Oxford-class research ship

Class of technical research ships converted from WWII Liberty ships

This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Oxford-class research ship" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

|

USS Oxford (AG-159)

Class overview
Name| Oxford class
Builders| New England Shipbuilding Corporation
Operators|  United States Navy
Succeeded by| Belmont class
Built| 1945
In commission| 1945–1969
Completed| 3
Retired| 3
General characteristics
Type| Type Z-EC2-S-C5 technical research ship
Displacement|

* 8,345 long tons (8,479 t) light
* 11,365 long tons (11,547 t) full load

Length| 441 ft 6 in (134.6 m)
Beam| 56 ft 11 in (17.3 m)
Draft| 22 ft 9 in (6.9 m)
Propulsion|

* 2 × 220 psi (1,500 kPa) boilers
* 1 × 3-cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engine, 2,500 shp (1,864 kW)
* 1 × 4-bladed 18 ft 6 in (5.6 m) propeller
* 1 shaft

Speed| 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Complement| 213
Armament| 4 × .50 caliber machine guns

The Oxford class of technical research ships were a class of three World War II Liberty ships converted in the early 1960s to provide a seaborne platform for global eavesdropping on behalf of the National Security Agency. The ships of this class were similar to the Belmont-class ships of the same era with the difference being that they were adapted from Victory ships.

## Ships in class[edit]

* Oxford class (Liberty ship type)
* USS Oxford (AGTR-1) • 1961–1969
* USS Georgetown (AGTR-2) • 1963–1969
* USS Jamestown (AGTR-3) • 1963–1969

## See also[edit]

* Spy ship