Commissioning
The USS Robert E. Peary was a member of the Knox class of escort destroyers (and later, frigates). She was named in honor of Commodore Robert Peary.
The order to build the Peary was awarded to the Lockheed Ship Building and Drydock Co. of Seattle on July 22, 1964. Her keel was laid on Dec. 20, 1971; she was launched on June 26, 1971. She was commissioned on Sept. 23, 1972, with Commander Charles Beasley in command.
Underway
The Peary joined the ranks of the Pacific Fleet and was stationed at Long Beach, Calif. She would remain part of that fleet for her entire career, frequently deploying to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf.
The Peary did not see action in the Vietnam War, with her first deployment to the Western Pacific coming in late 1973. She would, however, win two Battle “E”s for outstanding combat preparedness in 1974 and 1977. In May 1979, the Peary, while on a deployment to the Western Pacific, rescued a group of Vietnamese refugees whose boat was sinking in the South China Sea.
In late 1991, the Peary was deployed to the Persian Gulf in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm. Though the Peary did not see combat, it helped enforce the United Nations embargo against Iraq by stopping and turning back ships carrying prohibited cargo. For this deployment, the Peary’s crew received the Southwest Asia Service Medal.
Though it was commissioned as a destroyer escort, the Robert E. Peary retired from U.S. service as a frigate. The Peary, along with all other members of the Knox class, was re-classified as a frigate on June 30, 1975. Its designation was then changed from DE-1073 to FF-1073.
Decommissioning
The Robert E. Peary was decommissioned on Aug. 7, 1992 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on Jan. 11, 1995. Ownership of the vessel was transferred to the Republic of China a short time later and it continues to serve as the Chi Yang (932) in the Taiwanese Navy.
Characteristics of the USS Robert E. Peary (Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Class and type: Knox-class frigate
Displacement: 3,305 tons (4,295 full load)
Length: 438 ft (134 m)
Beam: 46 ft 9 in (14.2 m)
Draught: 24 ft 9 in (7.5 m)
Propulsion: 2 × CE 1200psi boilers
1 Westinghouse geared turbine
1 shaft, 35,000 SHP (26 MW)
Speed: over 27 knots
Range: 4,500 nautical miles @ 20 knots
Complement: 18 officers, 267 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems: AN/SPS-40 Air Search Radar
AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar
AN/SQS-26 Sonar
AN/SQR-18 Towed array sonar system
Mk68 Gun Fire Control System
Electronic warfare and decoys: AN/SLQ-32 Electronics Warfare System
Armament: one Mk-16 8 cell missile launcher for ASROC and Harpoon missiles
one Mk-42 5-inch/54 caliber gun
Mark 46 torpedoes from four single tube launchers)
one Mk-25 BPDMS launcher for Sea Sparrow missiles, later replaced by Phalanx CIWS Aircraft carried: one SH-2 Seasprite (LAMPS I) helicopter
Career:
July 22, 1964: USS Robert E. Peary ordered
Builder: Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle, Washington
Laid down: December 20, 1970
Launched: June 23, 1971
Acquired: August 11, 1972
Commissioned: September 23, 1972
Decommissioned: August 7, 1992
Struck: January 11, 1995
Fate: Transferred to Taiwan as Chi Yang (FF-932)
Timeline:
July 1964: USS Robert E. Peary ordered
December 1970: Keel of USS Robert E. Peary laid
June 1971: USS Robert E. Peary launched
September 1972: USS Robert E. Peary commissioned
1991: USS Robert E. Peary serves in Persian Gulf supporting United Nations embargo against Iraq
August 1992: USS Robert E. Peary decommissioned
Crewmembers of the USS Robert E. Peary:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Robert E. Peary can be found on the unofficial navy website at: http://navysite.de. This list is compiled by former crewmembers that voluntarily register. Some quoted comments from former crewmembers are listed below; many more are available on the source website at the following Web address:
http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=ff_1073
Darrell Eson (served August 1976—February 1980): “Was aboard the Peary for my whole enlistment, 4 years, less boot camp and “A” school.”
Don Hofstetter (served August 1976—March 1980): “Very memorable experience with refugee rescue in South China Sea. May 1979.”
Howard Lasher (served February 1976—February 1978): “This was my first ship. I learned a lot there and got to know some great guys. Hope everybody went on to be sucessful in what ever they did after the Navy.”
Links:
http://www.mesotheliomaweb.org/destroyerspostwwii.htm
http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=ff_1073
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Robert E. Perry_(FF-1073)
http://navysite.de/ff/ff1073.htm
