Twin Falls Victory was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 167) on 27 December 1944 at Portland, Oregon, by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation; launched on 6 February 1945; sponsored by Mrs. J. B. Pfietor.[citation needed] The ship was delivered on completion 4 April 1945 to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) for operation by McCormick Steamship Company under a general agency agreement. On 24 June 1946 the Isthmian Steamship began operating the ship under a bareboat charter that continued under the Maritime Commission (MC), successor to WSA, until brief operation by General Steamship Corporation between 8 November and layup in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet on 18 November 1948. The ship was briefly activated, operated by various companies under agreements and bareboat charters, placed in reserve fleets at Mobile, Alabama and in the Hudson River.[1] From 1950–1953, Twin Falls Victory was operated by States Marine Corporation.[1][2] Between 1953 and 1958 American Export Lines operated the ship.[1]
Twin Falls Victory, then in the James River reserve fleet, was permanently transferred from the MC to the United States Air Force on 24 March 1960.[1] She was converted in Mobile, Alabama and instrumented to be a missile range instrumentation ship supporting the U.S. Army's Pershing Missile Project and served as part of the Eastern Test Range.[6] The ship was modified by equipping it with special navigation systems, AN/FPS-16 monopulse missile tracking radar, telemetry receiving equipment, AN/SPN-8 splash detection radar, AN/GMD-1A Rawinsonde tracking equipment and a balloon hangar, to house a Kytoon tethered blimp and as a weather balloon inflation shelter. The ship eventually was delivered to the Atlantic Missile Range and operated by merchant marine crewmen and contractor technical staff. Pan American World Airways and its subcontractor RCA MTP operated the radar, telemetry, navigation and weather instrumentation aboard the ship. The ship was operated under the name USAF Twin Falls Victory until turned over to MSTS on 1 July 1964 at which time the ship was redesignated T-AGM-11 Twin Falls and continued to serve as a mobile tracking platform for recording data on missiles and satellites that were out of range of land-based tracking stations.
In August 1964 the USNS Twin Falls sailed from Port Canaveral, FL. After a short stop at Ascension Island the Twin Falls sailed to Cape Town, South Africa, en route to the Indian Ocean to track a scheduled missile launch Plans were in place to resupply in Perth, Australia, but due to missile launch schedule changes, she sailed to Port Louis, Mauritius instead. After leaving Mauritius, the Twin Falls sailed to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, arriving there in Dec 1964. In early Jan 1965 the ship was again anchored at Ascension Island. Her next port-of-call was Trinidad and the next 6 months were spent in the Caribbean Sea area with Trinidad as her home port.
In October 1969, the Air Force determined that Twin Falls was no longer necessary to its mission. Placed in custody of the Maritime Administration (MARAD) on 22 May 1970, she was slated for disposal.[1] On 26 April 1971, the Navy recalled her for "possible use as a survey ship".[8] Presumably this was when she was redesignated T-AGS-37. On 2 November 1972 the ship was transferred on loan to the New York City and she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 6 November 1972.[1][9]
Training shipedit
On 30 November 1972 the ship was transferred to the New York City Board of Education.[1] Renamed SS John W. Brown II, she served as a training facility for that city's Food and Maritime Trade High School.[10] She was returned to MARAD on 8 June 1982.[8]
Fateedit
Twin Falls was withdrawn from MARAD on 30 June 1982 by Union Minerals & Alloys Corporation.[8] She was scrapped in 1983.[10] Her is on loan from MARAD to Twin Falls County, Idaho, and is on display in the Twin Falls County Courthouse.
^ abcdefghMaritime Administration. "Twin Falls Victory". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
^"The History of the States Marine Lines". Retrieved 27 April 2007.
^"Merchant Marine Accounts of the Korean War". Retrieved 27 April 2007.
^ abcMaritime Administration. "Twin Falls (T-AGM-11)". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
^"Naval Vessel Register". Retrieved 27 April 2007.
