Ship Index

Navy Survey Ship (AGS) Numeric Listing

02/19/2000, Updated 09/23/2006

AGOR Numeric List

I believe the list is accurate; however, notice of errors is welcome. Sources include the on-line version of the Naval Vessel Register, Janes', and various publications concerning ocean research. The fact many of these ships were operated by universities and never by the Navy itself is a factor. An example is the ship designated AGOR-18 while operated by Scripps as Argo. Several have disputed the connection; however, I located a Scripps document concerning the conversion of Snatch to Argo and a connection to the AGOR designation. I speculate that Scripps never made much of the AGOR-18 designation by Navy and Navy never quite recognized the Scripps name of Argo in its formal listing. Argo became an AGOR retroactively.

As in interesting sidelight, the institutions were generally reluctant to make much of the military ownership of the research vessels. This was particularly true in the Vietnam and post Vietnam War period. I even heard one of our own oceanographers remark (concerning our more military project that had come aboard one of the AGS-26 class ships for a month) "I prefer to think I work for a scientific institution." Regardless, the hulls are owned by the U.S. Navy and operated under terms reflecting that ownership.

We used to have some fun with the "white ship" vs. the "gray ship" mentality -- though paint color wasn't an indicator of mission. The AGS-26 class and AGORs were also called "showboats" as they frequently hosted open houses (or "open ships") in ports all over the world. They sometimes hosted rather formal dinner parties for government officials at such functions as International Hydrographic Organization meetings. The design of AGS-26 wardrooms was I believe partly made to serve those functions. The little AGORs were hardly in such a position with the "wardroom" being a couple of booths, but they did hold less grand open ship. Most, but not all, of the "gray ships" were workhorses almost beaten to death. They generally had "No Visitor" signs and hosted no parties.

In reality the AGORs clearly operated as naval oceanographic vessels worked almost entirely on general and open projects. Some even left the "oceanographic" community entirely and became scientific platforms for Navy laboratories engaged in more specific ocean engineering work. The oceanographic ships operated by Navy were often treated almost as charter platforms available to researchers of other agencies. It was often cooperative with other nations and the data is usually public or widely shared. They are much more akin to true R/V types than the AGS and AG vessels.

Many of these ships are stricken and no longer in service with Navy or U. S. institutions. Some remain active under other flags. I've furnished links or information where I believe they are still active, but have not done detailed research to confirm status. Several no longer appear on easily checked lists for the country indicated in the NVR custodian information and are presumed scrapped, sold or otherwise disposed of by their secondary owners.

Names for these vessels are generally shortened to the last name of the individual for which they are named. This is done even in many official records to the point the full name is lost even to those sailing aboard. In fact, I can't remember any case in which those aboard or intimately familiar with the ship used a full name in conversation or reports. One amusing exception was when USNS Bent , as she was commonly known, had a period of breakdowns in operations where other ships were dependent on her work. I was aboard one of those other ships and some began joking "Silas isn't bent, Silas is broke!" as our schedule was slipping. In most cases the full name was not displayed on the ship itself except perhaps on a memorial plaque. In some cases I have doubt the sponsor's intended name was actually continued by MSTS/MSC or the official registers.

As an example I recently saw an old article announcing the addition of two new vessels with the full names of the Bartlett and De Steiguer. I don't think I'd ever been aware of the full name and certainly they were never referred to by full name. These ships were named, as are several other AGOR and AGS ships, after former commanders of the Naval Hydrographic Office: Commander John R. Bartlett (June 1883-June 1888) and Captain Louis R. De Steiguer (July 1921 - December 1921). I've added a table of those names from Pinsel's history of the office as a reference at the bottom of this page

See the NavSource Oceanographic Research Ship (AGOR) Index for photos and details. I am deferring to NavSource for ship details as well as assisting them when possible as they are creating a major resource covering all U.S. Navy vessels in some detail. Some additional specifics, particularly construction and disposal information, is available through the Naval Vessel Register (NVR) pages for these ships: OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH SHIP.

* These ships are covered on the Oceanographer of the Navy's pages, Navy Owned Oceanographic Ships under the "Research Ships" section covering Navy owned R/Vs operated by civilian institutions:

SIO - Scripps Institution of Oceanography
SOEST - School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii
UW - University of Washington School of Oceanography
WHOI - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Marine Operations

These ships operate as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory Systems (UNOLS) fleet.

Notes on ship class:

(1) AGOR-12/13 were only notionally Conrad class. They shared the single screw DC electric/diesel drive and were very similar in appearance to the AGOR-3 class but were longer (245 VS 206 ft LOA). The layout of the general accommodations were also different.

