Oceanographic Service
Manned by a civilian crew and carrying 15 scientists from the Naval Oceanographic Office, James M. Gilliss was the first of a new class of oceanographic ships to be operated by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS). In addition to the latest in oceanographic and meteorological equipment, she also possessed unusual design features, including special antiroll tanks for stability and a retractable bow propulsion propeller. As a mobile, floating research laboratory, she was capable of carrying out experiments in sound transmission, underwater life, and ocean floor characteristics, thus enabling her to help continue the Navy's lead in the exploration and understanding of "inner space."
Read more about this topic: USNS James M. Gilliss (T-AGOR-4)
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