Surface collectors of intelligence of indirect support to the Navy, but under the technical direction and control of the National Security Agency, were the technical research ships –
USS Belmont (AGTR 4), USS Georgetown (AGTR 2, designated AG 165 prior to 1 April 1965), USS Jamestown (AGTR 3), USS Liberty (AGTR 5), and USS Oxford (AGTR 1) (featured image) and the miscellaneous auxiliary USNS Private Jose F. Valdez (T-AG-169) and USNS Sgt. Joseph E. Muller (T-AG 171).
Their primary mission was to collect signal intelligence (SIGINT) to satisfy national requirements. They also collected data for electromagnetic propagation studies and to collect on advance communications systems, such as satellite communications.
Georgetown conducted collection operations off the north coast of Cuba from April through June 1964 and again from March to May 1965, the ship operated off the west coast of South America.
Jamestown conducted technical research operations along the coast of Africa in the summer of 1964 and during the winter of 1964-1965 in support of U.S. Navy electronic research projects. Visits were made to Capetown, South Africa, and Freetown, Sierra Leone, during the summer operations and to Dakar, Capetown, and Lagos in the winter.
From February 2 to May 29, Oxford cruised from the Canary Islands to Nigeria, South Africa and Sierra Leone conducting “technical operations” en route. Oxford continued on the South China Sea and operated there and in the Gulf of Siam for the remainder of the year. The converted C1-AM-V1 class cargo ship USNS Private Jose F. Valdez (T-AG-169) conducted similar operations along the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coasts of Africa from June 1964 to May 1965.
During the summer of 1964, two reconnaissance patrols, using submarine rescued ships, were conducted in the Vladivostok area to collect general, photo, and electronic intelligence (ELINT) data during Soviet fleet maneuvers. Also, one fleet ocean tug (ATF) conducted a surveillance mission in the vicinity of the Kurile Islands and in the Petropavlovsk area to observe a Soviet fleet exercise.
Source: A Century of U.S. Naval Intelligence
Edited by Mario Vulcano
4 August 2020 at 13:59
Enjoyed this past as always. Thanks.
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4 August 2020 at 21:16
Didn’t include any details about the Belmont, upon which I served from November 1968 until September 1969. Picked her up in November 68 in Lorenco Marques, Mozambique while she was on her last leg of an India ocean cruise. Belmont then traversed around the cape of South Africa and across to recife, Brazil, before return ing to Norfolk, VA, for boiler refit over the winter. In June 69 Belmont left Norfolk for the Mediterranean. Belmont was in mid-Med during the landing on the moon (July 29th) before porting at Naples. Belmont the visited.Greece (Pareaus) where I left the ship for return to Philadelphia and separation from the Navy. It was ashort.cruise forme,.but totally unforgettable!!
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4 August 2020 at 21:50
Mr. Grandy – Thank for reading the blog, sharing your cryptologic/SIGINT experiences and for you service!
Sincerely,
Mario
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4 August 2020 at 23:29
Mario, two of my uncles, Delbert and Gordon, both CTI’s served in MULLER.
Bryan Lopez
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5 August 2020 at 00:33
Bryan,
Your family is absolutely amazing!
Sincerely,
Mario
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26 June 2021 at 03:29
I served aboard USS Jamestown (AGTR-3) November 1966 – November 1967 in Vietnam waters. We went to drydock in Yokosuka, Japan (January 1967) to have the hull scraped and painted. We spent a lot of time near Phu Quoc island by the Cambodian border, Vung Tau, and the DMZ. Pulled liberty in Kaoshung, Taiwan (twice), Bangkok, Singapore, and spent a month in Subic Bay, Phillipines for engine repairs. Shellback initiation near Singapore in the summer of 1967.
I also served aboard USS Georgetown (AGTR-2) January 1968 – July 1969. I picked up the ship in Naples, we went to the eastern Med and pulled liberty in Augusta Bay, Sicily, before heading back to Norfolk in March 1968. We spent the summer of 1968 off Havana, Cuba, and pulled liberty in Key West and Fort Lauderdale. The air conditioning went out so we had to return to Norfolk in August 1968 for repairs. Left on the last cruise in late September 1968 across the Caribbean and South Atlantic on the way to the east coast of Africa and the Indian Ocean. Pulled liberty in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Lorenco Marques, Mozambique (twice), Port Louis, Mauritius, and Recife, Brazil, returning to Norfolk in March or April 1969.
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