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USS KEPPLER (DD-765 / DDE-765)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NKPD

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - BUDWEISER

CLASS - GEARING As Built.
Displacement 3460 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 390' 6"(oa) x 40' 10" x 14' 4" (Max)
Armament 6 x 5"/38AA (3x2), 12 x 40mm AA, 11 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; General Electric Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 36.8 Knots, Range 4500 NM@ 20 Knots, Crew 336.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco. April 23 1944.
Launched June 24 1946 and commissioned May 23 1947.
Reclassified DDE-765 March 4 1950, reverted to DD-765 June 30 1962.
Decommissioned June 30 1972.
Stricken July 1 1972.
To Turkey July 1 1972, renamed Tinaztepe.
Fate Stricken and broken up in 1982.

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Size Image Description Contributed
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Keppler 58kReinhardt John Keppler was born in Ralston, Washington, on 22 January 1918. He was raised in that State and, after graduation from Wapato High School, he enlisted in the US Navy in February 1936 and reenlisted in April 1940. Keppler was promoted to First Class Petty Officer at the beginning of October 1941. During the Second World War, while serving in the heavy cruiser San Francisco, he saw combat action at Pearl Harbor, early wartime raids against Bougainville and New Guinea, and during the Guadalcanal Campaign. When a Japanese bomber crashed into his ship on 12 November 1942, at the beginning of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, he assisted in caring for the resulting casualties. That night, as San Francisco participated in a chaotic battle with enemy warships, he labored valiantly, despite mortal wounds, to save his ship and wounded shipmates. For his "extraordinary heroism and distinguished courage" on these occasions, Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Reinhardt J. Keppler was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Photo #: NH 85186-A. Boatswain's Mate First Class Reinhardt J. Keppler, USN, this image is a retouched version of that seen in Photo #: NH 85185. US Naval Historical Center Photograph.Bill Gonyo
Keppler 113kUndated, location unknown.Glenn Heckard ET2 (USN-RET)
Keppler 90kUndated photo taken after her FRAM conversion.SKC Donald J. Holland, USN (Ret)
Keppler 131kUndated, location unknown.Jim Battenfelder
Keppler 88kUndated, the Mediterranean island of Malta.Jim Battenfelder
Keppler 130kUndated, location unknown.David Buell
Keppler 215kThe USS Valley Forge (CV-45) along with the USS William C. Lawe (DD-763), USS William M. Wood (DD-715), USS Lloyd Thomas (DD-764) and the USS Keppler (DD-765) during their 1948 World Cruise, location unknown.Bob Bush
Keppler 52kCirca 1953, location unknown.Robert Hurst
Keppler 76kL-R, USS Keppler (DDE-765), USS Fred T. Berry (DDE-858), USS Norris (DDE-859), USS McCaffery (DDE-860) and USS Harwood (DDE-861 of DesRon 6 steaming through the Caribbean in June 1956.Robert Hurst
Keppler 76kScenes from the USS Lloyd Thomas Cruisebook from Jan-Mar 1957. From the collection of Robert Frampton, CAPT (SC), USN (Ret.). In this photo are the USS Lloyd Thomas (DD-764), USS Keppler (DD-765) and the USS Harwood (DD-861).Robert Hall
Keppler 91kNewport, RI September 1966.© Richard Leonhardt
Keppler 73kNewport, RI October 1966.© Richard Leonhardt
Keppler 40kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Keppler 38kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Keppler 33kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
On Turkish Service
Keppler 40kAs the TCG TINAZTEPE D355.Murat Kurtulmus

USS KEPPLER DD-765 / DDE-765 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves

CDR Peter Massimo Gaviglio    May 23 1947 - Nov 21 1948 (Later RADM)
CDR Lloyd Montague Mustin    Nov 21 1948 - Jan 3 1950 (Later VADM)
CDR Thomas Donald Cunningham    Jan 3 1950 - Aug 2 1951
CDR John Collins James    Aug 2 1951 - Nov 8 1952
CDR Thomas Hart Taylor    Nov 8 1952 - Sep 7 1953
CDR Jack Eugene Gibson    Sep 7 1953 - Apr 29 1955
CDR Philip Thompson Glennon    Apr 29 1955 - Jun 22 1957
CDR George Joseph Largess    Jun 22 1957 - Sep 13 1958
CDR William Boyle Bagbey    Sep 13 1958 - Sep 7 1960
CDR Vito Louis Vitucci    Sep 7 1960 - May 4 1962
CDR Charles Clarence Dusek    May 4 1962 - Nov 7 1963
CDR John Howard Bell    Nov 7 1963 - Jul 1 1965
CDR Forrest Ray Degler Jr.    Jul 1 1965 - Aug 9 1965
CDR William Patrick Holden    Aug 9 1965 - Jun 1 1966
LCDR John William Kuncas    Jun 1 1966 - Aug 9 1966 (Acting)
CDR Dwight Wadsworth    Aug 9 1966 - Jul 11 1968
CDR Robert Peter Lenahan    Jul 11 1968 - May 26 1970
CDR Thomas W. McCarthy    May 26 1970 - Jul 24 1971
LCDR Dempsey Eastin Allgood    Jul 24 1971 - Aug 18 1971 (Acting)
CDR John Frederick Baumgardner    Aug 18 1971 - Aug 20 1971
LCDR Dempsey Eastin Allgood    Aug 20 1971 - Jun 30 1972

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Willard Darrell
Address: 23 Kenneth Lane, North Babylon, NY 11703
Phone: (631)586-4565
E-mail: None


Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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