View source for USS Suisun

{{short description|Tender of the United States Navy}}

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|Ship image=[[Image:USS Suisun (AVP-53).jpg|300px|USS Suisun (AVP-53)]]
|Ship caption=USS ''Suisun'' (AVP-53) off [[Houghton, Washington|Houghton]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], on 17 September 1944
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1944}}
|Ship name=USS ''Suisun''
|Ship namesake=[[Suisun Bay]], on the coast of [[California]]
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|Ship builder=[[Lake Washington Shipyard]], [[Houghton, Washington|Houghton]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
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|Ship laid down=4 October 1942
|Ship launched=14 March 1943
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. C. W. Martyr
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|Ship commissioned=13 September 1944
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|Ship decommissioned=5 August 1955
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|Ship struck=1 April 1966
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|Ship honors=*Two [[battle star]]s for [[World War II]] service
*Two battle stars for [[Korean War]] service
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|Ship fate=Sunk as target October 1966
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship class=[[Barnegat class seaplane tender|''Barnegat''-class]] [[seaplane tender]]
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|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=*1,766 [[ton]]s (light)
*2,592 tons (trial)
*2,750 tons (full load)
|Ship length={{convert|310|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|41|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}} 
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|Ship draft={{convert|13|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth={{convert|41|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship power=6,000 [[horsepower]] (4.48 [[megawatt]]s)
|Ship propulsion=[[Diesel engine]]s, two shafts
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|Ship speed={{convert|18|kn|km/h}}
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|Ship complement=*215 (ship's company)
*367 (including aviation unit)
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|Ship sensors=[[Radar]]; [[sonar]]
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|Ship armament=*1 × [[5"/38 caliber gun|{{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on}}]] [[gun mount]]
*2 × quad [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40 mm]] [[antiaircraft]] gun mounts
*6 ×  single [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm]] antiaircraft gun mounts
*2 × [[depth charge]] tracks
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|Ship aircraft facilities=Supplies, spare parts, repairs, and berthing for one [[seaplane]] [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]]; {{convert|80,000|USgal|L}} [[aviation fuel]]
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'''USS ''Suisun'' (AVP-53)''' was a [[United States Navy]] [[Barnegat class seaplane tender|''Barnegat''-class]] small [[seaplane tender]] in commission from 1944 to 1955. It was named for [[northern California]]'s [[Suisun Bay]], which takes its name from the Native American [[Suisunes|Suisun tribe]].

==Construction, commissioning, and shakedown==

''Suisun'' was laid down on 4 October 1942 by [[Lake Washington Shipyard]] at [[Houghton, Washington]]. She was
launched on 14 March 1943, sponsored by Mrs. C. W. Martyr, and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 13 September 1944.

After fitting out, ''Suisun'' steamed to [[San Diego, California]], on 18 October 1944 for her [[shakedown cruise]], which lasted until 21 November 1944. She then had a post-shakedown [[Shipyard|yard]] availability period.

==World War II operations 1944-1945==

===Central Pacific operations===
''Suisun'' departed the [[United States West Coast]] for [[Hawaii]] on 7 December 1944. She arrived at [[Pearl Harbor]], Hawaii, on 14 December 1944, and departed for [[Eniwetok]] in the [[Marshall Islands]] on 18 December 1944. She remained at Eniwetok from 26 December 1944 to 1 January 1945, when she sailed to the [[Marianas Islands]]. From there she went to [[Ulithi Atoll]] in [[Caroline Islands]] for three days.

On 13 January 1945, ''Suisun'' got underway for [[Kossol Passage]] in the [[Palau Islands]], and operated there until 5 February 1945, when she returned to Ulithi. On 8 April 1945 she sailed to the Marianas and operated there until mid-April 1945.

[[Image:Usssuisun-avp.jpg|thumb|300px|left|USS ''Suisun'' (AVP-53) photographed from [[seaplane tender]] [[USS Castle Rock (AVP-35)|USS ''Castle Rock'' (AVP-35)]] off [[Javapog]], [[Saipan]], in April 1945 while passing a line to ''Castle Rock''.]]

===Operations in the Ryukyu Islands===

''Suisun'' departed [[Saipan]] in the Marianas on 20 April 1945 and anchored at [[Kerama Retto]] in the [[Ryukyu Islands]], on 25 April 1945. She tended [[seaplane]]s until forced to leave for Saipan to pick up emergency [[aviation]] supplies on 15 June. She returned to Kerama Retto on 26 June 1945 and resumed seaplane tending operations there through the cessation of hostilities with [[Japan]] on 15 August 1945, which brought [[World War II]] to a close.

===Honors and awards===

''Suisun'' received two [[battle star]]s for her World War II service.

==Operations in Japan 1945==

''Suisun'' departed Kerama Retto for Japan on 16 August 1945. She entered [[Tokyo Bay]] on 28 August 1945, the eighth [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] ship to enter Tokyo Bay at the end of the war and was present for Japan's formal surrender ceremony there on 2 September 1945. She operated in Tokyo Bay until 16 November 1945, when she departed for Pearl Harbor. After calling at Pearl Harbor, she continued on to the [[United States]].

