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General Characteristics

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Accidents aboard the Ship

About the Ship's Coat of Arms

About the Ship's Namesake

USS Fanning's COs

History

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USS Fanning (FF 1076)

USS FANNING was the 25^th KNOX - class frigate and the third ship in the Navy to bear the name. Decommissioned on July 31, 1993, the ship was subsequently leased to Turkey where it was recommissioned as ADATEPE. Stricken from the Navy list on January 11, 1995, the ship was finally purchased by Turkey on May 18, 1999.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS FANNING. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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Accidents aboard USS FANNING:

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The central figure of the insignia is the shield from the Fanning Family Coat of Arms, chosen to honor Lieutenant Nathaniel Fanning, USN. Permission to use the Fanning Coat of Arms was generously granted by Mrs. Robert H. Lathrop formerly of Old Lyme, Connecticut, the great-great-great granddaughter of Lieutenant Fanning and sponsor of FF 1076.

The five-point star above the shield is used in heraldry to denote the third in a family line, and signifies the USS FANNING (FF 1076) is the third ship to bear the name.

The anchors and chains symbolize the Naval Service and serve to permanently link the ship's name with her service.

The word "INDOMITABLE" was chosen because it is considered to be the one word which best describes the distinguished careers and fundamental attributes of Nathaniel Fanning and the two previous ships that so proudly carried his name.

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About the Ship's Namesake:

LT Nathaniel Fanning, the ship's namesake, started his career on the oceans as a privateer conducting commerce-raiding cruises against the British before the Revolutionary War. He quickly worked his way up to prizemaster and was shortly thereafter taken prisoner by the British during an unsuccessful raid. After spending over a year in prison, he was released and travelled to the French Port of L' Orient. There he served under John Paul Jones as a midshipman aboard the BON HOMME RICHARD. During the battle between the RICHARD and H.M.S. SERAPIS at the Flamborough Head in September of 1779, Fanning was appointed captain of the main top. After the battle, Jones cited Fanning as "one cause among the prominent in obtaining victory" Fanning went on to command the French privateer COUNT DE GUICHEN and the French brig RANGER. He was instrumental in the U S. Navy's dominance over the Atlantic.

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USS FANNING's Commanding Officers:

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USS FANNING History:

The contract for the construction of USS FANNING was awarded on July 22, 1964, and her keel was laid at the Los Angeles Division of Todd Shipyards Corporation in San Pedro, California, on December 7, 1968. She was launched and christened on January 24, 1970, sponsored by Mrs. Robert H. Lathrop, a descendant of Nathaniel Fanning. Following completion, fitting out, and acceptance trials off the coast of Southern California, USS FANNING was delivered to the Navy on July 16, 1971, and commissioned at Long Beach Naval Shipyard on July 23, 1971, with Commander Paul E. Treagy Jr. in command.

After commissioning, USS FANNING completed fitting-out work, engineering trials, weapons testing, and shakedown training along the Southern California coast. Her crew developed proficiency in antisubmarine warfare, surface gunnery, underway replenishment, damage control, and coordinated operations with aircraft carriers and other escorts. Following post-shakedown availability and preparations at San Diego, she departed on her first Western Pacific deployment on December 6, 1972. The deployment brought USS FANNING into the final phase of direct American naval involvement in the Vietnam War. She operated in the Gulf of Tonkin, where she performed carrier-screening duties, antisubmarine patrols, plane-guard assignments, and naval gunfire support missions as required.

The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 27, 1973, and a ceasefire formally took effect the following day. On January 28, USS FANNING participated in a major formation of United States naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin. The carriers USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN 65), USS AMERICA (CVA 66), USS ORISKANY (CVA 34), and USS RANGER (CVA 61) operated together. The concentration marked both the scale of the remaining American naval presence and the transition from combat operations toward enforcement, surveillance, and the withdrawal of United States forces. During the remainder of the deployment, USS FANNING continued operating with Seventh Fleet units in the Western Pacific before returning to San Diego on June 23, 1973.

After post-deployment leave, maintenance, and refresher training, USS FANNING prepared for another Western Pacific cruise in 1974. During this deployment, she took part in an extended Indian Ocean operation intended to demonstrate an American naval presence in waters where Soviet naval activity and expanding Soviet relationships with Somalia and South Yemen had become matters of increasing concern. By June 15, 1974, USS FANNING was at Subic Bay in the Philippines preparing for the operation with the guided-missile cruiser USS CHICAGO (CG 11), the destroyer USS GEORGE K. MacKENZIE (DD 836), and the fleet oiler USS PASSUMPSIC (AO 107). The group entered the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Malacca on June 30.

Beginning on July 13, 1974, the ships conducted an extended period at sea in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden. Their activities included surveillance, communications exercises, antisubmarine training, coordinated maneuvering, and demonstrations of the ability of the United States Navy to sustain operations far from established Pacific bases. USS FANNING and the other ships arrived at Mombasa, Kenya, on August 9, providing their crews with their first substantial port visit after the prolonged underway period. The group subsequently visited Port Louis, Mauritius, before continuing its Indian Ocean operations and eventually returning through Southeast Asian waters. The cruise broadened USS FANNING's operational experience beyond her original Western Pacific and Vietnam-related missions and introduced a pattern of Indian Ocean deployments that would become increasingly important during the remainder of her career.

