The primary vessel chosen for the deep ocean search 

 was USNS MIZAR (T-AGOR-ll) operated by the Military Sea 

 Transportation Service for the Naval Research Laboratory. 

 This was the third time In her four years as an oceanogra- 

 phlc research vessel that MIZAR was operated as a unit of 

 a Navy task group. The special oceanographlc equipment for 

 deep ocean research aboard MIZAR was operated by personnel 

 from the Naval Research Laboratory, with some special support 

 from the Navy Oceanographlc Office and, on some occasions, by 

 personnel from commercial contractors. 



Funding and commercial contract assistance functions 

 were handled by the Office of the Supervisor of Salvage, 

 Captain ¥. Searle in the Naval Ships System Command. 



The unusual nature of the task assigned Indicated the 

 desirability of a pool of technical advisors. The 

 Honorable R. A. Prosch, Assistant Secretary of the Navy 

 for Research and Development, assigned Dr. John Craven, 

 Chief Scientist for the Deep Submergence Systems Project, 

 as Chairman of this group, which was to report as an advi- 

 sory panel to Admiral Donaldson. The membership of this 

 group was drawn from various operational and research 

 activities having special facilities or knowledge required 

 in deep ocean search operations. 



This ad hoc organization worked exceedingly well. The 

 Task Group Commander of Captain rank was on the scene, usu- 

 ally aboard MIZAR. There was excellent liaison between the 

 chairman of the Technical Advisory Group, the Chief of Naval 

 Operations, and the Task Force Commander, resulting in an 

 efficient decision making organization with the ability to 

 act very quickly. 



USNS MIZAR CHARACTERISTICS 



MIZAR is a 3700 ton ice strengthened freighter (see 

 Figure 1) modified for deep sea research. She displaces 

 3700 tons and Is 268 feet long and 5I feet wide with a draft 

 of 18 feet six Inches. 



Centerwell 



The most unusual feature of the ship is a centerwell 

 (see Figure 2) 22 feet fore and aft and 10 feet wide In the 

 center of the ship. An elevator like structure operating 

 on guide rails within the well permits lowering towed instru- 

 ments through the center of the ship. This configuration has 

 many advantages: (i) It permits launching in rough seas, (2) 

 It permits maneuvering the ship without restriction, (3) It 

 removes the accelerations due to roll and pitch from the tow 



59 