==Operations in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Galápagos Islands 1946-1947==

''Suisun'' arrived at [[San Francisco, California]], on 9 December 1945, then was routed onward to the [[United States East Coast]]. She steamed into [[Norfolk, Virginia]], on 3 January 1946, and, after an [[wikt:overhaul|overhaul]], operated along the U.S. East Coast until October 1946. She then was [[home port|home-ported]] at [[Coco Solo]], [[Panama Canal Zone]]. She made training cruises to [[Trinidad]]; the [[Galápagos Islands]]; [[Key West, Florida]]; and [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]].

==Operations in the Pacific 1947-1950==

''Suisun'' transited the [[Panama Canal]] in early April 1947 and anchored at San Diego on 9 April 1947. On 21 July 1947 she deployed to the [[Far East]] and operated between [[Guam]], [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]], and [[Qingdao|Tsingtao]], [[China]], until returning to San Diego on 19 January 1948.

''Suisun'' remained on the U.S. West Coast until 15 June 1948 when she began another Far East tour that lasted until 25 November 1948.

From 19 January to 3 March 1949, ''Suisun'' participated in [[Operation Micowex 49A]]. Ports of call were [[Seattle, Washington]] and [[Sitka, Alaska|Sitka]], [[Kodiak, Alaska|Kodiak]], and [[Cold Bay, Alaska|Cold Bay]], [[Alaska]]. She operated in Alaskan waters again from 6 July 1949 to 18 August 1949, when she returned to [[Mare Island Naval Shipyard]] at [[Vallejo, California]], for an overhaul that lasted into October 1949. She then made a short cruise to [[Magdalena Bay]], [[Mexico]], and returned to San Diego on 4 December 1949.

On 26 April 1950, ''Suisun'' sailed to [[Whidbey Island]], Washington, where she loaded [[Patrol Squadron 6]] (VP-6) and ferried it to [[Barbers Point|Naval Air Station Barbers Point]], Hawaii. She departed NAS Barbers Point on 12 May 1950 bound for Guam, but was diverted to [[Yap Island]] and arrived there on 28 May 1950. On 29 May 1950 she departed Yap en route [[Koror]] in the [[Palau Islands]], and from there moved to [[Sangley Point Naval Base]] on [[Luzon]] in the [[Philippine Islands]].

==Service during the Korean War 1950-1953==

''Suisun'' next called at Saipan and Guam before returning to Sangley Point on 2 July 1950. In the meantime, the [[Korean War]] had broken out on 25 June 1950.

On 3 July 1950, ''Suisun'' sailed for [[Buckner Bay]], Okinawa. She arrived there on 5 July 1950. She serviced and fueled seaplanes of [[Patrol Squadron 46]] (VP-46) until 16 July 1950 when the planes flew, and the ship sailed, to the [[Pescadores Islands]] to begin operations from there. From 17 July 1950 to 20 October 1950, ''Suisun'' and the [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]] were assigned to the [[United States Seventh Fleet]] and monitored military activities of the [[People's Republic of China]] in case of a Chinese intervention in the Korean War. With that assignment over, ''Suisun'' spent ten days in [[Hong Kong]] for a leave and upkeep period, then sailed for the United States on 2 November 1950, via Okinawa and Pearl Harbor. She arrived at Whidbey Island on 27 November 1950 and moved to San Diego on 1 December 1950.

''Suisun'' deployed to the [[Far East]] again from 12 February 1951 to 6 August 1951 and yet again from 26 November 1951 to 25 May 1952. Her final [[Western Pacific Ocean|Western Pacific]] tour during the Korean War was from 23 September 1952 to 21 May 1953. An [[s:Korean Armistice Agreement|Armistice Agreement]] ended the war in July 1953.

''Suisun'' received two [[battle stars]] for her Korean War service.

==Operations in the Western Pacific 1953-1955==

''Suisun'' conducted two more tours in the Western Pacific after the end of the Korean War, the first from 18 September 1953 to 17 March 1954 and the second from 2 July 1954 to 23 November 1954.

==Inactivation, decommissioning, and disposal==

On 2 March 1955, ''Suisun'' reported to the [[Pacific Reserve Fleet]] for inactivation. She was placed in commission, in reserve, on 10 May 1955, and then was [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] and placed in reserve  on 5 August 1955.

''Suisun'' was stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 1 April 1966. She was sunk as a target in October 1966.

==References==
{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s19/suisun.htm}}
*[http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-s/avp53.htm Department of the Navy Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships: USS ''Suisun'' (AVP-53), 1944-1966]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050209222130/http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/4353.htm navsource.org: NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive AVP-53 Suisun]
* Chesneau, Roger. ''Conway{{'}}s All the World's Fighting Ships 1922&ndash;1946''. New York: Mayflower Books, Inc., 1980. {{ISBN|0-8317-0303-2}}.

==External links==
*[http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/auxil/avp53.htm hazegray.org: USS ''Suisun'']

{{Barnegat class small seaplane tender}}
{{1966 shipwrecks}}

{{coord missing|Pacific Ocean}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suisun}}
[[Category:Barnegat-class seaplane tenders]]
[[Category:World War II auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Korean War auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships sunk as targets]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1966]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built at Lake Washington Shipyard]]