KARADENIZ TCG (F-225) destroyer

[aukepalmhof]

She was built as a destroyer by the Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans, La. for the USS Navy.
25 August 1966 order awarded
24 July 1970 keel laid down.
22 May 1971 launched under the name USS DONALD B BEARY (FF1085), named after Rear Admiral Donald B. Beary. She was the 34th unit of the Knok class frigate of which 46 were built. Sponsor by Mrs. Mary L Beary the widow of Admiral Beary.
Displacement 3.011 ton standard, 3.877 full load. Dim. 133.5 x 14.3 x 7.8m. (draught).
Powered by one Westinghouse steam turbine, 35.000 shp., speed 27 knots. One screw. Steam supplied by two Combustion Engineering boilers.
Armament: One single 5 inch gun. One Asroc 8-tube launcher and two fixed Mark 32 ASW torpedo tubes.
Crew 22 officers 228 enlisted men.
A new technique was employed by the Avondale Shipyard to build this class of vessels. The hulls were assembled upside down, and when that phrase was completed four huge turning rings were slid under and around the hull and locked. The rings were then rotated until the hull was upright at which times the rings were unlocked and withdrawn. The ship was then moved sideways for the next assembly phase while another hull was begun in the place vacated. She was also sideways launched.
22 July 1972 commissioned. Average cost of the ships of this class $31 million.

She was equipped with the most recent advances in underwater sound detection equipment (SONAR), communication and radar equipment
Commissioned as an Ocean Escort (DE) at Norfolk, Virginia as one of the Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Four.
Re-rated as a frigate (FF) on 30 June 1975.
During a refit between 1971/75 she was fitted out with 1 Sea Sparrow BPDMS (Mark 25) and 2 of the eight tube Asroc launcher tubes have been moderated to fire Standard missiles.
Her last homeport was Norfolk.
Before she was transferred to the Naval Reserve Force she served as Reserve Training Frigate (FFT).
20 May 1994 decommissioned.
11January 1995 stricken from the navy list.
1998 Leased to Turkey, and renamed KARADENIZ (F-255).
22 February 2002 sold to Turkey.
2008 Still in service.

Turkey 2003 600.000li sg?, scott?

Source: Warships of the US Navy by Morison & Rowe. Watercraft Philately 2005/56. Some wbe-sites.