Norton Sound (AVM 1) Class: Photographs

USS Norton Sound (AV 11) Photographed by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 11 Septmber 1948 after her initial conversion to a missile trials ship. The AEROBEE launch tower is stowed on the fantail. Photo No. 19-N-132523 Source: U.S. National Archives (RG-19-LCM)
USS Norton Sound (AV 11) Preparing to launch an AEROBEE rocket in March 1949 with the launch tower in the upright position and with an AEROBEE inside it. Photo No. USN 411858 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Norton Sound (AV 11) Launching a LOON missile on 5 Oct 1949. The LOON was derived from the German V-1. Photo No. USN 413146 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) Underway in 1952 with a twin arm launcher to port aft for the developmental TERRIER surface to air missile system and a prototype TERRIER beam-rider guidance radar mounted on a Mk-37 director which took the place of the after starboard 5"/38 mount. Photo No. USN 1042859 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) Preparing to launch a REGULUS I cruise missile in a photo backstamped by the U.S. Naval Air Missile Test Center, Point Mugu, Calif., on 3 November 1952. Note that the ship has the TERRIER beam-rider guidance radar on top of the hangar to starboard but that the TERRIER missile launcher is absent on deck to port. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) At the First Fleet Review at Long Beach, Calif., on 14 September 1956 with USS Inflict (MSO 456) passing behind her. Norton Sound now has the AN/SPQ-5 TERRIER beam-rider guidance radar over the bridge that was also used in the first TERRIER combatant ships. Her last 5"/38 gun was removed around this time. Photo No. USN 698145 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) Underway on 24 July 1958, the date she launched the last of four unarmed test X-17a rockets off southern California before proceeding to the South Atlantic to fire three nuclear-armed X-17a rockets into the upper atmosphere in Operation ARGUS. Note that the TERRIER launcher aft is temporarily absent. The helo deck forward was removed in 1957. Photo No. USN 1036932 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) Underway on 14 October 1964 after her two year TYPHON conversion at the Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. in Baltimore. Note the tower for the AN/SPG-59 electronically scanned phased array radar that was part of that combat system. Photo No. None (Official U.S. Navy photo once on ussnortonsound.com) Source: Wikimedia Commons
TYPHON's AN/SPG-59 Radar An artist's rendering of the TYPHON radar dome similar to the one on Norton Sound in 1964. The radar proper consisted of the conical top with five spherical Luneberg arrays, one at the top for transmitting and four around the sides for receiving. "Inside the many microwave connections of waveguides, feedhorns, switches, and other components give the appearance of 'microwave spaghetti.'" (Gussow) Photo No. None Source: "USS Norton Sound Ship's Log" brochure in the NHHC Ships Histories files
USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) Photographed in November 1966 by the U.S. Naval Missile Center, Point Mugu, after removal of the TYPHON system. The spacious 05 level over the bridge was retained along with the old TERRIER twin arm launcher. The SEA SPARROW basic point defense surface missile system launcher, which was on the extreme stern, is absent here. Photo No. 98306-11-66 (Pt. Mugu) Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Norton Sound (AVM-1) Underway off Santa Barbara, California, on 16 June 1969. During the late 1960s the ship tested the SEA SPARROW BPDSMS on the extreme stern, the Mk-45 lightweight 5"/54 gun on the forecastle, and its Mk-86 gun fire control system with its AN/APQ-9 radar in a small dome over the bridge. Photo No. K-74869 Source: Shipscribe
USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) Photographed on 22 January 1975 by the U.S. Naval Missile Center, Point Mugu, after the installation of the AEGIS engineering development model. Photo No. 5851-2-75 (Pt. Mugu) Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (UA-164)
USS Norton Sound (AVM-1) Underway off Port Hueneme, Calif., in March 1975, after being fitted to test the AEGIS weapon system. The Mk-26 twin-armed missile launcher for the AEGIS system to starboard aft has replaced the Terrier launcher to port. Photo No. KN-23839 Source: Shipscribe
USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) Photographed circa October 1981 by the U.S. Naval Missile Center, Point Mugu, with a missile vertical launch system (VLS) newly installed under the rectangular hatch fitting on the forecastle. The ship's last seaplane tending crane has been removed, although its vertical portion remains as an antenna mast. Photo No. 7904-10-81 (Pt. Mugu) Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)