Laid down 1892 Decommissioned 28 July 1945 Draught 12 ft 7 in (3.84 m) Construction started 1892 Displacement 453,600 kg | Commissioned 9 November 1942 Beam 24 ft 3 in (7.39 m) Length 44 m Weight 508 tons Draft 3.84 m | |
Fate transferred to the Maritime Commission | ||
USS Christiana (YAG-32), originally given the hull classification symbol IX-80 as an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was a seaplane tender and was the only ship of the United States Navy to be given that name. Her keel was laid down by Johnson Foundry, on New York, New York, in 1892. She served in World War I as Azalea, former United States Lighthouse Service tender, was taken over by the Navy in August 1942 and commissioned on 9 November 1942 with Lieutenant (junior grade) A. J. De Francis, USNR, in command. She was reclassified YAG-32 on 20 November 1943.
Christiana served as a seaplane tender in the British West Indies, providing vital services to the aircraft flying patrols in the Caribbean Sea. She moved from base to base as the focus of antisubmarine activity shifted throughout the area. Christiana was decommissioned at Miami, Florida, on 28 July 1945, and transferred to the Maritime Commission on 25 February 1946.