USNS Michelson T-AGS-23
Encyclopedia
USNS Michelson was a oceanographic survey ship for the United States Navy
. Launched as the SS Joliet Victory in 1945, Maritime Commission hull number MCV 114, a type VC2-S-AP3 Victory ship
, she was named after Albert Abraham Michelson
. The ship was reactivated from the James River, Va., Maritime Administration Reserve Fleet 8 February 1958, delivered to the Navy Department at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 8 August 1957 and converted to an AGS by the Charleston, S.C., Naval Shipyard. USNS Michelson (AGS‑23) was placed in service 15 December 1958 under the operational control of MSTS Atlantic.
era Victory ship. She was laid down on 1945-05-11 and delivered to the Maritime Commission on 1945-06-30. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1957, renamed Michelson, and converted to an Oceanographic Survey Ship (AGS) at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard from 10 Oct 1957 to 30 Sep 1958.
for 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: Michelson, and identical sister ships and .
Attached aboard Michelson 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 (NASL, later NSSNF), and about 7 technical representatives from private corporations.
Michelson was taken out of service and disposed of by MARAD sale September 22, 1977.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. Launched as the SS Joliet Victory in 1945, Maritime Commission hull number MCV 114, a type VC2-S-AP3 Victory ship
Victory ship
The Victory ship was a type of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace shipping losses caused by German submarines...
, she was named after Albert Abraham Michelson
Albert Abraham Michelson
Albert Abraham Michelson was an American physicist known for his work on the measurement of the speed of light and especially for the Michelson-Morley experiment. In 1907 he received the Nobel Prize in Physics...
. The ship was reactivated from the James River, Va., Maritime Administration Reserve Fleet 8 February 1958, delivered to the Navy Department at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 8 August 1957 and converted to an AGS by the Charleston, S.C., Naval Shipyard. USNS Michelson (AGS‑23) was placed in service 15 December 1958 under the operational control of MSTS Atlantic.
SS Joliet Victory
SS Joliet Victory was a World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era Victory ship. She was laid down on 1945-05-11 and delivered to the Maritime Commission on 1945-06-30. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1957, renamed Michelson, and converted to an Oceanographic Survey Ship (AGS) at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard from 10 Oct 1957 to 30 Sep 1958.
USNS Michelson T-AGS-23
Michelson was operated by the U.S. Naval Oceanographic OfficeNaval Oceanographic Office
The Naval Oceanographic Office , located at John C. Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi, comprises approximately 1,000 civilian, military and contract personnel responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all elements within the Department of Defense.Valued by maritime...
for 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: Michelson, and identical sister ships and .
Attached aboard Michelson 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 (NASL, later NSSNF), and about 7 technical representatives from private corporations.
Michelson was taken out of service and disposed of by MARAD sale September 22, 1977.
External links
- Memorial web site for USNS Bowditch, USNS Dutton and USNS Michelson
- Navy Survey Ship (AGS) Designator Listing
- NavSource Naval History