USS Norton Sound

USS Norton Sound. The USS Norton Sound was a unique vessel in the United States Navy, originally commissioned as a seaplane tender but achieving its greatest fame following conversion into the world's first guided missile ship. It served as a premier platform for testing advanced radar, sonar, and ballistic missile systems throughout the Cold War. The ship's long and innovative career left a significant legacy in naval weapons development and oceanographic research.

Service history

The vessel was laid down in 1942 at the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in San Pedro, California. Following its launch and commissioning in 1945, it was initially assigned to support Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats in the Pacific Theater during the final months of World War II. After the war, it performed routine duties as part of the Atlantic Fleet, including operations in the Caribbean Sea and along the East Coast of the United States. Its early service was relatively conventional, but the ship's large, stable hull made it an ideal candidate for a radical new role in the emerging field of naval missile warfare.

Conversion to guided missile ship

In 1948, the ship entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for an extensive conversion, redesignated as AVM-1. This transformation involved installing the experimental RIM-2 Terrier missile system, making it the first dedicated guided-missile ship in the world. Under the command of officers like Captain John E. Clark, it conducted pioneering test launches off Naval Station Norfolk and in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship later tested the massive RIM-8 Talos missile and sophisticated systems for the Aegis Combat System. It also served as a testbed for groundbreaking AN/SQS-26 sonar arrays and participated in critical research for the Fleet Ballistic Missile program, including tests related to the UGM-27 Polaris.

Decommissioning and fate

After decades of service as a floating laboratory, the ship was decommissioned in 1986 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. Following its removal from the Naval Vessel Register, it was initially transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay-up in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in California. Despite efforts by the City of Cordova, Alaska to preserve it as a museum, the vessel was sold for scrap in 1997. It was subsequently towed across the Pacific Ocean to India, where it was dismantled in the shipbreaking yards of Alang.

Awards and recognition

Throughout its long career, the ship earned multiple unit commendations for its role in advancing naval technology. It was awarded the Navy E Ribbon for efficiency and several Battle "E" ribbons. The vessel and its crew received the Navy Unit Commendation for its pivotal missile development work during the 1950s and 1960s. Its contributions are recognized in the histories of the Naval Sea Systems Command, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and the Strategic Systems Programs office.

Category:United States Navy ships Category:Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States Category:Ships built in California