadrons of PBY patrol bombers. On 1 July, it reclassified two
Clemson-class flush deckers,
Childs and
Williamson, and took them in hand for conversion, removing their two forward stacks and replacing their two forward boilers with fuel tanks which, together with voids, gave them a capacity approximately 50,000 gallons of fuel. Their torpedo tubes, waist guns and 3-inch anti-aircraft gun were also removed and the bridge superstructure was extended aft to where the forward stacks had been to provide quarters for the squadron. A light crane was stepped amidships and aircraft servicing boats were carried in davits.
USS Childs (AVD 1, ex-DD 241, ex-AVP 14).
USS
Williamson (AVD 2, ex-DD 244, ex-AVP 15).
USS
George E. Badger (AVD 3, ex-DD 196, ex-AVP 16, later
APD 33).
USS
Clemson (AVD 4, ex-DD 186, ex-AVP 17, later
APD 31).
USS
Goldsborough (AVD 5, ex-DD 188, ex-AVP 18, later
APD 32).
USS Hulbert (AVD 6. ex-DD 342, ex-AVP 19).
USS
William B Preston (AVD 7, ex-DD 344, ex-AVP 20).
USS
Belknap (AVD 8, ex-DD 251, later
APD 34).
USS
Osmond Ingram (AVD 9, ex-DD 255, later
APD 35).
USS
Ballard (AVD 10. ex-DD 267).
USS
Thornton (AVD 11, ex-DD 270).
USS
Gillis (AVD 12, ex-DD 260).
USS
Greene (AVD 13, ex-DD 266, later
APD 36).
USS McFarland (AVD 14, ex-DD 237).
Their conversion was regarded as a success, leading to five more conversions authorized in 1939 and seven more in 1940.
Concurrently, on 26 October 1939, the name ship of the 1,766-ton Barnegat (AVP 10) class was laid down. Initially, the first seven flush-deckers were also designated AVP, with hull numbers 14–20 in sequence after the first four Barnegats. The designation was later changed to AVD, encompassing all fourteen ships.
LOSSES
One AVD and two ex-AVDs were lost during or immediately after World War II:
- Belknap was damaged beyond repair by Japanese suicide aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, 11 January 1945.
- Thornton was severely damaged in collision with Ashtabula (AO 51) and Escalante (AO 71) in the Ryukyu Islands on 5 April 1945. She was beached and decommissioned on 2 May.
- Greene was grounded during a typhoon off Okinawa, 9 October 1945.
DECORATIONS
McFarland wsa awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for service in the Southwest Pacific, 20 June–16 October 1942.
Five other ships received ten Presidential Unit Citations while attached to the USS Bogue (CVE 9) hunter-killer task group in the Atlantic in 1943: Belknap, Clemson (two awards), George E. Badger (three awards), Greene and Osmond Ingram (three awards).
FOLLOW-ON CONVERSIONS
Six AVDs were converted again as high-speed transports (
APDs):
George E. Badger,
Clemson,
Goldsborough,
Belknap,
Osmond Ingram and
Greene.
