Deep
ocean survey ships Bowditch, Dutton and Michelson worked out of
Norwegian ports, principally Bergen, after initial 1958-59 deployment.
They went to sea for three to four weeks, then were in port for perhaps
five days. Crews went ashore for R&R while the ship was fueled,
serviced and provisioned. Norway, while a NATO member, is a self declared "nuclear free zone". In 1962 someone in Norway noticed that the three survey ships were classified in Jane's Fighting Ships as "Ballistic Missile Support Type". Bergen newspapers picked up on this story, yielding all sorts of insane scenarios. One can imagine how the local politicos reacted to rumors of nuclear weapons in their midst!
Of course, this was all rubbish, as the survey ships were doing nothing other than what we said we were doing. Surveying. The end product, detailed nautical charts, was destined for the ballistic missile carrying submarines. Not innocuous, but not worth a political heart attack. The Norwegian government had already permitted construction of Loran C transmitting stations supporting the same program.
Rather than risk a minor diplomatic disaster, the US Navy decided to shift operations to Belfast in British Northern Ireland. This move resulted in less time in the operating areas as the ships had to steam an extra day or two from port, but the UK was regarded as more politically favorable. By the fall of 1962, Bowditch and Dutton had moved to the Mediterranean leaving Michelson alone to survey in the Norwegian Sea.
