USS ROBERT A. OWENS DD-827

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS ROBERT A. OWENS DD-827

The Tin Can Sailor, January 2009

The ROBERT A. OWENS (DD‑827) was launched on 15 July 1946 by the Bath Iron Works of  Bath, Maine. She was reclassified DDK‑827 on 28 January 1948 and was finally commissioned at Boston on 5 November 1949. Following shakedown the OWENS was  reclassified DDE-827, one of the navy’s first hunter‑killer destroyers, on 4 March 1950. She operated in the western Atlantic and Caribbean until late 1952 when she deployed to the Mediterranean for the first time. From then on into the 1960s, she operated with the Sixth Fleet for six months out of every 18. For the remaining 12 months, she conducted antisubmarine patrols off the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean. Her routine changed in the fall of 1957 when she joined NATO exercises, which took her to the North Sea.

Throughout the 1960s the OWENS continued to rotate between the Second and Sixth Fleets. In 1960 and 1962, she assisted in the recovery operations for the space capsules  Mercury 2 and Mercury 6. Following antisubmarine operations along the East Coast, she was again reclassified, this time as DD‑827, on 7 August 1962. That October and November saw her operating as a unit of Cuban Quarantine Task Force 136 during the Soviet missile crisis. In 1963, following ASW operations in the Atlantic and another patrol off Cuba, the OWENS got underway for an extended deployment to the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean. She began her FRAM overhaul that December of 1963 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and completed it the following November.

The OWENS subsequently served as school ship for the fleet sonar school and, after refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, joined the recovery force for Gemini‑Titan (GT3) in March and Gemini‑Titan (GT4) in June 1965. An extended deployment with the Sixth Fleet and the Middle East Force took her into May 1966 when she returned to duty as fleet sonar school ship. She then operated in the Atlantic until deploying to the Mediterranean for the first five months of 1967. The OWENS was occupied for the rest of the year with East Coast operations, school ship duties, and an overhaul, which was completed in March 1968.

From 28 May to 13 June 1968, the destroyer participated in the search for the USS SCORPION that disappeared en route from a Mediterranean deployment. The OWENS finished the year in the Mediterranean. That deployment ended in January 1969. The rest of the year was spent in Atlantic and Caribbean operations.  Between January 1970 and December 1972, she  alternated two Mediterranean deployments with normal operations out of Norfolk. The ROBERT A. OWENS’s schedule was much the same throughout the rest of her career in the U.S. Navy. Following her decommissioning on 16 February 1982, she was transferred to the Republic of Turkey through the Security Assistance Program (SAP) that same day. She served with the Turkish navy as TCG ALCITEPE (D‑346) until early 1999 when she was decommissioned and scrapped.

USS ROBERT A. OWENS DD-827 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, August 2015

Robert A. Owens (DD-827) was laid down 29 October 1945 by the Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 15 July 1946; sponsored by Miss Patricia Hannegan; reclassified DDK-827 on 28 January 1948; and commissioned at Boston 5 November 1949, Comdr. Rexford V. Wheeler, Jr., in command.

Following shakedown in February 1950, Robert A. Owens, one of the first hunter-killer destroyers so designated, was reclassified DDE-827 on 4 March 1950. She operated in the western Atlantic and the Caribbean until late 1952 when she deployed to the Mediterranean. From that time into the 1960s, she operated with the 6th Fleet for 6 months out of every 18. During the remaining 12 months, she conducted antisubmarine patrols off the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean. In the fall of 1957 she added the North Sea to her operational area as she joined in NATO exercises.

In the 1960s Robert A. Owens continued to rotate between 2d and 6th Fleets. In November 1960 and February 1962, she assisted in the recovery operations for Project Mercury space capsules, Mercury 2 and Mercury 6. After the latter, Robert A. Owens sailed east to join TG Bravo for eastern Atlantic antisubmarine operations. Reclassified DD-827 on 7 August 1962, she was a unit of the Cuban Quarantine Task Force 136 during October and November. In January and February 1963, she conducted ASW operations in the Atlantic. March brought another period of patrol off Cuba; and, in April, Robert A. Owens again got underway for extended deployment. Duty in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean followed and on 23 December she entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization overhaul.

Completing overhaul on 15 November 1964, Robert A. Owens served as schoolship for the Fleet Sonar School and, after refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, joined the Recovery Force for Gemini-Titan (GT3) in March 1965 and Gemini-Titan (GT4) in June. On 27 November, she sailed for an extended deployment to the 6th Fleet and Middle East Force, returning to Fleet Sonar School ship duty in May 1966. She then operated in the Atlantic until deploying to the Mediterranean during the first 5 months of 1967. The balance of the year was spent in Atlantic operations, schoolship duties, and overhaul which was completed 11 March 1968.

Robert A. Owens then participated in the search for Scorpion (SSN-589) 28 May to 13 June, and conducted ASW operations before deploying to the 6th Fleet from 5 September 1968 to 27 January 1969. She then operated in the Atlantic and Caribbean without an extended deployment for the balance of that year. Between 1 January 1970 and 31 December 1972, she has alternated two Mediterranean deployments with normal operations in the Atlantic and Caribbean, out of her home port, Norfolk.

Robert A. Owens was decommissioned on 16 February 1982 and transferred to the Republic of Turkey through the Security Assistance Program (SAP) that same day. She served as Alcitepe (D 346) with the Turkish Navy until early 1999.