Changes

Underway again two days later, Barnegat dropped down the coast and moored at Recife the next morning to start yet more repairs alongside Melville, an old Iceland comrade. Those repairs done, Barnegat made a brief trip north touching at Natal and Recife before returning south with the tanker SS Gulfport. Stopping at Bahia on the 9th, the pair continued south and reached Rio de Janeiro on 13 July. Her presence there having been dictated by the recent rash of U boat sinkings in the region, after taking a load of gasoline from Gulfport, Barnegat departed Rio de Janeiro on the 17th for Florianapolis, less than 500 miles as the crow flies, from Rio--part of the temporary measures to meet the U boat threat. Also sent to that place were two Martin PBM 3c “Mariner” seaplane patrol bombers of VP 74. Anchoring on the 18th, Barnegat was ready to receive her two charges when they arrived less than four hours later.

Underway again two days later, Barnegat dropped down the coast and moored at Recife the next morning to start yet more repairs alongside Melville, an old Iceland comrade. Those repairs done, Barnegat made a brief trip north touching at Natal and Recife before returning south with the tanker SS Gulfport. Stopping at Bahia on the 9th, the pair continued south and reached Rio de Janeiro on 13 July. Her presence there having been dictated by the recent rash of U boat sinkings in the region, after taking a load of gasoline from Gulfport, Barnegat departed Rio de Janeiro on the 17th for Florianapolis, less than 500 miles as the crow flies, from Rio—part of the temporary measures to meet the U boat threat. Also sent to that place were two Martin PBM 3c “Mariner” seaplane patrol bombers of VP 74. Anchoring on the 18th, Barnegat was ready to receive her two charges when they arrived less than four hours later.

Operations commenced the next morning. At 0702, the PBM 3c flown by Lt.(jg.) Roy S. Whitcomb, 74 P 5, took off from San Miguel Bay, Florianapolis, on an antisubmarine sweep. The patrol proceeded uneventfully until the radar operator reported a contact at 1355. As Whitcomb looked at the "sharp blip" on his own radarscope, the second pilot called his attention to something to starboard. Whitcomb recognized the object as a surfaced [[U-boat]] and sent his crew to battle stations. Soon, their quarry, U-513, saw the attacking plane and began to take evasive action. Whitcomb's PBM 3c dropped six depth bombs and caught the U boat in a starboard turn. The U boat absorbed the full impact of at least two direct hits--two bombs straddled the submarine; two others struck the deck. Within moments, observers in the "Mariner" saw "rising boils and [a] brown stain on [the] water...." U 513 was no more.

Operations commenced the next morning. At 0702, the PBM 3c flown by Lt.(jg.) Roy S. Whitcomb, 74 P 5, took off from San Miguel Bay, Florianapolis, on an antisubmarine sweep. The patrol proceeded uneventfully until the radar operator reported a contact at 1355. As Whitcomb looked at the "sharp blip" on his own radarscope, the second pilot called his attention to something to starboard. Whitcomb recognized the object as a surfaced [[U-boat]] and sent his crew to battle stations. Soon, their quarry, U-513, saw the attacking plane and began to take evasive action. Whitcomb's PBM 3c dropped six depth bombs and caught the U boat in a starboard turn. The U boat absorbed the full impact of at least two direct hits—two bombs straddled the submarine; two others struck the deck. Within moments, observers in the "Mariner" saw "rising boils and [a] brown stain on [the] water...." U 513 was no more.

The gathering darkness prevented Barnegat from locating more survivors, and she finally ceased her efforts shortly after midnight. Although she returned then to San Miguel Bay to resume operations, she had not heard the last of U 513. At 1130 on 22 July, her other plane, 74 P 7, reported sighting a life raft with survivors on board. Underway shortly after noon, the tender proceeded to the scene and at 1645 reached two rafts which had been lashed together. These 18 men--Chief Engineer Harold Van R. Forest of the recently sunk Richard Caswell along with 11 men of her crew and six members of her Navy armed guard detachment--were clinging to the raft. Ironically, Richard Caswell--torpedoed on 16 July--had been U-513's last victim. Barnegat returned to San Miguel Bay at 2159 on the 22d but remained there only overnight, getting underway early the following morning for Rio de Janeiro. Reaching that port at 1100 on the 24th, she was held "incommunicado" until her prisoners could be transferred to authorities ashore the following morning. Once that happened, Barnegat shifted to another berth and disembarked the 18 men from Richard Caswell.

