The USNS Bowditch (T-AGS-21) was the lead vessel of her class of oceanographic survey ships operated by the United States Navy. Originally launched in 1945 as the SS South Bend Victory, a type VC2-S-AP3 Victory ship built under the Maritime Commission’s Emergency Shipbuilding program, she was designated hull number MCV 694. During World War II, she served under the United States Merchant Marine, operated by the Waterman Steamship Company, and was equipped with Navy Armed Guard personnel to man her deck guns. Following the war, the ship was repurposed as a livestock or “cowboy” ship, facilitating the transport of horses, mules, chicks, and hay to war-torn European countries as part of post-war relief efforts. She completed approximately 360 trips across the Atlantic, notably delivering horses, calves, and other livestock to Poland in 1946. Between 1950 and 1953, she operated under the Prudential Steamship Corporation during the Korean War, before being laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet in 1953. In August 1957, the ship was acquired by the U.S. Navy, renamed USNS Bowditch, and converted into an oceanographic survey vessel at Charleston Naval Shipyard. She was officially placed in service on October 8, 1958, operated by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), and assigned to the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office. Bowditch supported the Ocean Survey Program, primarily aiding the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile Program. The vessel was crewed by a combination of Navy personnel, including a dedicated Oceanographic Detachment, and civilian scientists and engineers, totaling about 3 officers and 22 enlisted technicians. She was equipped with advanced sonar and navigation systems, maintained by a mix of military and private-sector experts, including personnel from Sperry Corporation. Decommissioned in 1987, USNS Bowditch was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Beaumont, Texas, and was eventually scrapped in Kaohsiung in 1988. Throughout her service, Bowditch played a vital role in oceanographic research, supporting strategic military programs and advancing maritime scientific knowledge.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.