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438:). Equipped with the latest antenna systems and measuring devices, she was a highly sophisticated and mobile station which could steam to various parts of the world to participate in the Navy's "comprehensive program of research and development projects in communications" (electronic spying). Because of the immediate or potential military applications of her work, much of
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For meritorious service from 1 November 1965 to 30 June 1969 while participating in combat support operations in
Southeast Asia. Through research and the compilation of extremely valuable technical data, USS
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communications throughout the island. The workings of the microwave system in Cuba were well known to the
Americans since they had acquired the design documents from the
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as "Spoon Rest". This suggested that the
Soviets had secretly upgraded the target tracking and acquisition systems in Cuba. On 27 October 1962, "Black Saturday", the
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contributed most significantly to the overall security of the United States and other Free World forces operating in support of the
Republic of Vietnam. Signed
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had been able to listen in on the Cuban secret police, the Cuban navy, air defences, and civil aviation. On 15 September 1962, radar technicians on board the
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596:) on 1 April 1964. She departed 4 August on yet another South Atlantic cruise, conducting research not only in electromagnetic reception, but also in
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publicized operations took place 15 December 1961 when she became the first ship to receive a message from a shore based facility via the
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deployment, returning four months later. Another four month South
Atlantic deployment followed in May 1963, after which
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342:(MCE–3127); sponsored by Mrs. Margaret C. Aitken; and delivered to the Maritime Commission 25 August 1945.
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January 1964 brought refresher training at
Guantanamo Bay, and from 22 February until 10 June 1964
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discovered a breakthrough in the Soviet defenses on the island when it detected radar signals from
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1 × 3-cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engine, 2,500 shp (1,864 kW)
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One Minute to
Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War
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had been making slow figure-eight patterns in the waters just off the coast of
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in 1960 and converted for the task of conducting "research in the reception of
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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo
Archive - AG-159 / AGTR-1 Oxford
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conducted further "research operations" in South
Atlantic and
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was awarded a
Meritorious Unit Commendation along with the
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1 × 4-bladed 18 ft 6 in (5.6 m) propeller
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and related areas. She returned to Norfolk 1 December.
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was designed to conduct research in the reception of
412:, and shortly thereafter conducted shakedown out of
389:, for conversion to an electronic spy ship. Renamed
506:. This discovery would soon alter both low flying
330:contract by the New England Shipbuilding Corp. of
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400:) on 25 November 1960, she was commissioned at
349:she served the merchant fleet, first with the
927:Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States
463:. Its mission had been to eavesdrop on Cuban
8:
638:, 16 June for a one-month deployment to the
291:gathering). She was originally built during
850:Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
922:Research vessels of the United States Navy
471:which had installed the system during the
844:This article incorporates text from the
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518:reconnaissance flights over the island.
430:phrase for gathering electronic signals
279:of the early Cold War), acquired by the
16:For other ships with the same name, see
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653:decommissioned and was struck from the
522:A "first" in moon bounce communications
357:. She was laid up 10 April 1948 in the
314:The second ship eventually to be named
408:, 11 September 1961 for duty with the
369:Conversion to technical research ship
299:-type cargo ship originally named the
22:
768:Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation
39:
7:
483:were able to detect the presence of
96:New England Shipbuilding Corporation
872:. Vintage Books. pp. 184–187.
353:Steam Ship Lines and then with the
326:, was laid down 23 June 1945 under
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514:photo missions and high altitude
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792:. The citation reads (in part):
751:Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
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534:successfully. Next she departed
404:on 8 July 1961. She reported to
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41:
26:
932:Ships built in Portland, Maine
746:National Defense Service Medal
359:National Defense Reserve Fleet
1:
741:Meritorious Unit Commendation
538:, 4 January 1962 for a South
410:Service Force, Atlantic Fleet
306:
610:3 February 1965, calling at
469:Radio Corporation of America
285:electromagnetic propagations
68:American towns, cities, and
442:employment was classified.
338:; launched 31 July 1945 as
334:as a merchant marine naval
154:"Strength Freedom Security"
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612:Las Palmas, Canary Islands
363:Wilmington, North Carolina
15:
815:Chief of Naval Operations
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626:, with a new homeport at
455:In the fall of 1962, the
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34:
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195:441 ft (134 m)
827:Technical research ship
590:technical research ship
383:New York Naval Shipyard
273:technical research ship
211:22 ft (6.7 m)
179:General characteristics
866:Michael Dobbs (2008).
818:
773:Vietnam Campaign Medal
669:Awards and decorations
578:
548:Norfolk Naval Shipyard
546:underwent overhaul at
203:59 ft (18 m)
758:Vietnam Service Medal
655:Naval Vessel Register
628:San Diego, California
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432:military intelligence
377:In October 1960, the
355:Arnold Bernstein Line
657:19 December 1969 at
620:Durban, South Africa
552:Portsmouth, Virginia
451:Cuban Missile Crisis
414:Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
289:signals intelligence
630:. She stood out of
588:) was redesignated
577:USS Oxford (AGTR-1)
569:Redesignated AGTR-1
502:missile sites near
328:Maritime Commission
162:Scrapped, June 1970
636:Philippine Islands
624:U.S. Pacific Fleet
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387:Brooklyn, New York
917:Vietnam War ships
879:978-1-4000-7891-2
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536:Norfolk, Virginia
426:propagations, an
406:Norfolk, Virginia
381:was towed to the
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446:Cold War Service
379:Samuel R. Aitken
347:Samuel R. Aitken
340:Samuel R. Aitken
310:'s civilian life
308:Samuel R. Aitken
301:Samuel R. Aitken
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138:19 December 1969
119:Samuel R. Aitken
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332:Portland, Maine
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275:(a class of US
263:(AGTR-1/AG-159)
146:14 January 1970
115:31 July 1945 as
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606:steamed for
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324:Liberty ship
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293:World War II
267:
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184:Displacement
127:Commissioned
118:
105:23 June 1945
72:named Oxford
58:
428:open secret
187:11,365 (f.)
130:8 July 1961
942:1945 ships
911:Categories
897:USS Oxford
833:References
488:P-12 radar
336:cargo ship
249:Complement
216:Propulsion
18:USS Oxford
799:Jamestown
788:Jamestown
786:USS
761:with ten
632:Subic Bay
490:known to
475:era. The
465:microwave
281:U.S. Navy
277:spy ships
102:Laid down
821:See also
801:and USS
780:The USS
659:Yokosuka
565:waters.
528:Oxford's
440:Oxford's
402:New York
244:11 knots
221:2 × 220
143:Stricken
110:Launched
85:MCE–3127
70:counties
65:Namesake
813:, USN,
811:Admiral
526:One of
473:Batista
297:Liberty
265:was an
234:1 shaft
225:boilers
92:Builder
77:Ordered
35:History
876:
842:
803:Oxford
782:Oxford
651:Oxford
618:, and
608:Africa
604:Oxford
594:AGTR–1
586:AG-159
582:Oxford
559:Oxford
544:Oxford
504:Mariel
496:Oxford
485:Soviet
481:Oxford
477:Oxford
457:Oxford
436:SIGINT
420:Oxford
398:AG–159
394:Oxford
373:AG-159
371:Oxford
320:AGTR-1
316:Oxford
270:-class
268:Oxford
261:Oxford
192:Length
59:Oxford
663:Japan
361:, in
295:as a
241:Speed
208:Draft
167:Badge
151:Motto
874:ISBN
532:moon
510:and
492:NATO
322:, a
259:USS
200:Beam
159:Fate
57:USS
54:Name
500:SAM
391:USS
345:As
252:254
223:PSI
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20:.
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