USS St. George (AV-16) was a Kenneth Whiting-class seaplane tender constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. Laid down on August 4, 1943, by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation in Tacoma, Washington, the vessel was launched on February 14, 1944, and commissioned on July 24, 1944. The ship's primary role was to support and tend seaplanes, facilitating reconnaissance and patrol operations across the Pacific theater. Following her shakedown cruise, USS St. George departed from San Pedro, California, on October 12, 1944, initially tasked with salvaging a crashed seaplane. She was diverted to Pearl Harbor after the aircraft was confirmed sunk. Her operational deployments took her across key locations in the Central Pacific, including Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Saipan, Kossol Passage in Palau, and Ulithi, where she provided vital maintenance and support to seaplane squadrons. During the Okinawa campaign, she arrived at Kerama Retto on March 28, 1945, where her aircraft supported the invasion. USS St. George saw combat during her service, notably shooting down an enemy aircraft during an air raid on April 29, 1945. She was also hit by a kamikaze attack a week later, which resulted in the destruction of her seaplane crane and the loss of three crew members. Despite this, the vessel continued operations using an alternative barge crane to repair and support aircraft and destroyer escort vessels. After the Okinawa campaign, she underwent repairs at Guam and continued to serve in the waters around Japan, providing surveillance, passenger, mail, and courier services. She weathered multiple typhoons during her post-war service before returning to the United States, arriving in San Diego on March 25, 1946. USS St. George was decommissioned on August 1, 1946, and placed in reserve. In 1968, she was transferred to Italy and renamed Andrea Bafile, serving as a transport ship until 1981, and later as a barracks ship until 1988. USS St. George earned one battle star for her World War II service, marking her contribution to the Pacific war effort.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.