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Not to be confused with SS John W Brown SS Twin Falls Victory named after Twin Falls Idaho was a Victory ship built for World War II Converted to a Missile Range Instrumentation Ship she was initially operated by the US Air Force as USAF Twin Falls Victory before coming under US Navy control and being named USNS Twin Falls T AGM 11 T AGS 37 She later had a third career as the training ship SS John W Brown II USNS Twin Falls at anchor in Port Louis Mauritius in December 1964HistoryUnited StatesNameTwin Falls VictoryNamesakeTwin Falls IdahoOwnerMaritime CommissionOperatorPope amp Talbot IncorporatedOrderedAs victory ship MCV Hull 167BuilderOregon Shipbuilding CorporationLaid down27 December 1944Launched6 February 1945IdentificationIMO number 7732080FateScrapped in 1983General characteristicsClass and typeVictory ship type VC2 S AP2 standardTonnage10 750 DWT 7 612 GRTDisplacement15 200 long tons 15 444 t standard Length455 feet 3 inches 139 m oa 436 feet 6 inches 133 m pp 444 feet 135 m lwlBeam62 feet 19 m Draft28 ft 8 5 m Installed power2 Oil fired boilers 6 000 hp 4 500 kW Propulsion2 steam turbines 1 screw propellerSpeed15 knots 28 km h 17 mph Capacity523 740 cubic feet 14 831 m3 grain 453 210 cubic feet 12 833 m3 bale Complement38 62 USMM 21 40 USNAGArmamentVaried by ship Bow mounted 3 inches 76 mm 50 caliber gun Stern mounted 5 inches 127 mm 50 caliber gun 8 single 20 millimeters 0 79 in Oerlikon anti aircraft AA cannons and or Contents 1 History 1 1 Korean War 1 2 Missile range instrumentation ship 1 3 Training ship 2 Fate 3 See also 4 External links 5 ReferencesHistory editTwin Falls Victory was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract MCV hull 167 on 27 December 1944 at Portland Oregon by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation launched on 6 February 1945 sponsored by Mrs J B Pfietor citation needed The ship was delivered on completion 4 April 1945 to the War Shipping Administration WSA for operation by McCormick Steamship Company under a general agency agreement On 24 June 1946 the Isthmian Steamship began operating the ship under a bareboat charter that continued under the Maritime Commission MC successor to WSA until brief operation by General Steamship Corporation between 8 November and layup in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet on 18 November 1948 The ship was briefly activated operated by various companies under agreements and bareboat charters placed in reserve fleets at Mobile Alabama and in the Hudson River 1 From 1950 1953 Twin Falls Victory was operated by States Marine Corporation 1 2 Between 1953 and 1958 American Export Lines operated the ship 1 Korean War edit During the Korean War she participated in the Inchon Landings 3 and Hungnam Evacuation 4 making her merchant marine crew eligible for the Korean Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal 5 On 25 February 1958 the ship was laid up with the National Defense Reserve Fleet at its berthing area on the James River in Virginia 1 Missile range instrumentation ship edit Twin Falls Victory then in the James River reserve fleet was permanently transferred from the MC to the United States Air Force on 24 March 1960 1 She was converted in Mobile Alabama and instrumented to be a missile range instrumentation ship supporting the U S Army s Pershing Missile Project and served as part of the Eastern Test Range 6 The ship was modified by equipping it with special navigation systems AN FPS 16 monopulse missile tracking radar telemetry receiving equipment AN SPN 8 splash detection radar AN GMD 1A Rawinsonde tracking equipment and a balloon hangar to house a Kytoon tethered blimp and as a weather balloon inflation shelter The ship eventually was delivered to the Atlantic Missile Range and operated by merchant marine crewmen and contractor technical staff Pan American World Airways and its subcontractor RCA MTP operated the radar telemetry navigation and weather instrumentation aboard the ship The ship was operated under the name USAF Twin Falls Victory until turned over to MSTS on 1 July 1964 at which time the ship was redesignated T AGM 11 Twin Falls and continued to serve as a mobile tracking platform for recording data on missiles and satellites that were out of range of land based tracking stations On 15 May 1963 she was positioned approximately 350 miles 560 km ESE of Savannah Georgia near 31 03 N 75 00 W 31 050 N 75 000 W 31 050 75 000 as part of Project Mercury to track Gordon Cooper s extended MA 9 mission 7 In August 1964 the USNS Twin Falls sailed from Port Canaveral FL After a short stop at Ascension Island the Twin Falls sailed to Cape Town South Africa en route to the Indian Ocean to track a scheduled missile launch Plans were in place to resupply in Perth Australia but due to missile launch schedule changes she sailed to Port Louis Mauritius instead After leaving Mauritius the Twin Falls sailed to Port Elizabeth South Africa arriving there in Dec 1964 In early Jan 1965 the ship was again anchored at Ascension Island Her next port of call was Trinidad and the next 6 months were spent in the Caribbean Sea area with Trinidad as her home port In October 1969 the Air Force determined that Twin Falls was no longer necessary to its mission Placed in custody of the Maritime Administration MARAD on 22 May 1970 she was slated for disposal 1 On 26 April 1971 the Navy recalled her for possible use as a survey ship 8 Presumably this was when she was redesignated T AGS 37 On 2 November 1972 the ship was transferred on loan to the New York City and she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 6 November 1972 1 9 Training ship edit On 30 November 1972 the ship was transferred to the New York City Board of Education 1 Renamed SS John W Brown II she served as a training facility for that city s Food and Maritime Trade High School 10 She was returned to MARAD on 8 June 1982 8 Fate editTwin Falls was withdrawn from MARAD on 30 June 1982 by Union Minerals amp Alloys Corporation 8 She was scrapped in 1983 10 Her builders plate is on loan from MARAD to Twin Falls County Idaho and is on display in the Twin Falls County Courthouse See also editMissile Range Instrumentation Ship List of ships of the United States Air ForceExternal links editNavSource Photos of Twin FallsReferences editThis article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships The entry can be found here a b c d e f g h Maritime Administration Twin Falls Victory Ship History Database Vessel Status Card U S Department of Transportation Maritime Administration Retrieved 5 June 2020 The History of the States Marine Lines Retrieved 27 April 2007 Merchant Marine Accounts of the Korean War Retrieved 27 April 2007 American Victory Retrieved 27 April 2007 The Merchant Marines in the Korean War Archived from the original on 16 July 2007 Retrieved 27 April 2007 Pershing Fired From Mobile Launcher Aviation Week Vol 73 no 6 8 August 1960 pp 89 91 Retrieved 5 June 2020 MERCURY PROJECT SUMMARY NASA SP 45 Ch 8 Retrieved 27 April 2007 a b c Maritime Administration Twin Falls T AGM 11 Ship History Database Vessel Status Card U S Department of Transportation Maritime Administration Retrieved 5 June 2020 Naval Vessel Register Retrieved 27 April 2007 a b VICTORY SHIPS T Retrieved 27 April 2007 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title USNS Twin Falls amp oldid 1149629885, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
