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NavSource Naval History Photographic History of the United States Navy |
DESTROYER ARCHIVE |
To Spain May 15 1957, renamed Lepanto (hull# 42, then reclassified as D 21).| Click On Image For Full Size Image |
Size | Image Description | Contributed By |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86k | Washington Lee Capps was born on 31 January 1864 at Portsmouth, Va. and was appointed to the Naval Academy in 1880. Upon graduation, he served in the screw frigate Tennessee for the two years sea duty then customary prior to commissioning. After becoming an ensign in 1886, Capps studied naval architecture at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. After returning to the United States in 1888 and brief duty at the Navy Department, he was assigned to Cramp's shipyard in Philadelphia. Capps moved to the New York Navy Yard in 1889 and remained there joining the Bureau of Construction and Repair in 1892. Three years later he became the superintending constructor at the Union Iron Works in San Francisco. There, he supervised the construction of Oregon (Battleship No. 3), Wisconsin (Battleship No. 9), Farragut (Torpedo Boat No. 11), Marietta (Gunboat No. 15), and Wheeling (Gunboat No. 14). Later attached to the staff of Rear Admiral Dewey, commander of the Asiatic Squadron, he was present during the Battle of Manila Bay. After the capture of Manila, he had three of the Spanish warships salvaged and repaired. Next Capps spent two years with the Board of Inspection Survey, followed by a tour of duty as the Head, Construction and Repair Department at the New York Navy Yard. In 1903, he became the Constructor of the Navy and Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair with the rank of rear admiral. During his tenure as Constructor of the Navy, numerous new ideas in warship design were tested and adopted. Notable among his innovations was the decision to mount the main batteries of battleships on the centerline, thereby increasing their broadside weight of metal to the maximum. During his tenure, Rear Admiral Capps served on a number of American and international committees which had been established for such purposes, among others, as improving the organization of the Navy and adopting new safety measures at sea to prevent a recurrence of disasters such as the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912. During World War I, he was senior member of the Navy's Compensation Board which oversaw the cost aspect of the Navy's expanded ship acquisition program. He was also general manager of the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corp. Forced by poor health to relinquish these duties for a time, Capps returned to his position on the Compensation Board, became the senior member of the Naval War Claims Board, and served on other boards and committees. Although placed on the retired list effective 31 January 1928, Rear Admiral Capps continued on active duty until the day of his death at Washington, D.C., on 31 May 1935. Photo from the Naval Historical Foundation | Bill Gonyo | |
| 102k | Artist's conception of the Capps as she appeared in late World War II by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource. | Navy Yard Associates | |
| 78k | Artist's conception of a cutaway view of the Capps by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource. | Navy Yard Associates | |
| 42k | Undated, location unknown. | J. D. Miller | |
| 87k | March 29 1944 in Puget Sound. | Ed Zajkowski | |
| 57k | Capps picking up survivors from the sinking LCI(G)-474, capsizing off Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945. | Photo by Bob Harker, Engineering Officer, USS LCI (G)-474, submitted by Vaughn Hampton USS LCI(G)-450 | |
| On Spanish Service Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - EBDO | ||||
| 100k | Undated picture of SNS Lepanto (D21, ex-USS Capps, DD-550), location unknown. Photo by Francisco Tevar Baños. | Robert Hurst | |
| 125k | As the Spanish Lepanto D-42 in San Diego May 1957. | Marc Piché | |
| 34k | Lepanto (ex-USS Capps, DD-550), circa 1958. Photo courtesy Senor A. Aguilera. Photo and text taken from "Jane's Fighting Ships 1958-59" Edition. | Robert Hurst | |
| 42k | Circa 1966, location unknown. | Robert Hurst | |
| 55k | USS Capps was transferred to Spain directly from the reserve fleet and essentially in her WW II configuration. Subsequently, in the 1960s the Spanish Navy decided to modernize and standardize the electronics suit of its five Fletchers. For Lepanto, as far as radar is concerned, this meant SPS-6 and -10 search radars, a tripod foremast to support their heavier antennas, and a Mk.25 substituted for the older sets previously associated to her Mk.37 gun director. All of these modifications are clearly visible against the evening sky in this January 20, 1980, photo taken at Barcelona, Spain. | Fabio Peña | |
| 58k | As the Spanish Destroyer LEPANTO (D-21) taken during her last year of service with the Spanish Navy. | Jose M. Budino | |
LCDR Bruce Edward Scofield Trippensee Jun 23 1943 - ? LCDR Joseph Henry Laliberte Dec 1945 - Jun 1946
CdF Jose L. Rodriguez Rodriguez de Torres May 15 1957 - Jul 18 1959 (later VADM) CdF Guillermo Carrero Carre Jul 18 1959 - Sep 28 1960 CdF Pedro Aznar Ardois Sep 28 1960 - Aug 28 1962 CdF Saturnino Suanzes de La Hidalga Aug 28 1962 - Mar 21 1964 (Later ADM) CdF Carlos Campos Arias Mar 21 1964 - Jun 5 1965 CdF Evaristo Diaz Rodriguez Jun 5 1965 - Oct 25 1967 CdF Jose Manuel Sevilla Gonzalez Oct 25 1967 - Oct 5 1968 CdF Jose Reinoso Martinez Oct 5 1968 - May 8 1970 CdF Jacinto Maria Garau Cabrer May 8 1970 - Jun 25 1971 (Later RADM) CdF Tomas Gomez Arroyo Jun 25 1971 - Aug 8 1972 (Later VADM) CdF Carlos Lamas Montes Aug 8 1972 - Jan 14 1974 CdF Jose Vallarino Seris-Granier Jan 14 1974 - Jul 14 1975 CdF Mariano Herranz Perruca Jul 14 1975 - Jun 25 1977 CdF Enrique Sepulveda Arvez Jun 25 1977 - Dec 19 1978 CdF Antonio Lopez-Ceron Fernandez de Alarcon Dec 19 1978 - Dec 19 1979 (Later RADM) CdF Jaime de Inclan Giraldo Dec 19 1979 - Dec 20 1980 (Later ADM) CdF Alfonso Moreno Aznar Dec 20 1980 - Dec 21 1981 CdF Manuel Cerdido Ferrer Dec 21 1981 - Jul 7 1983 CdF Emilio Laencina Macabich Jul 7 1983 - Dec 14 1984 (Later VADM) CdF Carlos Sanchez de Toca Acebal Dec 14 1984 - Dec 31 1985 (Later VADM)
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