Cargo and tender operations From 15 January to 9 May 1943,
Chandeleur supported
South Pacific bases and operations by carrying cargo from
San Diego to
Efate,
Espiritu Santo, Samoa, and
Nouméa. She cleared San Diego 3 June with cargo for
Pearl Harbor,
Midway, and Wallis, and arrived at Espiritu Santo 1 July. Here she provided tender services to, and served as base for,
Patrol Squadron 71 (VP-71) until 13 October.
Eniwetok and Saipan Chandeleur returned to cargo duty, now in support of the Treasuries-
Bougainville operations. Until 2 March 1944, she sailed between the
New Hebrides Islands and
Guadalcanal, carrying men and aviation equipment. Following overhaul on the west coast, the seaplane tender made a cargo voyage to Pearl Harbor, then cleared
Oakland, California, 18 May for
Kwajalein and
Eniwetok, arriving 21 June. At both Eniwetok and Saipan,
Chandeleur tended Patrol Squadrons
202 and
216 as they flew missions during the invasion and capture of the
Palau Islands.
Philippines In September 1944, with commander, Fleet Air Wing 1 embarked,
Chandeleur sailed to
Naval Base Kossol Roads, where she tended seaplanes providing part of the air cover for the long-awaited invasion of the
Philippines. At
Ulithi from 25 December until 8 February 1945, she provided tender services for Patrol Squadron 21.
Sinking of I-8 and spotting of Yamato at Okinawa Chandeleur arrived at
Kerama Retto 28 March 1945. Her seaplanes supported the invasion of
Okinawa, covering the initial assault 1 April. These planes took part in sinking off Okinawa on 31 March and on 7 April spotted the battleship
Yamato, which was promptly sunk by carrier planes. On 15 July, the seaplane base was moved to Okinawa, where
Chandeleur continued to tend seaplanes in support of the pounding
Third Fleet raids on the Japanese home islands.
After hostilities After a brief call at Eniwetok,
Chandeleur sailed for
Ominato Ko,
Honshū, Japan, where she tended seaplanes taking part in the occupation of Japan until 16 October. After a west coast overhaul,
Chandeleur sailed to the Philippines to embark men for transportation to
Seattle, Washington, where she arrived 11 January 1946. She proceeded to the
east coast, and was placed in the
Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Philadelphia 12 February 1947. She was struck from the Navy Vessel Register on 1 April 1971 and scrapped in the same year.
Chandeleur received five
battle stars for World War II service. ==References==