USNS Twin Falls (T-AGM-11)

SS "Twin Falls Victory", named after Twin Falls, Idaho, was a Victory ship built for World War II. Converted to a Missile Range Instrumentation Ship, she was initially operated by the US Air Force as USAF "Twin Falls Victory", before coming under US Navy control and being named USNS "Twin Falls" (T-AGM-11/T-AGS-37). She later had a third career as the training ship SS "John W. Brown II".

History

"Twin Falls Victory" was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 167) on 27 December 1944 at Portland, Oregon, by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation; launched on 6 February 1945; sponsored by Mrs. J. B. Pfietor; and delivered to Pope & Talbot, Inc., of Portland, Oreg., the first of several companies to operate her under contract with the War Shipping Administration.

Korean war

From 1950 - 1953, "Twin Falls Victory" was operated by States Marine Corporation. [cite web |url= http://www.statesmarinelines.com/ |title= The History of the States Marine Lines |accessdate= 2007-04-27] During the Korean War she participated in the Inchon Landings [cite web |url= http://koreanwar-educator.org/topics/merchant_marine/index.htm |title= Merchant Marine Accounts of the Korean War |accessdate= 2007-04-27] and Hungnam Evacuation [cite web |url= http://www.moore-mccormack.com/Cargo-Liners/American-Victory.htm |title= American Victory |accessdate= 2007-04-27] , making her merchant marine crew eligible for the Korean Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal. [cite web |url= http://korea50.army.mil/history/factsheets/merchant_marines.shtml |title= The Merchant Marines in the Korean War |accessdate= 2007-04-27] By April 1958, she was out of service and laid up with the National Defense Reserve Fleet at its berthing area on the James River in Virginia.

Missile range instrumentation ship

On 24 March 1960 "Twin Falls Victory" was withdrawn from James River and delivered to the Air Force. [cite web |url= http://www.pmars.imsg.com/NewCards/4962_9146AF.jpg|title= RESERVE FLEET - SHIP PARTICULARS |accessdate= 2007-04-27] She was converted to a missile range instrumentation ship and served as part of the Eastern Test RangeThe U.S.ArmyFact|date=April 2007 had funded the purchase under the Pershing Missile Project for the Atlantic Missile Range to prove the aiming accuracy of the Pershing missile.The ship was modified by equipping it with special navigation systems,AN/FPS-16 monopulse missile tracking radar, telemetry receiving equipment, AN/SPN-8 splash detection radar, AN/GMD-1A Rawinsonde tracking equipment and a balloon hangar, to house a Kytoon tethered blimp and as a weather balloon inflation shelter. The ship eventually was delivered to the Atlantic Missile Range and operated by merchant marine crewmen and contractor technical staff. Pan American World Airways and its subcontractor RCA MTP operated the radar,telemetry, navigation and weather instrumentation aboard the ship. The ship was operated under the name USAF Twin Falls Victory until turned over to MSTS on 1 July 1964 at which time the ship was redesignated T-AGM-11 "Twin Falls" and continued to serve as a mobile tracking platform for recording data on missiles and satellites that were out of range of land-based tracking stations.

On 15 May 1963, she was positioned approximately 350 miles (560 km) ESE of Savannah, Georgia (near coord|31|03|N|75|00|W) as part of Project Mercury, to track Gordon Cooper's extended MA-9 mission. [cite web |url= http://history.nasa.gov/SP-45/ch8.htm |title= MERCURY PROJECT SUMMARY (NASA SP-45), Ch. 8 |accessdate= 2007-04-27]

In October 1969, the Air Force determined that "Twin Falls" was no longer necessary to its mission. Placed in custody of the on 6 November 1972. [cite web |url= http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/AGM11.htm |title= Naval Vessel Register |accessdate= 2007-04-27]

Training ship

Ex-"Twin Falls" was returned to MARAD on 2 November for "simultaneous transfer" to the New York City Board of Education on 6 November. Renamed SS "John W. Brown II", she served as a training facility for that city's Food and Maritime Trade High School.cite web |url= http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsT.html |title= VICTORY SHIPS - T |accessdate= 2007-04-27] She was returned to MARAD on 8 June 1982.

Fate

"Twin Falls" was withdrawn from MARAD on 30 June 1982 by Union Minerals & Alloys Corporation. She was scrapped in 1983. Her [http://www.pmars.imsg.com/%5CArtifact%5CArtifact.asp?Artifact=3171 builders plate] remains in MARAD's artifact collection.

See also

* Missile Range Instrumentation Ship
* United States Air Force ships

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/53/5311.htm NavSource Photos of "Twin Falls"]
* [http://www.pmars.imsg.com/detail.asp?Ship=4962 MARAD PMARS Data for "Twin Falls Victory" 1945-1960]
* [http://www.pmars.imsg.com/detail.asp?Ship=4961 MARAD PMARS Data for "Twin Falls" 1970-1982]

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/t10/twin_falls.htm