USNS Timber Hitch (T-AGM-17) was a US Navy missile range instrumentation ship which earlier operated as the US Air Force Ocean Range Vessel USAFS Timber Hitch (ORV-17) on the US Air Force's Eastern Test Range during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Timber Hitch operated under an Air Force contract with Pan American Airways Guided Missile Range Division headquartered in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Timber Hitch receiving fresh water from the USAS American Mariner, Clarence Bay, Ascension Island, in December 1961.
History
United States
NameTimber Hitch
NamesakeTimber hitch
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
OperatorGrace Line Inc.
Orderedas a type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2315
Awarded17 February 1944
BuilderConsolidated Steel Corporation, Ltd., Wilmington, California
Cost$1,205,427.45
Yard number1220
Way number2
Laid down26 August 1944
Launched12 October 1944
Sponsored byMrs. W. F. Pruden
Completed19 January 1945
Identification
Fate
United States
NameTimber Hitch
OwnerUnited States Air Force
ReclassifiedOcean Range Vessel
IdentificationORV-17
FateTransferred to the United States Navy, 1 July 1964
United States
NameTimber Hitch
OwnerUnited States Navy
OperatorMilitary Sea Transportation Service
In service1 July 1964
Out of service1968
ReclassifiedMissile Range Instrumentation Ship
Stricken9 October 1969
Identification
Fate
General characteristics [2]
Class and type
TypeC1-M-AV1
Displacement
  • 3,366 long tons (3,420 t) (light)
  • 6,090 long tons (6,190 t) (full load)
Length338 ft 9 in (103.25 m)
Beam50 ft 4 in (15.34 m)
Draft17 ft 7 in (5.36 m)
PropulsionDiesel, single propeller
Speed11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Endurance30 days at sea
Sensors and
processing systems
telemetry
Armamentnone

Timber Hitch, assigned to the South Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean area, provided the Air Force with metric data on intercontinental ballistic missiles launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida.

Timber Hitch operated in the intercontinental ballistic missile re-entry area near Ascension Island, and was home-ported out of Recife, Brazil.

Construction

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SS Timber Hitch was laid down 26 August 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2315, by the Consolidated Steel Corporation, Ltd., Wilmington, California; she was sponsored by Mrs. Paul N. Mulvany, the wife of the assistant chief of the Construction & Inspection section at the regional office of MARCOM, and was launched on 10 October 1944.[1]

Acquisition by the Navy

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Timber Hitch was acquired from the US Air Force by the US Navy, on 1 July 1964.

Operational data

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Operational data while on US Navy service during post-1964 period on this vessel is lacking.

Inactivation

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Timber Hitch was struck from the Navy List 9 October 1969. She was sold for scrapping, 27 July 1977, along with three other ships, for $309,999. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 21 October 1977.[3]

See also

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References

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Bibliography

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  • Priolo, Gary P. (26 February 2021). "USNS Timber Hitch". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  • Maritime Administration. "Timber Hitch". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  • "SS Timber Hitch". Retrieved 10 January 2022.