How many does it take to man a Barnegat-class seaplane?
USS Barnegat (AVP-10)
12-plane patrol squadron
For the next three months, Barnegat remained at Puget Sound, conducting sea trials and testing equipment, such as her large aircraft handling crane. The “years of operation of patrol planes in the Fleet and the increasingly important role played by these planes”[1] had also shown that the Lapwing-class converted minesweepers fell “far short of the characteristics needed”[2] for mobile tenders to operate patrol planes “where shore facilities were not available.”[3] This meant specifications that included a draft that would “permit entrance into the greater number of small harbors which might be suitable for seaplane anchorages,”[4] the ability to tend a 12-plane patrol squadron, high maneuverability, and the ability to contribute to her own defense.