with a later ship, MC hull 390 built in Mississippi, also being named Sea Panther. Pacific coast interests had been pressing the Maritime Commission to begin awarding contracts for new shipbuilding programs to Pacific yards. The launch of Sea Arrow was seen as the beginning of a revival of the industry. As a result, the launch drew considerable attention and presence of business figures speaking and among the 680 invited guests. Construction The ship was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 51) as Sea Arrow on 18 March 1939 at Oakland, California by Moore Dry Dock Company; launched on 15 September 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Joseph R. Sheehan. The launch, six weeks ahead of schedule and a month before the first C-3 in an Atlantic coast yard, was the first of the C-3s launched. A feature of the launch was a painting of giant eyes around the plugged hawse pipes. The keel for the second C-3 was prefabricated and immediately placed on the ways. Sea Arrow completed trials with almost no problems even though the geared turbines had been delayed with a rushed installation and had been the yard's first high pressure steam installation. Sea Arrow, renamed Tangier designated AV-8 on 3 June 1940, was delivered to the Maritime Commission 8 July 1940 and immediately purchased by the Navy, commissioned in ordinary, and put back into the Moore Dry Dock yard for the extensive modifications required for Navy purposes. Service history Tangier, under the command of Commander and future Vice Admiral Clifton A. F. Sprague, remained at Oakland for over a year undergoing conversion to a seaplane tender. Finally, on 25 August 1941, she went into full commission and put to sea on her shakedown cruise. At the completion of shakedown training, she was assigned as tender to Patrol Wing 2 (PatWing 2), based in Hawaii. Tangier arrived at Pearl Harbor on 3 November and moored at berth F-10 forward of the former battleship directly astern at F-11. Utah was serving as an anti-aircraft training ship. There, she spent the last month of peacetime caring for her complement of seaplanes. Pearl Harbor and Wake Island At 07:55 on the morning of 7 December 1941, the first of two waves of Japanese carrier-based aircraft swooped in on the Pacific Fleet, moored at Pearl Harbor. Tangier at berth F-10 and commanded by Commander Sprague was in the fight from