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NAVOCEANO The Oceanographic Office and her Vessels AGS AGOR AGOS


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Another catch-all topic for Oceanographic Units and related commands and vessels. Feel free to post your examples.

 

The U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office traces it's lineage through the U.S. Naval Observatory & Hydrographic Office, to the Hydrographers Office, to the U.S. Exploring Expedition and ultimately to the Depot of Charts and Instruments established in 1830. It is currently known as NAVOCEANO which also controls the Fleet Survey Team (FST) and the Naval Ice Center (NAVICE)

 

post-2322-0-83246000-1409615471.jpg

 

To fulfill it's varied duties and functions, the Oceanographic Office has controlled it's own fleet of vessels, past and present, which have primarily been comprised of AGS classes of ships.

 

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USNS BOWDITCH (T-AGS-21) the Bowditch class leader converted from a Victory Ship

1960's Japanese patch for US NAVY OCEANOGRAPHIC UNIT ONE embarked

 

post-2322-0-62067600-1409616017.jpg

 

She was in service from 1958 to 1988

 

USNS BOWDITCH (T-AGS 21) 002.jpg

 

Never know what you might find in the dollar bin under the BSA, Police and Fire piles......

US made 1980's patch

 

post-2322-0-38596100-1409616203.jpg

 

USNS BOWDITCH (T-AGS-21)

 

USNS BOWDITCH (T-AGS 21) 004.jpg

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Her sister ship, USNS MICHELSON (T-AGS-23) another converted Victory Ship, she was in USNS service from 1958 to 1975

 

post-2322-0-37332400-1409616688.jpg

 

US NAVY OCEANOGRAPHIC DETACHMENT THREE embarked aboard

5" round Japanese made

 

Note: USNOD TWO was on their sister ship, USNS DUTTON (T-AGS-22)

 

USNS MICHELSON (T-AGS 23) 002.jpg

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USNS HARKNESS (T-AGS-32) a Scottish made Chauvenet class hydrographic survey ship

In USNS service from 1971 to 1993

 

USNS HARKNESS (T-AGS 32) 001.jpg

 

USNS HARKNESS (T-AGS 32) 002.jpg

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  • 1 year later...
Salvage Sailor

Found the rest of my stash.....put on your tinfoil hat for this one.....

 

Original Project Magnet patch U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office 1953

 

post-2322-0-06758800-1442008107.jpg

 

ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/wdc/geomagnetism/docs/publications/1966/TheHydrographicSurveysDepartmentoftheUSNavalOceanographicOffice_1966_318.pdf

 

The U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office has confirmed the existence of Project Magnet, an “Airborne Geomagnetic Survey,” as an unclassified project allegedly not related to UFO investigation. In the previous edition of the UFO Investigator (Vol. l1 No.9) NICAP reported a link between this project and the Canadian government project of the same name, which was an avowed attempt to obtain scientific data on UFOs. Personnel of one of the U.S. project aircraft, a specially equipped Constellation, had admitted to Advisor Robert C. Beck that the two projects were “closely related.” Mr. Beck was told that they were searching out magnetic anomalies, - disruptions of the earth’s magnetic field,-emanating from above the earth.
 
In a letter to a NICAP member dated November 21, 1963, Cmdr. P.B. Everson, U.S.N., gave the following information:
 
Project Magnet was initiated in 1951.
Currently there are two aircraft employed in the Project Magnet operations, one C-121 and one C-54 type aircraft.” (The C-121 presumably in the last issue).
The project is under the technical control and direction of the Navy Oceanographic Office.
The purpose is to gather data over the ocean areas for charts showing magnetic intensities and variations.
The project is authorized “on a permanent and continuing basis” by OPVAV (Navy Regulation) 3160.3B.
The average budget for the past three years has been $114,000 per fiscal year, including aircraft operation.
 
post-2322-0-48034800-1442008108.jpg
 
A brochure prepared by the Oceanographic Office makes no mention of UFOs, magnetic anomalies from above the earth, or the Canadian project. NICAP will continue to seek addition information about a possible tie-in with unpublicized UFO investigations by the Navy.

 

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USNS JOSIAH WILLARD GIBBS (T-AGOR-1) ex-USS SAN CARLOS (AVP-51) 1944-1947

Converted to an Oceanographic Research Vessel in 1958, decommissioned in 1971

T-AGOR-1 USNS JOSIAH WILLARD GIBBS 001.jpg

 

T-AGOR-1 USNS JOSIAH WILLARD GIBBS 002.jpg

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USNS JAMES M GILLISS (T-AGOR-4) pulled from a scrapbook

In service since 1962, Currently on loan to Mexico since 1996

 

T-AGOR-4 USNS JAMES M GILLISS 001.jpg

 

T-AGOR-4 USNS JAMES M GILLISS 002.jpg

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USNS CHARLES H. DAVIS (T-AGOR-5) and a photo of her sister ship, USNS SANDS (T-AGOR-6)

