USS Bering Strait

USS Bering Strait (AVP-34) on 1 October 1944
History
United States
Name	USS Bering Strait
Namesake	The Bering Strait, connecting the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea
Builder	Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, Washington
Laid down	6 June 1943
Launched	15 January 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. George F. Cornwall
Commissioned	19 July 1944
Decommissioned	21 June 1946
Stricken	26 September 1966
Honors and awards	Three battle stars for World War II service
Fate	Loaned to U.S. Coast Guard 14 September 1948 Permanently transferred to Coast Guard 26 September 1966
United States
Name	USCGC Bering Strait (WAVP-382)
Namesake	Previous name retained
Acquired	Loaned by United States Navy14 September 1948 Transferred permanently to Coast Guard 26 September 1966
Commissioned	14 December 1948
Reclassified	High endurance cutter, WHEC-382, 1 May 1966
Decommissioned	1 January 1971[1]
Fate	Transferred to South Vietnam 1 January 1971
South Vietnam
Name	RVNS Trần Quang Khải (HQ-02)
Namesake	Trần Quang Khải (1241–1294), a Trần dynasty general
Acquired	1 January 1971
Fate	Fled to Philippines on collapse of South Vietnam April 1975 Formally sold to Republic of the Philippines 5 April 1976
Philippines
Name	BRP Diego Silang (PF-9)
Namesake	Filipino revolutionary Diego Silang y Andaya (1730–1763)
Acquired	April 1975 Formally purchased 5 April 1976
Commissioned	1980
Decommissioned	June 1985
Recommissioned	as BRP Diego Silang (PF-14) 1987
Decommissioned	April 1990
Fate	Discarded July 1990; probably scrapped
General characteristics (seaplane tender)
Class and 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)
Draft	13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Installed power	6,000 hp (4,500 kW)
Propulsion	Diesel engines, two shafts
Speed	18.6 knots (34.4 km/h)
Complement	215 (ship's company) 376 (including aviation unit)
Sensors and processing systems	Radar, sonar
Armament	1 × single 5 in (130 mm) 38-caliber dual-purpose gun mount 1 × quad 40-mm antiaircraft gun mount 2 × dual 40-mm antiaircraft gun mounts 4 × dual 20 mm AA gun mounts 2 × depth charge tracks
Aviation facilities	Supplies, spare parts, repairs, and berthing for one seaplane squadron; 80,000 US gallons (300,000 L) aviation fuel
General characteristics (Coast Guard cutter)
Class and type	Casco-class cutter
Displacement	2,498 tons (full load) in 1964
Length	311 ft 7 in (94.97 m) overall 299 ft 11 in (91.41 m) between perpendiculars
Beam	41 ft 0 in (12.50 m) maximum
Draft	13 ft 1 in (3.99 m) maximum in 1964
Installed power	6,400 bhp (4,800 kW)
Propulsion	Fairbanks-Morse geared diesel engines, two shafts; 165,625 US gallons (626,960 L) of fuel
Speed	17.3 knots (32.0 km/h) (maximum sustained in 1966) 10.0 knots (18.5 km/h) (economic in 1966)
Range	10,138 nautical miles (18,776 km) at 17.3 knots (32.0 km/h) in 1966 20,000 nautical miles (37,000 km) at 10.0 knots (18.5 km/h) in 1966
Complement	151 (10 officers, 3 warrant officers, 138 enlisted personnel) in 1966
Sensors and processing systems	Radars in 1966 (one each): AN/SPA-4A; AN/SPS-23; ID-445/SPS; IP-307/SPS; IP-452/SPS; Mark 34 M11; AN/SPS-29B; AN/UPA-24A; AN/UPX-1A
Armament	In 1966: 1 × single 5-inch (127 mm) 38-caliber Mark 12-1 gun mount; Mark 57 M4 director; Mark 4 M4 fire control radar; 2 × .50-caliber (12.7 mmm) machine guns; 1 × Mark 10-1 antisubmarine projector; 2 × Mark 32 Mod 2 torpedo launchers with 3 torpedo tubes each)
General characteristics (Republic of Vietnam Navy frigate)
Class and type	Trần Quang Khải-class frigate
Displacement	1,766 tons (standard) 2,800 tons (full load)
Length	310 ft 9 in (94.72 m) (overall); 300 ft 0 in (91.44 m) waterline
Beam	41 ft 1 in (12.52 m)
Draft	13 ft 5 in (4.09 m)
Installed power	6,080 hp (4,534 kW)
Propulsion	2 × Fairbanks Morse 38D diesel engines
Speed	approximately 18 knots (maximum)
Complement	approximately 200
Armament	1 × 5-inch/38-caliber (127 mm) dual-purpose gun 1 or 2 x 81 mm mortars in some ships[2] Several machine guns
General characteristics (Philippine Navy frigate)
Class and type	Andrés Bonifacio-class frigate
Displacement	1,766 tons (standard) 2,800 tons (full load)
Length	311.65 ft (94.99 m)
Beam	41.18 ft (12.55 m)
Draft	13.66 ft (4.16 m)
Installed power	6,200 hp (4,600 kW)
Propulsion	2 × Fairbanks Morse 38D8 1/8 diesel engines
Speed	18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) (maximum)
Range	8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h)
Sensors and processing systems	Sperry SPS-53 Surface Search Radar[3] Westinghouse AN/SPS-29 Air Search Radar[3] Mk.26 Mod.1 Fire Control System[3] Mk.52 Mod.3 Gun Director
Armament	1 × Mk.12 5"/38 caliber gun (127 mm) dual purpose gun 2 × Mk.1 Twin Bofors L/60 40 mm AA guns 2 × Mk.3 Single Bofors L/60 40 mm AA guns 4 × Twin Oerlikon 20 mm cannon 4 × M2 Browning .50-caliber (12.7 mm) general purpose machine guns 2 × 81 mm Mortars
Aircraft carried	None permanently assigned; helipad could accommodate one MBB Bo 105 Helicopter
Aviation facilities	Helipad; no support capability

USS Bering Strait (AVP-34) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1946. She tended seaplanes during World War II in the Pacific in combat areas and earned three battle stars by war's end.

After her U.S. Navy career ended, the ship served in the United States Coast Guard as the cutter USCGC Bering Strait (WAVP-382), later WHEC-382, from 1948 to 1971, seeing service in the Vietnam War. The Coast Guard decommissioned her at the beginning of 1971, and she was transferred to South Vietnam and served in the Republic of Vietnam Navy as the frigate RVNS Trần Quang Khải (HQ-02) until South Vietnam's collapse at the end of the Vietnam War in April 1975. She fled to the Philippines, where she was incorporated into the Philippine Navy, in which she served from 1980 to 1985 as the frigate BRP Diego Silang (PF-9) and as BRP Diego Silang (PF-14) from 1987 to 1990.