In 1935, Rear Admiral A.W. Johnson submitted a report on the operation of long-range flying boats in the fleet, noting the requirements for more large seaplane tenders like
Wright (AV 1), flagship of the U.S. Fleet’s Aircraft, Base Force. “The
Wright alone is not enough, although during the past two years she has cruised some 60,000 miles in connection with the operations of our patrol plane squadrons in Alaskan waters, in the Caribbean, and in the Hawaiian Area.” These words were a testament to the long service of the venerable seaplane tender, which began with her commissioning at the New York Navy Yard on December 16, 1921.
Ironically, though
Wright would spend the majority of her seagoing service supporting the operations of Navy seaplanes of all shapes and sizes, she originally entered service as a lighter-than-air aircraft tender launching and recovering blimps and balloons at sea. To this end, the ship featured a unique design feature in the form of a “balloon well” constructed in the after section of the hull. This enabled the ship to stow an observation or kite balloon when it was not flying.
In the years prior to the first aircraft carrier operations with the fleet,
Wright represented naval aviation’s only seagoing force in the tactical exercises of the era. To this end, she participated in Fleet Problem I, which involved a simulated attack against the Panama Canal and steamed in Caribbean and Pacific waters on a multitude of cruises, tending scouting planes as they developed tactics. In late-1935, she was among the ships that supported the record-setting flight of the XP3Y-1 from the Panama Canal Zone to Alameda, California, during which the plane covered a distance of over 3,200 miles in just over 24 hours flight time. The production version of the XP3Y-1, designated the PBY Catalina, would become a mainstay in patrol squadrons during the immediate prewar years and throughout World War II.
The advent of the war in Europe in 1939 and heightened tensions with Japan brought new duties for
Wright, namely supporting the establishment of forward bases at far-flung Pacific islands and atolls like Canton, Palmyra, Midway, and Wake. With respect to the latter location, it was
Wright that delivered Commander Winfield Scott Cunningham to take command of the atoll, the garrison ultimately surrendering to the Japanese after a heroic defense.
On the fateful morning that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor,
Wright was en route to that Pacific base after delivering personnel and supplies to Midway Atoll. Throughout the war,
Wright made repeated voyages to the Pacific, her cruises including the delivery of Marine Corps squadrons to bases in the South Pacific and support of Navy patrol squadrons operating in the waters around New Guinea.
Renamed
San Clemente on February 1, 1945, so that the name
Wright could be assigned to a light carrier under construction, the seaplane tender remained in operational service until decommissioned on June 21, 1946. All told, her service stretched nearly a quarter of a century, the first part of which she was the only seaplane tender in the U.S. Navy, laying the foundation for the operation of these unique vessels.
The images above show
Wright moored at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and at anchor supporting scouting planes during operations with the fleet during the 1920s.
Other Significant December Events in Naval Aviation History
December 1927- An overview of fleet activities during December 1927
December 1941- VMF-211 battles the Japanese at Wake Atoll