The USS Casco (AVP-12) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender, commissioned in late 1941 and serving through World War II until 1947. She was constructed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington, with her keel laid on 30 May 1941. Launched on 15 November 1941 and commissioned on 27 December 1941, Casco was designed for patrol, seaplane tender duties, and support operations in the Pacific Theater. Initially, Casco operated off the Pacific Northwest, providing patrols and seaplane care. Her service in Alaska began in May 1942, where she surveyed Aleutian waters, laid moorings, and serviced seaplanes at various locations including Dutch Harbor, Chernofski Harbor, Kodiak, and Nazan Bay. Notably, on 30 August 1942, she was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine RO-61 while anchored in Nazan Bay, resulting in a boiler explosion that killed five crew members and wounded twenty. Despite damage, her crew heroically extinguished a magnesium flare fire, allowing her to be beached and later salvaged. After emergency repairs, she returned to service in the Aleutians, supporting antisubmarine patrols and seaplane operations, including a notable use of an OS2U Kingfisher as a forward air control aircraft. In 1944, Casco moved to the Marshall Islands, tending seaplanes at Majuro, Kwajalein, and Eniwetok, and participated in the buildup for the Philippine invasion. Later, she supported operations at Kerama Retto during the Okinawa campaign. She received three battle stars for her WWII service. Decommissioned in April 1947, Casco was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard in 1949, where she was renamed USCGC Casco (WAVP-370, later WHEC-370). Operating from Boston, she served as an ocean station cutter, performing weather reporting, search and rescue, and law enforcement in the Atlantic. Her notable rescues included crew from a sinking fishing vessel, towing disabled ships, and medical evacuations, including a crewman from the merchant ship Maye Lykes and a crew member from a distressed aircraft. Redesignated as a high endurance cutter (WHEC-370) in 1966, she continued Coast Guard duties until 1969. Casco was sunk as a target in the North Atlantic on 15 May 1969 after being torpedoed twice, marking the end of her maritime service. Throughout her career, she demonstrated reliability and versatility, contributing significantly to both wartime and peacetime maritime operations.

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