USNS Dutton T-AGS-22

Launched as the SS "Tuskegee Victory" in 1945, Maritime Commission hull number MCV 682, as a type VC2-S-AP3 Victory ship. She was renamed USNS "Dutton" T-AGS-22, the second US Navy ship named in honor of Captain Benjamin Dutton, Jr., and placed in service¹ in 1958 as an oceanographic survey ship.

SS "Tuskegee Victory"

SS "Tuskegee Victory" was a World War II era Victory ship. She was laid down on 1945-02-16 and delivered to the Maritime Commission on 1945-05-08. In 1952 she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1957, renamed "Dutton", and converted to an Oceanographic Survey Ship (AGS) at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard from 8 Nov 1957 to 16 Nov 1958.

USNS "Dutton" T-AGS-22

USNS "Dutton" T-AGS-22 was placed in service on 1958-11-01 and assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service. She was manned by a civilian crew.

Dutton was operated by the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office 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: "Dutton", and identical sister ships USNS Bowditch T-AGS-21 and USNS Michelson T-AGS-23. "Dutton" participated in the recovery effort of the Palomares Hydrogen Bombs Incident from January through April of 1966. [Melson, June 1967, p.31]

Attached aboard "Dutton" 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.

"Dutton" was taken out of service ca. 1989, and disposed of by the Maritime Administration in 2007. [Authoritative, verifiable and complete references for the exact dates when "Dutton" and sisters "Bowditch" and "Michelson" were acquired by the US Navy, renamed, converted, placed in service, taken out of service, and "disposed" (numerous events and dates) are not available.]

Notes

See also

* [http://www.tags-21.info Memorial web site for USNS Bowditch, USNS Dutton and USNS Michelson]
* [http://patriot.net/~eastlnd2/O_hydro.htm Navy Survey Ship (AGS) Designator Listing]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/10/1022.htm NavSource Naval History]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/d6/dutton-ii.htm Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)]

References

* [http://www.tags-21.info Memorial web site for USNS "Bowditch", USNS "Dutton" and USNS "Michelson"]
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