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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Kephart (APD-61)
ex
 USS Kephart (DE-207) (1943 - 1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - India - Whiskey
 NFIW
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)

USS Kephart (APD-61) was transferred to South Korea, ROKS Kyong Puk (PF-82)
Buckley Class Destroyer Escort / Charles Lawrence Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down as Kephart (DE-207), a Buckley Class Destroyer Escort, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston S.C.
  • Launched, 6 September 1943
  • Commissioned USS Kephart (DE-207), 7 January 1944, LCDR. Irving H. Cammarn, USNR in command
  • Converted to a High-speed Transport and redesignated (APD-61), 5 July 1944
  • During World War II USS Kephart (APD-61) was assigned first to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater TransDiv One Hundred Three, CDR. W. S. Parsons USN, and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 19 to 29 November 1944
    Ormoc Bay landings, 7 to 8 December 1944     		Consolidation and capture of southern Philippines
    Visayan Island landings, 25 and 30 March 1945
    Luzon operation
    Mindoro landings, San Jose, 12 to 18 December 1944     		Borneo operation
    Brunei Bay operation, 10 June 1945
    Balikpapan operation, 26 June to 4 July 1945
    Manila Bay- Bicol operations
    Grande Island - Subic Bay, 30 to 31 January 1945     		 

  • Following World War II USS Kephart was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 to 13 September 1945 
    28 September to 2 October 1945 
    20 October to 12 November 194513 to 20 November 1945
    21 to 27 November 1945 

  • Decommissioned, 21 June 1946
  • Struck from the US Naval Register, 1 May 1967
  • Transferred (leased) to Republic of Korea, 16 May 1967, renamed ROKS Kyong Puk (PF-82)
  • Redesignated (APD-85) in 1972
  • Purchased outright by Republic of Korea, 15 November 1974
  • Renumbered (APD-826) in 1980
  • Redesignated (DE-826) in 1982
  • Struck by the Republic of Korea Navy, 30 April 1985
  • Final Disposition, broken up for scrap USS Kephart earned five battle stars for World War II service.
    APD Specifications:
    Displacement 1,400 t.(lt), 2,130 t.(fl)
    Length 306' ovl.
    Beam 37'
    Draft 12' 7" (limiting)
    Speed 23.6 kts. (trial)
    Range 6,000 nautical miles at 12 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 12
    Enlisted 192
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 12
    Enlisted 150
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Boats 4 LCVP landing craft
    Troop Accoutrements
    six 1/4 ton trucks
    two 1 ton trucks
    four ammunition carts
    four pack howitzers
    Storage
    Ammunition 6,000 cu. ft.
    General Cargo 3,500 cu. ft.
    Gasoline 1,000 cu. ft.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    three twin 40 mm AA gun mounts
    six single 20 mm AA gun mounts
    two depth charge tracks
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 2,216 Bbls
    Diesel 93 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Combustion Engineering "D" Express boilers, 435psi 750°
    two General Electric turbines, (turbo-electric drive)
    Ship's Service Generators
    two 300Kw 450V A.C.
    two 40Kw 120V D.C.
    two propellers, 12,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Kephart 138k USS Kephart (APD-61) detailed profile drawing. ©John Robert Barrett
    Kephart
    NH 91583    		 99k USS Kephart (APD-61) off New York Navy Yard, 20 September 1944.
    Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo #'s NH 91583 and NH 91582 Courtesy of A.D. Baker III    		 Mike Green
    Kephart
    NH 91582    		 99k
    USS Kephart (APD-61)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Cammarn, Irving Hamblin, USNR :RADM7 January 1944 - 19 June 1945DE-207 / APD-61
    02LCDR. Matthews Jr., Robert Michael, USNR19 June 1945 - 1946APD-61
    03LTjg. Banner Jr., Roy James, USNR1946 - April 1946APD-61
    04LTjg. Quist, Robert Jonathan, USNRApril 1946 - 1 June 1946APD-61
    05LT. McKee, Clarence Roy, USNR1 June 1946 - 21 June 1946APD-61
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Destroyer Escort Index Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back to the USS Kephart (DE-207) Page Back To The High-speed Transport (APD) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 16 December 2016