About this Unit
USS Maury (AGS-16) was a survey ship of the United States Navy, originally launched as the Liberty ship SS Simon Newcomb in 1944. Converted and commissioned as AGS-16 in 1945, Maury played a critical role in hydrographic surveying operations across the Pacific, supporting both post-World War II occupation forces and Cold War naval operations. The ship's advanced sonar and mapping capabilities contributed significantly to safe navigation and the development of accurate maritime charts. USS Maury was decommissioned in 1969, leaving a legacy of vital contributions to naval oceanography and hydrography.
Historical Facts
• Namesake: USS Maury (AGS-16) was named after Matthew Fontaine Maury, a pioneering American oceanographer and naval officer, known as the "Father of Modern Oceanography and Naval Meteorology."
• Original Designation: She was originally built as the Liberty Ship SS Simon Newcomb in 1944, before being acquired by the U.S. Navy and converted into a survey ship.
• Conversion and Commissioning: The ship was converted at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and commissioned as USS Maury (AGS-16) on 31 March 1945, entering service at the end of World War II.
• Survey Missions: Maury was primarily used for hydrographic survey missions, charting previously uncharted areas of the Pacific Ocean, which was crucial for safe naval navigation and operations.
• Operation Crossroads: USS Maury participated in Operation Crossroads in 1946, the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll, where she conducted pre- and post-detonation surveys and collected valuable scientific data.
• Cold War Contributions: During the Cold War, Maury’s surveys provided essential oceanographic data for submarine and naval operations, supporting America’s strategic deterrence and anti-submarine warfare efforts.
• Technological Advances: The ship carried advanced (for the time) oceanographic and hydrographic equipment, including echo sounders and sonar, to map the ocean floor in unprecedented detail.
• Global Operations: USS Maury’s missions took her across the globe, from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean, where she contributed to the mapping of critical sea lanes and harbors.
• Decommissioning: After nearly 25 years of service, the USS Maury was decommissioned on 15 June 1969 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1970.
• Legacy: The data collected by Maury and her crew contributed to safer navigation for both military and civilian vessels and advanced the scientific understanding of the world’s oceans.
