USS Belmont ( AGTR - 4 ) USS " Belmont " ( AGTR - 4 / AG - 167 ) was a " Belmont " - class technical research ship acquired by the U . S . Navy for the task of conducting research in the reception of electromagnetic propagations . " Belmont " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s civilian life . The second ship to be named " Belmont " by the Navy , " AGTR - 4 " was laid down on 25 January 1944 at Portland , Oregon , by the Oregon Shipbuilding Co . under a Maritime Commission contract ( MCV hull 94 ) as " Iran Victory " ; launched on 25 March 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Peter Hegge ; and delivered to the Maritime Commission on 23 April 1944 . The Maritime Commission then turned her over to a civilian contractor , the Pacific - Atlantic Steamship Co . , for operation . The cargo ship continued operations , manned by a civilian crew provided by a series of contractors until laid up at Astoria , Oregon , with the National Defense Reserve Fleet sometime between April 1954 and April 1955 . Acquired by the Navy . In February 1963 , " Iran Victory " was acquired by the Navy and entered the Willamette Iron and Steel Co . yard at Portland , Oregon , for conversion . On 8 June 1963 , she was renamed " Belmont " and designated a miscellaneous auxiliary " AG - 167 " . She was redesignated a technical research ship " AGTR - 4 " on 1 April 1964 and was commissioned at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 2 November 1964 , Comdr . Jerome E . Henderson in command . Assigned as technical research ship AGTR - 4 . " Belmont " completed outfitting at Puget Sound during November and , on 2 December , departed Bremerton , Washington , bound for her permanent assignment with the U . S . Atlantic Fleet at her new homeport , Norfolk , Virginia . She arrived there on 21 December 1964 and , exactly one month later , got underway for a five - week cruise to the West Indies that included shakedown training and concluded with port visits to Kingston , Jamaica , and Key West , Florida . She returned to Hampton Roads , Virginia , on 1 March and entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a month of post - shakedown availability . Final acceptance trials occupied 29 and 30 March and preparations for her first operational deployment followed . First operational deployment . On 26 April , " Belmont " passed between the Virginia Capes into the Atlantic Ocean and laid in a course for the West Indies . Two days at sea , the ship received orders to proceed to the vicinity of the Dominican Republic where , four days earlier , a revolt of left - wing factions had broken out . " Belmont " remained on station observing conditions until the middle of July . On the 13th , she headed back to Norfolk where she arrived four days later . After almost two months in port , the ship once more got underway on 14 September and spent about a month cruising in the West Indies before transiting the Panama Canal in mid - October . For the remainder of the year , she conducted operations along the western coast of South America , including visits to Valparaíso , Chile , and Callao , Peru . Her second deployment to South America . New Years Day 1966 found her at anchor in Callao . Two days later , she weighed anchor to return to the Panama Canal Zone . Belmont retransited the canal on 21 January and moored in Norfolk on the 28th , where she remained for almost seven weeks for upkeep and shipyard availability . On 16 March , the ship embarked upon another deployment to the western coast of South America . She transited the Panama Canal on 28 and 29 March and , for the next eight weeks , cruised along the coasts of Peru and Chile . " Belmont " returned to the Panama Canal Zone for a five - day visit between 23 and 28 May . On the latter day , she departed Panama and embarked upon five weeks of operations in order to spy French atomic tests in French Polynesia ( 12 June ) . The ship arrived back in the Panama Canal Zone on 13 July , transited the canal on the 14th , and reentered Norfolk on the 20th . After seven weeks of upkeep in her homeport , " Belmont " stood out to sea on 7 September , bound for her third assignment in the Pacific coastal waters of South America . She transited the Panama Canal again on 19 September and , two days later , shaped a course for her zone of operations . At the conclusion of that assignment , the ship returned to the Canal Zone on 4 November . She proceeded through the canal on 8 November and then set course for Norfolk . Belmont reentered her homeport on 14 November and spent the remainder of the year in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard installing communication gear . Circumnavigation of the continent of South America . The ship spent the first month of 1967 completing the installation of her new communications equipment and testing it . On 1 February , " Belmont " loosed her mooring lines to begin an extended cruise to the southern hemisphere — one that included a circumnavigation of the South American continent . Hydrographic and communications research highlighted the five - month voyage as did visits to sundry South American ports . " Belmont " completed her circuit of the South American continent on 3 June when she transited the Panama Canal and laid in a course for Norfolk . The technical research ship pulled into her homeport on 9 June and commenced a repair period . Her hull and various items of equipment received repairs over the next two months . Rounding the Cape of Good Hope . On 14 August , she stood out of the Chesapeake Bay bound for the Indian Ocean . The ship rounded the Cape of Good Hope on 5 October and spent the following six weeks engaged in special operations along the eastern coast of Africa . On 22 November , she redoubled the cape and , after an overnight stop at Monrovia , Liberia , on 2 and 3 December , pointed her bow west for the homeward voyage . " Belmont " arrived back at Norfolk on 12 December and spent the remainder of the year engaged in holiday leave and upkeep . 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 . Operating with the U . S . Sixth Fleet . During the first half of 1969 , " Belmont " stayed in or , infrequently , operated near Norfolk . A restricted availability followed by sea trials occupied the first three months of the year . Early in April , she began installation of additional equipment . May brought tests and type training in the Virginia Capes operating area . In June , she began preparations for overseas movement . On 17 June , " Belmont " left her berth at the Norfolk Naval Station bound for her first and only tour of duty with the U . S . 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean . She passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on the 28th and joined the 6th Fleet . Over the next four months , the technical research ship ranged the length and breadth of the " middle sea " conducting a series of special operations and making stops at ports all along the Mediterranean littoral . However , she spent the majority of her time in the eastern portion of the sea near Kythira , Greece , and the island of Crete . " Belmont " concluded the last deployment of her career at Rota , Spain , on 21 October and shaped a course back to the United States that same day . Declared " Of limited value , " " Belmont " is scrapped . " Belmont " arrived back in Norfolk on 3 November . Three weeks later , the ship received the close scrutiny of a board of inspection and survey . As a result , she was found to be of limited naval value . Accordingly , " Belmont " was decommissioned at Norfolk on 16 January 1970 , and her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register that same day . On 24 June 1970 , she was sold to the Boston Metals Co . , Baltimore , Maryland , for scrapping .