USS Hempstead (AVP-43)

History
United States
Name:	USS Hempstead (AVP-43)
Namesake:	Hempstead Bay on the coast of New York
Builder:	Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, Washington (proposed)
Laid down:	Never
Fate:	Construction contract cancelled 22 April 1943
General characteristics
Class & type:	Barnegat-class small seaplane tender
Displacement:	1,766 tons (light) 2,750 tons (full load)
Length:	311 ft 8 in (95.00 m)
Beam:	41 ft 1 in (12.52 m)
Draught:	13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Installed power:	6,000 horsepower (4.48 megawatts)
Propulsion:	Diesel engines, two shafts
Speed:	18.6 knots (34.4 km/h)
Complement:	215 (ship's company) 367 (including aviation unit)
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar; sonar
Armament:	Probably either 2 x 5-inch (127 mm) 38-caliber guns, 4 x 20 mm antiaircraft guns, and 2 x depth charge tracks, or 1 x 5-inch (127 mm) 38-caliber gun, 1 x quadruple 40 mm antiaircraft gun mount, 2 x twin 40 mm gun mounts, 6 x 20 mm antiaircraft guns, and 2 x depth charge tracks
Aviation facilities:	Supplies, spare parts, fuel, repairs, and berthing for one seaplane squadron; 80,000 US gallons (300,000 L) aviation fuel

For other ships with the same name, see USS Hempstead.

What wouild have been the first USS Hempstead (AVP-43) was a proposed United States Navy seaplane tender that was never laid down.

Construction and commissioning

Hempstead was to have been one of 41 Barnegat-class small seaplane tenders the U.S. Navy planned to commission during the early 1940s, and was to have been built at Houghton, Washington, by the Lake Washington Shipyard. However, by the spring of 1943 the Navy deemed that number of seaplane tenders excess to requirements, and decided to complete four of them as motor torpedo boat tenders and one as a catapult training ship. In addition, the Navy also decided to cancel six of the Barnegat-class ships prior to their construction, freeing up the diesel engines that would have powered them for use in escort vessels and amphibious landing craft.

Hempstead became one of the first four ships to be cancelled when the Navy cancelled its contract with Lake Washington Shipyard for her construction on 22 April 1943.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive Small Seaplane Tender (AVP) Index