USS Belmont (AGTR-4) - Indian Ocean Operations

Indian Ocean Operations

January 1968 found Belmont still at Norfolk. On the 26th, she began regular overhaul at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. She emerged revitalized on 14 May and put to sea to conduct refresher training in the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, operating area. The ship completed post-overhaul training on 14 June and, after a visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico, embarked upon her second deployment to the coasts of Africa. On 2 July, she arrived off Cape Palmas and commenced operations along Africa's western coast. That phase of the assignment lasted until 25 September at which time she passed the Cape of Good Hope and entered the Indian Ocean. That portion of her mission proved relatively brief, occupying her time during the last week in September and the month of October. On 1 November, Belmont retraced her course around the Cape of Good Hope and steamed back into the Atlantic Ocean. The ship stopped over at Recife, Brazil, from 13 to 16 November and then headed for the northeastern coast of South America and a series of operations in that vicinity. Belmont completed the last mission of the cruise on 24 November and headed home. She moored at Norfolk on 28 November and remained there for the rest of 1968.