(2) Once listed in the Naval Vessel Register as Conrad class. These vessels were not of the Conrad class. They were conceived as the next generation of more capable research vessels. Much larger (245 VS 206 ft LOA) and carried larger parties. Both were refitted in 1989-02 at the McDermott yard. A 34 foot plug took them to 279 Ft LOA. They were re-engined. The single diesel driving 2 Voss-Schneider Cycloidal propulsors were replaced with 2 1,500 HP DC electric drive LIPS/Schottel Z drives.

Thanks to John Freitag (ONR) for clarifying the class and updates on AGOR-26. I am not searching as often for information on these vessels now that the Army ships are my focus. I welcome any help those in the community may be able to give in updating status or news (Ramon Jackson)

A worldwide list of research vessels is maintained by the University of Delaware.

It appears that the little ships of the Conrad class are being replaced in their second life worldwide by the more recent first generation AGOS Ocean Surveillance Ship class. It makes sense. They are nearly 20 years younger and designed for open ocean work involving over-the-stern operations. They would appear to make good candidates for more capable oceanographic vessels than the little mid-sixties AGOR design. That in a sense takes the AGOR class full circle. Josiah Willard Gibbs (AGOR 1) was a conversion. She started as San Carlos (AVP 51), a small seaplane tender with three battle stars for WW II service. The AGOS types were at least designed and served in a function quite similar to that required of a small oceanographic ship.

No AGOR class ships are actually operated by Navy now. The ones once operated under the Oceanographer of the Navy are gone abroad to serve other countries. Hayes is reclassified, Mizar, Conrad and Lynch await scrapping in the James River and even those operated by the Navy laboratories have long been transferred to other countries. The only current AGORs then are the "non-AGORs" -- those operated with little reference to their naval ownership and classification by the universities. There are thus no more T-AGOR ships, the "T" indicating U.S. Naval Ship (USNS) status under the Military Sealift Command.

Ship name sources for the AGORs and some of the AGS ships.

List of Commanders
From: 150 Years of Service on the Seas, Vol. 1 (1830-1946), by Marc I. Pinsel, Government Printing Office

Depot of Charts and Instruments
Lieutenant Louis H. Goldsborough	Dec. 1830 - Mar 1833
Lieutenant Charles Wilkes	Mar 1833 - Jun 1837
Lieutenant James N. Gilliss	Jun 1837 - Jul 1842
Superintendent, U.S. Naval Observatory and Hydrographical Office
Lieutenant Matthew F. Maury	Jul. 1842 - Apr 1861
Captain James N. Gilliss	Apr 1861 - Feb 1865
Rear Admiral Charles H. Davis	Apr 1865 - Aug 1866
Commanding Officer, U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office
Commander Thomas S. Fillebrown	Aug 1866 - Jul 1868
Captain Napoleon B. Harrision	Jul 1868 - Dec 1868
Commander Edward Simpson	Dec 1868 - Oct 1869
Commodore George F. Emmons	Oct 1869 - Oct 1870
Hydrographers, U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office
Captain Robert H. Wyman	Oct 1870 - May 1878
Captain Samuel R. Franklin	May 1878 - Jul 1880
Commodore John C. P. De Krafft	Jul 1880 - Jun 1883
Commander John R. Bartlett	Jun 1883 - Jun 1888
Lieutenant George L. Dyer	Jun 1888 - Nov 1889
Captain Henry F. Picking	Nov 1889 - Sep 1890
Lieut. Commander Richardson Clover	Jun 1891 - May 1893
Commander Charles D. Sigsbee	May 1893 - Apr 1897
Captain Joseph E. Craig	Apr 1897 - Jan 1900
Captain Chapman C. Todd	Jan 1900 - Nov 1901
Commaider W. H. H. Sutherland	Nov 1901 - Feb 1904
Captain H. H. Hodges	Feb 1904 - Oct 1906
Commander Charles C. Rogers	Oct 1906 - May 1908
Captain Albert G. Winterhalter	May 1908 - Jan 1910
Captain John J. Knapp	Jan 1910 - May 1912
Captain George F. Cooper	May 1912 - Apr 1914
Captim Thomas Washington	Apr 1914 - Jun 1916
Rear Admiral Thomas Snowden	Jun 1916 - Oct 1917
Rear Admiral Seaton Schroeder	Oct 1917 - Mar 1919
Rear Admiral Edward Simpson	Mar 1919 - Dec 1919
Rear Admiral Lloyd H. Chandler	Jun 1920 - Jul 1921
Captain Louis R. De Steiguer	Jul 1921 - Dec 1921
Captain Frederic B. Bassett	Jan 1922 - Jul 1925
Rear Admiral Walter S. Crosley	Jun 1925 - Jul 1927
Captain Clarence S. Kempff	Sep 1927 - Jun 1930
Rear Admira1 Walter R. Gherardi	Jun 1930 - Mar 1935
Captain Lamar R. Leahy	May 1935 - Aug 1938
Rear Admiral George S. Bryan	Aug. 1938 - Feb. 1946

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Original text and photographs Copyright © 1998, 2001 by Ramon Jackson

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