Curtiss (AV 4) - Naval Cruise Book

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HISTORY OF THE USS CURTISS (AV-4) The USS CURTISS (AV-4) was the first ship of the name and the first ship to be designed and constructed to function solely as a Seaplane Ten- der. She was authorized by an act of Congress dated 30 July 1937. The contract for her building was awarded to the New York Shipbuilding Cor- poration, Camden, New Jersey. The Ship ' s keel was laid on 25 April 1938. She was launched on 20 April 1940, being christened by Mrs. H. Sayre Wheeler of Miami Springs, Flor- ida. Mrs. Wheeler was the widow of the late Glenn Hammond Curtiss, inventor and aviator, after whom the ship was named. . . . Glenn Hammond Curtiss was bom in Ham- mondsport. New York on 21 Mav 1878, and died 23 July 1930. Mr. Curtiss, with Mr. J. B. Willys, the automobile manufacturer, expanded the Cur- tiss Aircraft Factory, which Mr. Curtiss founded, to meet the demands of the Allied Forces in World War I for combat aircraft. Mr. Curtiss was a noted leader in the field of aviation. He designed many types of planes, among the most notable were the Navy Curtiss Flying Boats, NC-1, 2, 3, and 4, which later made the first Trans-Atlantic Cross- ing. As an individual he set many early aeronau- tical records . . . The USS CURTISS was commissioned on 15 November 1940, at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia, by RADM A. E. WATSON, USN, Commandant of the Fourth Naval District. CDR. S. P. CIN- DER, USN, accepted command of the new ship. During the first six months of active service, the CURTISS was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, serv- ing in the Caribbean Sea, with Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as its base. In May 1941, the CURTISS was assisned to Patrol Wing TWO in the Pacific Fleet. She ar- rived at Pearl Harbor in June of that year. The next five months were spent patrolling the sur- rounding areas and tending VPB Squadrons 21, 23. 24, and 25. On 22 November 1941. CDR S. P. GINDER, USN, was relieved by CDR H. S. KENDALL, USN, as Commanding Officer. Two weeks later the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. At 0755, 7 December 1941, the CURTISS (AV-4) and its crew went to General Quarters under enemy attack. The Japanese had already bombed the seaplane hangar at the air station and many ships in the dry dock and channel had also been hit. At 0805 CURTISS commenced firing on attacking Japanese aircraft while lighting off boil- ers 1 , 2, and 4. CURTISS tested heV main engines at 0835 and the Engineering Department reported ready to get underway. One minute later a submarine periscope was sighted on the starboard quarter at a range of 700 yards. CURTISS opened fire with machine