USNS Melville (AGOR 14) on 9 July 1969.
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Class: MELVILLE (AGOR 14)
Design: SCB Project No. 710.66
Displacement (tons): 1,520 light, 1,915 full [15: 2,160 full]
Dimensions (feet): 245' oa [244/246], 220' wl [pp] x 46' e/wl x 16' [14/15] max nav
Armament: none
Accommodations: 9 officers, 16 unlicensed, 25 scientists
Speed (kts.): 12 sustained
Propulsion (HP): 2,500
Machinery: Diesel, 2 cycloidal propellers
Construction:
| AGOR | Name | Ord | Builder | Keel | Launch | Svc |
| 14 | MELVILLE | 30 Sep 1966 | Defoe | 12 Jul 1967 | 10 Jul 1968 | 27 Aug 1969 |
| 15 | KNORR | 30 Sep 1966 | Defoe | 9 Aug[Sep] 1967 | 21 Aug 1968 | 14 Jan 1970 |
| 19 | unnamed | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 20 | unnamed | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Disposition:
| AGOR | Name | T | Inact | Strike | Disposal | Fate | MA Sale |
| 14 | MELVILLE | T | DECOM | 24 Oct 2014 | 12 Jan 2016 | Trf | -- |
| 15 | KNORR | T | DECOM | 31 Dec 2014 | 12 Nov 2015 | Trf | -- |
| 19 | unnamed | T | -- | -- | 24 Feb 1969 | Canc. | -- |
| 20 | unnamed | T | -- | -- | 24 Feb 1969 | Canc. | -- |
Class Notes:
On 16 February 1965 the DCNO for fleet operations and readiness submitted to CNO a point paper covering the mission, concept of operations, and construction program for the FY 1966 AGOR. It noted that there was a total of 15 AGORs built, building, and programmed (AGOR 1-15) including two (AGOR 14-15) programmed for FY 1966 and one operated by NATO. Seven AGORs were being operated by Naval laboratories in applied ASW and Polaris-related oceanographic and acoustical research in such fields as sound velocity, sound transmission, and various surveillance system projects. Seven other AGORs were being used by contract laboratories or private institutions to contuct basic research in concert with ONR in support of long range requirements focused on new miliary applications, particularly in undersea warfare. Flexibility and growth was designed into the FY 1966 ships to meet the changing oceanographic requirements anticipated in the next ten years. Approved characteristics for an Oceanographic Research Ship (T-AGOR), SCB Project No. 710.66, were promulgated on 2 April 1965.
An early preliminary design for SCB 710.66 resembled AGOR 12 (SCB 710.65) in its dimensions of 210' oa x 41' x 15' and conventional propulsion with two screws aft. Its full load displacement of 1,530 tons was slightly more than that of AGOR 12, and it had a tower instead of a mast aft of the bridge with an enclosed crow's nest at the top and a separate stack behind it. The next preliminary design departed completely from the AGOR 12 model, with two cycloidal propellers (one forward and one aft) instead of the screws, the bridge and mast with radar and crow's nest near the stern, the length reduced to 200'oa (181' pp), the beam and draft increased to 44' and 17', and the displacement increased to 1,750 tons. A third preliminary design (marked both SCB 710.66 and 710.67) began to resemble the ships as built, in which the two cycloidal propellers were retained, the bridge was moved back amidships, and the dimensions and displacement were much increased to 239' ox a 46' x 15.25' for 1,966 tons. This design was then refined by M. Rosenblatt & Son, Inc, probably as design agent. Their drawing of AGOR 14 dated 10 January 1966 essentially shows the ships as built. It included the tower and crow's nest from the first design but the stack was partly integrated into it (this integration was completed in the ships as built). During a 1989-1991 midlife refit of KNORR the propulsion was changed to two azimuthing stern thrusters and a retractable bow thruster and the hull was lengthened from 246 ft to 279 ft.
As of November 1966 the Navy's request for FY 1968 contained 92 ships including two AGOR's that together cost $14.0 million. These survived a proposed cut to 40 ships but the expenditure on them was reduced to $12 million. The cost of AGOR 16 as of January 1966 was estimated at 12 million for one ship while two regular AGORs came in at 10-11 million, so AGOR 19-20 would not have been of the AGOR 16 type. However the only design characteristics approved for FY 1968 auxiliaries were for ASR 22 and a POSEIDON conversion for AS 33-34, and the intended design of AGOR 19-20 is thus not known. An austere repeat of the AGOR 14 type is the best guess.
Ship Notes:
| AGOR | Name | MA | Notes |
| 14 | MELVILLE | FY 1966. Loaned to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute for ONR projects. To Philippines as GREGORIO VELASQUEZ (AGR 702) | |
| 15 | KNORR | FY 1966. Loaned to Scripps Institute of Oceanography for ONR projects. To Mexico as RIO TECOLUTLA (BI 08) | |
| 19 | unnamed | FY 1968. | |
| 20 | unnamed | FY 1968. |
Page Notes:
Compiled: 19 Oct 2021
© Stephen S. Roberts, 2021
Sources: DB, Maroon