The gathering darkness prevented Barnegat from locating more survivors, and she finally ceased her efforts shortly after midnight. Although she returned then to San Miguel Bay to resume operations, she had not heard the last of U 513. At 1130 on 22 July, her other plane, 74 P 7, reported sighting a life raft with survivors on board. Underway shortly after noon, the tender proceeded to the scene and at 1645 reached two rafts which had been lashed together. These 18 men—Chief Engineer Harold Van R. Forest of the recently sunk Richard Caswell along with 11 men of her crew and six members of her Navy armed guard detachment—were clinging to the raft. Ironically, Richard Caswell—torpedoed on 16 July—had been U-513's last victim. Barnegat returned to San Miguel Bay at 2159 on the 22d but remained there only overnight, getting underway early the following morning for Rio de Janeiro. Reaching that port at 1100 on the 24th, she was held "incommunicado" until her prisoners could be transferred to authorities ashore the following morning. Once that happened, Barnegat shifted to another berth and disembarked the 18 men from Richard Caswell.

Over the next few days, Barnegat remained at Rio de Janeiro. While she was there, Trinidad-bound Convoy JT 3 departed under mixed air cover of both the American Navy and the Brazilian Air Force. Among the planes so tasked, the PBM 3c that had sunk U 513 carried out a routine antisubmarine sweep in advance of the convoy when its radar raised a contact. This proved to be U-199, a Type IXD U boat on her maiden war patrol and U-513's collaborator in the recent rampage on shipping. U 199 increased speed, and her quartermaster put the helm over to starboard. Confusion reigned below, however, as some of the forward tanks were flooded for an emergency crash dive.

Over the next few days, Barnegat remained at Rio de Janeiro. While she was there, Trinidad-bound Convoy JT 3 departed under mixed air cover of both the American Navy and the Brazilian Air Force. Among the planes so tasked, the PBM 3c that had sunk U 513 carried out a routine antisubmarine sweep in advance of the convoy when its radar raised a contact. This proved to be U-199, a Type IXD U boat on her maiden war patrol and U-513's collaborator in the recent rampage on shipping. U 199 increased speed, and her quartermaster put the helm over to starboard. Confusion reigned below, however, as some of the forward tanks were flooded for an emergency crash dive.

Barnegat established a independent air base at Tagus Cove, enabling the patrol bombers to extend their coverage farther off the coast of South America than previously possible. There, she provided fuel for the planes; deployed lighted mooring buoys; billeted and fed the crews; provided bombs and bomb-loading crews; kept crash and fueling boats in the water at all times to fulfill all of the squadron’s needs. Occasionally, Barnegat also carried out salvage and rescue operations out of Coco Solo--participating in a search for a lost F6F pilot in March 1945 and assisting some downed PBM’s in June. The end of hostilities with Germany in the spring of 1945 and with Japan that summer altered neither the tempo nor the scope of Barnegat’s operations, for she remained busy at Coco Solo into September 1945, making only one brief visit to the United States--at Miami, Fla.--between 18 and 22 September.

Barnegat established a independent air base at Tagus Cove, enabling the patrol bombers to extend their coverage farther off the coast of South America than previously possible. There, she provided fuel for the planes; deployed lighted mooring buoys; billeted and fed the crews; provided bombs and bomb-loading crews; kept crash and fueling boats in the water at all times to fulfill all of the squadron’s needs. Occasionally, Barnegat also carried out salvage and rescue operations out of Coco Solo—participating in a search for a lost F6F pilot in March 1945 and assisting some downed PBM’s in June. The end of hostilities with Germany in the spring of 1945 and with Japan that summer altered neither the tempo nor the scope of Barnegat’s operations, for she remained busy at Coco Solo into September 1945, making only one brief visit to the United States—at Miami, Fla.--between 18 and 22 September.

Barnegat (AVP-10) received one battle star for her World War II service.<ref>Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b2-list.htm]</ref>

Barnegat (AVP-10) received one battle star for her World War II service.<ref>[http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b2-list.htm Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]</ref>

See also [[Barnegat-I]].

See also [[Barnegat-I]].