Both purpose built Robert T. Conrad Oceanographic Research Vessels - 1963

T-AGOR-5 USNS CHARLES S DAVIS 001.jpg

 

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....and this one

 

T-AGOS-11 USNS AUDACIOUS ex-USNS DAUNTLESS - Stalwart Class Ocean Surveillance Ship - Stalwart class ships were originally designed to collect underwater acoustical data in support of Cold war anti-submarine warfare operations in the 1980's

 

T-AGOS-11 USNS AUDACIOUS 001.jpg

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Class Leader USNS HAYES (T-AGOR-16) ex-T-AG-195 in service 1971-2008

1970's era patch

 

T-AGOR-16 USNS HAYES 001.jpg

 

T-AGOR-16 USNS HAYES 002.jpg

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AGS-16USSMAURY008.jpg.3dd034bf432b9de7cda506f28a76289d.jpg

 

USS MAURY (AGS-16) ex-USS RENATE (AKA-36)

Pacific surveying partner of USS SERRANO (AGS-24), tasked with charting the Mekong Delta & RVN Inland Waterways

MAURY was reclassified AGS in 1946 - decommissioned in 1969, 7" high x 5" wide

 

AGS-16 USS MAURY 001.jpg

 

1566319825_AGS-16USSMAURYAGS24USSSERRANO001.jpg.1c7636040e8634103b68e3a0898b87a0.jpg

USS MAURY and her Southeast Asia Surveying partner USS SERRANO

 

AGS-16USSMAURY005.jpg.1846ebd9986b26dec9e9e3f1adb054c7.jpg

1960-1961 Survey Cruise - USS MAURY & USS SERRANO

AGS-16USSMAURY007.jpg.8a47aae7dbef2c378bab1898cca83085.jpg

 

AGS-16 USS MAURY 002.jpg

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USS PURSUIT (AGS-17)

Converted Auk class minesweeper (AM-108) in service from 1943-1960

 

AGS-17 USS PURSUIT 001.jpg

 

AGS-17 USS PURSUIT 002.jpg

 

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...and another converted Auk class minesweeper

 

USS SHELDRAKE (AGS-19) ex-AM-62

In service 1942-1968 6" patch

AGS-19 USS SHELDRAKE 001.jpg

 

AGS-19 USS SHELDRAKE 002.jpg

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Reposting this one for continuity (and I found the pre-1966 Det 1 rocker)

 

Class leader USNS BOWDITCH (T-AGS-21) UNIT ONE

 

post-2322-0-90381800-1442013797.jpg

 

USNS Bowditch T-AGS-21 was operated by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) for the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office in the Ocean Survey Program (OSP) under direction of the U.S. Navy Office of Special Projects in support of the U.S. Navy Fleet Ballistic Missile Program. Three ships were converted for this purpose: Bowditch, and identical sister ships Dutton and Michelson.
 
Attached aboard Bowditch was a US Navy Oceanographic Detachment, upgraded ca. May 1966 to an Oceanographic Unit, of approximately 3 officers and 22 enlisted personnel, mostly technicians. Varying numbers of civilian scientists and engineers managed survey operations, and maintained certain navigation and sonar equipment, usually about 12 oceanographers from the Naval Oceanographic Office, some personnel from the Naval Applied Sciences Laboratory, and about 7 technical representatives from private corporations.

 

AGS-21 USNS BOWDITCH 002.jpg

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USNS MICHELSON (T-AGS-23)

Older OCEANOGRAPHIC DETACHMENT THREE patch

with newer UNIT cap patch

Bowditch class in service 1958-197

5AGS-23 USNS MICHELSON 001.jpg

 

AGS-23 USNS MICHELSON 002.jpg

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These next items are from OCEANOGRAPHIC UNIT FOUR assigned to the class leader USNS CHAUVENET (T-AGS-29)

 

T-AGS-29 USNS CHAUVENET UNIT FOUR 003.jpg

 

USNS CHAUVENET (T-AGS-29) In service 1970 to 1990's

OCEANOGRAPHIC UNIT FOUR embarked aboard

 

T-AGS-29 USNS CHAUVENET UNIT FOUR 004.jpg

 

Desert Storm issue of their quarterly magazine - there's some pretty funny stuff in here, 22 pages Spring 1991

 

T-AGS-29 USNS CHAUVENET UNIT FOUR 001.jpg

 

T-AGS-29 USNS CHAUVENET UNIT FOUR 002.jpg

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Not the fictitious 'Sand Pebble'.....

 

post-2322-0-40261300-1442016844.jpg

 

USS SAN PABLO (AGS-30) ex-AVP-30 Barnegat class Seaplane Tender "Black Cats"

Converted to hydrographic survey ship in 1948. In service until 1969

1950's 6" round patch

 

AGS-30 USS SAN PABLO 002.jpg

 

...and another USS SAN PABLO (AGS-30) DATA FOR DEFENSE 5 1/2" Vietnam Era

 

AGS-30 USS SAN PABLO 003.jpg

 

AGS-30 USS SAN PABLO 004.jpg

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