USC&GS Oceanographer (OSS-26)
.jpg) USC&GS Oceanographer | |
| Career (United States) | 100x35px  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Oceanographer |
| Namesake: | Oceanographer, a scientist in the field of oceanography, the study of the world's oceans |
| Builder: | Either T. S. Marvel and Sons, Newberg, New York,[1] or W. & A. Fletcher Company, Hoboken, New Jersey[2] |
| Completed: | 1899 |
| Acquired: | 2 January 1930 |
| Fate: | Transferred to U.S. Navy 7 April 1942 |
| Notes: | Served private yacht Corsair III 1899-1917, as U.S. Navy patrol vessel USS Corsair (SP-159) 1917-1919, as private yacht Corsair III 1919-1930, and as U.S. Navy survey ship USS Oceanographer (AGS-3) 1942-1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Survey ship |
| Tonnage: | 1,136 gross tons |
| Displacement: | 1,600 tons (as private yacht); 1,963 tons as U.S. Navy survey ship |
| Length: | 304 ft (93 m) overall[3] |
| Beam: | Between 33 ft (10 m) and 33.5 ft (10.2 m)[4] |
| Draft: | 15.3 ft (4.7 m) |
| Propulsion: | Two vertical triple expansion steam engines; two shafts |
| Speed: | 19 knots |
The first USC&GS Oceanographer (OSS-26) was a survey ship that served in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1930 to 1942.
Contents
Construction and early career, 1899-1930
Oceanographer was built as the pirvate yacht Corsair III for the industrialist J. P. Morgan, Jr., in 1899; sources differ as to her builder, but it was either T. S. Marvel and Sons at Newberg, New York,[5] or W. & A. Fletcher Company at Hoboken, New Jersey.[6] In 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired Corsair III from Morgan for World War I service and commissioned her as the patrol vessel USS Corsair (SP-159). Corsair was returned to Morgan in 1919 and once again became Corsair III.
United States Coast and Geodetic Survey career
On 2 January 1930, the Coast and Geodetic Survey purchased Corsair III from Morgan for $1.00 (USD) for use as a survey ship, and placed her in service as USC&GS Oceanographer (OSS-26) that year. Oceanographer operated along the United States East Coast during her career with the Survey.
Oceanographer conducted many offshore surveys and discovered many of the canyons incising the continental slope between the Georges Bank area and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. She also supported the study of geophysics when Maurice Ewing conducted his first seismic reflection profiling experiments from her in 1935.
On 23 August 1933,[7] Oceanographer and the Coast and Geodetic Survey steamers USC&GS Lydonia and USC&GS Gilbert handled considerable radio traffic for Norfolk, Virginia, during the 1933 Chesapeake–Potomac hurricane, which struck the city on that date and set records for high water levels. Oceanographer's commanding officer, H.A. Seran, reported that the ship's radio plant was for a time during the height of the hurricane the only means of communication from Norfolk to points outside; during this time, Oceanographer handled all radio traffic for the U.S. Navy, as well as for commercial companies.
In January 1937, crewmembers of Oceanographer and Lydonia were detached to man Coast and Geodetic Survey launches under the direction of the Red Cross during flood relief efforts at Kenova, West Virginia.
On 7 April 1942, Oceanographer was transferred to the U.S. Navy at Norfolk for World War II service
The Navy initially classified Oceanographer as a gunboat and renamed her USS Natchez (PG-85), but quickly reclassified her as a survey ship and renamed her USS Oceanographer (AGS-3). She operated in the Navy until 1944, when she was decommissioned. She later was sold for scrapping.
Commemoration
In recognition of her survey work off the U.S. East Coast, the underwater features Oceanographer Canyon and Corsair Canyon -- the latter name derived from her name as a World War I U.S. Navy patrol vessel and private yacht prior to her Coast and Geodetic Survey career -- are named for Oceanographer.
Notes
- ↑ Per the NOAA History Web site (at http://www.history.noaa.gov/ships/oceanographer1.html).
- ↑ Per the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c14/corsair-i.htm and http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o1/oceanographer.htm), the Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images (at http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-c/sp159.htm and http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-c/sp159.htm), and NavSource Online (at http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/10/1003.htm).
- ↑ The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entry for USS Oceanographer (ARS-3) (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o1/oceanographer.htm) states that her length was 293 ft (89 m), while the other sources (including the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entry for USS Corsair (SP-159) (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c14/corsair-i.htm), agree that the ship's length was 304 ft (93 m). NavSource Online (at http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/10/1003.htm) specifically states that 304 ft (93 m) is her length overall, suggesting that the figure of 293 ft (89 m) reflects another standard measurement of length, such as her waterline length or length between perpendiculars.
- ↑ Her beam is given as 33 ft (10 m) by the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o1/oceanographer.htm), as 33.3 ft (10.1 m) by the NOAA History Web site (at http://www.history.noaa.gov/ships/oceanographer1.html), as 33 ft 4 in (10.16 m) by the Dictionary of American naval Fighting Ships (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c14/corsair-i.htm), and as 33.5 ft (10.2 m) by NavSource Online (at http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/10/1003.htm).
- ↑ Per the NOAA History Web site (at http://www.history.noaa.gov/ships/oceanographer1.html).
- ↑ Per the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c14/corsair-i.htm and http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o1/oceanographer.htm), the Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images (at http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-c/sp159.htm and http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-c/sp159.htm), and NavSource Online (at http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/10/1003.htm).
- ↑ The NOAA History Web site (at http://www.history.noaa.gov/hallofhonor/lifesaving1845-1937.html) gives the date as 23 August 1931, but cites an August 1933 edition of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Bulletin as providing this news as a recent event; clearly, the "1931" date is a typographical error.
References
- NOAA History, A Science Odyssey: Tools of the Trade: Ships: Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships: Oceanographer
- NOAA History, A Science Odyssey: Hall of Honor: Lifesaving and Protection of Property by the Coast & Geodetic Survey 1845-1937
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here. for USS Corsair (SP-159)
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here. for USS Oceanographer (AGS-3)
- Navy History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images USS Corsair (SP-159), 1917-1919. Originally, and later, Steam Yacht Corsair (1899). Was USS Natchez (PG-85) and USS Oceanographer (AGS-3) in 1942-1944
- NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive: USS Oceanographer (AGS-3) ex USS Natchez (PG-85) (1942) USC&GS Oceanographer (OSS-26) (1942) USS Corsair (SP#159) (1917 - 1919)
