About this Unit
USNS Dutton (T-AGS-22) was a U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ship that played a vital role during the Cold War. Originally built as the SS Tuskegee Victory, a Victory-class cargo ship, she was converted and commissioned into naval service in 1958. Operated by the Military Sea Transportation Service, Dutton conducted geodetic and hydrographic surveys in support of submarine and missile navigation, including significant contributions to the U.S. Navy’s Polaris ballistic missile program. The ship was decommissioned and struck from the Navy list in 1989, marking the end of more than three decades of distinguished service.
Historical Facts
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Origins as a Liberty Ship: USNS Dutton (T-AGS-22) began life as the SS Samuel A. Worcester, a Liberty ship built in 1945 for World War II cargo service.
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Conversion to Survey Ship: In the late 1950s, she was acquired by the US Navy and converted to a geodetic survey ship to support Cold War era navigation and missile programs.
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Named After a Geodesist: The ship was renamed in honor of Captain Clarence E. Dutton, a distinguished US Army geologist and geodesist from the 19th century.
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Role in Ballistic Missile Submarine Navigation: USNS Dutton was a key asset in collecting oceanographic and geodetic data to help improve the accuracy of the Polaris and Poseidon submarine-launched ballistic missile systems.
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Apollo Recovery Support: The Dutton played an important role in the Apollo space program, providing precision tracking and recovery support for Apollo 8, 10, and 11 missions.
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Part of a Trio: Dutton was one of three nearly identical survey ships—the others being USNS Bowditch (T-AGS-21) and USNS Michelson (T-AGS-23)—often called the "Surveying Sisters."
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Advanced Surveying Equipment: The ship was equipped with cutting-edge (for its time) navigation, sonar, and data processing equipment, including LORAN and Shoran systems, and early computers.
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Civilian Crew: USNS Dutton was operated by the Military Sealift Command and manned primarily by a civilian crew, with military and scientific personnel embarking for specific missions.
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Long Service Life: After decades of service, Dutton was finally retired and struck from the Navy list in 1989, marking over 40 years of maritime history.
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Final Fate: Following her decommissioning, USNS Dutton was sold for scrapping in 2007, ending her long and varied career that spanned cargo service, Cold War surveying, and support for both military and space exploration missions.