On June 30, 1975, the United States Navy introduced a revised ship classification system. USS FANNING's designation changed from DE 1076 to FF 1076, and she was thereafter officially classified as a frigate.

USS FANNING deployed again to the Western Pacific from September 1975 until May 1976. During the early part of the cruise, she operated with the aircraft carrier USS MIDWAY (CV 41) and other Seventh Fleet units. On October 13, 1975, USS FANNING departed Subic Bay with USS MIDWAY, the destroyer USS TURNER JOY (DD 951), and the fast combat support ship USS SACRAMENTO (AOE 1) for an extended movement toward the Indian Ocean and the coast of Iran. The ships called at Singapore and Colombo, Sri Lanka, and conducted exercises with regional naval forces while proceeding westward.

The force arrived at Bandar Abbas, Iran, on November 13, 1975, to participate in Exercise MIDLINK. At that time Iran, under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was a principal United States security partner in the region and was expanding its naval capabilities with extensive American assistance. MIDLINK brought together naval forces from the United States, Iran, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom for antisubmarine, antiaircraft, surface warfare, communications, and gunnery exercises. USS FANNING's specialized antisubmarine equipment made her a useful participant in the multinational training program. The exercise concluded on November 25, after which the American ships briefly returned to Bandar Abbas. They began their eastward movement toward the Philippines on November 29. During the deployment, Secretary of the Navy J. William Middendorf also visited USS FANNING. The ship returned to San Diego in May 1976 after approximately eight months away from her home port.

During the United States Bicentennial year, USS FANNING took part in commemorative activities at San Francisco and Port San Luis while continuing routine fleet exercises and readiness training. In November 1976, she participated in evaluation work associated with the Navy's new Mk 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System. The radar-directed rapid-fire gun was being developed as a final defensive measure against antiship missiles and aircraft, reflecting the increasing missile threat faced by surface ships during the 1970s.

On February 8, 1977, USS FANNING suffered a boiler-related engineering casualty while operating approximately 15 miles off San Francisco. Three crew members were injured, but the ship remained afloat and was able to proceed for repairs. Two days later, on February 10, she entered Triple A Shipyard in San Francisco for an extensive baseline overhaul. The work included repairs and refurbishment of the propulsion plant, preservation of the hull and superstructure, maintenance of weapons and sensors, and improvements intended to increase reliability after several years of demanding deployments. Parts of the overhaul involved dry-dock work in the Hunters Point area. The overhaul was completed on June 21, 1978, and USS FANNING returned to San Diego on June 29.

Commander Thomas O. Gabriel assumed command on July 31, 1978. The following months were devoted to rebuilding operational readiness after the lengthy shipyard period. Refresher training began on November 13 and concluded with the successful completion of the final battle problem on December 8. During 1979, USS FANNING participated in a succession of readiness exercises, including COMPTUEX 3A-79, READIEX 2A-79, COMPTUEX 4-79, and COMPTUEX 5-79. She also underwent maintenance-management, nuclear-weapons-related, and Board of Inspection and Survey evaluations. During a ten-day voyage between San Diego and Acapulco, Mexico, she was used in testing associated with the developing NAVSTAR satellite navigation system, an early stage in the evolution of the Global Positioning System.

USS FANNING departed San Diego on September 8, 1979, for a deployment that became one of the most prolonged and operationally significant cruises of her career. After crossing the Pacific, she visited Pearl Harbor from September 14 to September 17 and conducted operations in Hawaiian waters before proceeding to Midway and Guam. She arrived at Guam on October 3. When Typhoon Tip, one of the largest and most intense tropical cyclones ever recorded, threatened the Mariana Islands, USS FANNING put to sea from October 10 to October 11 to avoid the worst effects of the storm. She remained at Guam until October 19 and then sailed toward the Okinawa operating area.

USS FANNING participated in MULTIPLEX antisubmarine exercises near Okinawa on October 25 and October 26. On October 26, South Korean President Park Chung Hee was assassinated in Seoul, creating a period of political uncertainty on the Korean Peninsula. USS FANNING was consequently diverted to contingency operations in the East China Sea and waters near Korea from October 29 until November 9. She then visited Sasebo, Japan, on November 10 and participated in Exercise ASWEX J1-80 with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force from November 11 to November 15.

While USS FANNING was operating in Northeast Asian waters, the occupation of the United States Embassy in Tehran began on November 4, 1979. The resulting hostage crisis led Washington to reinforce its naval presence in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. After a brief stop at Subic Bay from November 19 to November 20, USS FANNING headed rapidly toward the Indian Ocean. She crossed the Equator on November 28 and continued westward, reaching her assigned station in the Gulf of Oman area on December 8.

USS FANNING became part of the first group of American surface forces assembled in the region in response to the Iranian crisis. She initially supported the carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63). She later operated in connection with the USS MIDWAY battle group. USS FANNING conducted antisubmarine patrols, surveillance, plane-guard duty, escort operations, and repeated underway replenishments while helping maintain a continuous American naval presence near the entrance to the Persian Gulf.

The ship spent Christmas at sea and continued operations in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman into January 1980. After more than a month of sustained duty, she left station and proceeded to Mombasa, arriving on January 14. The port visit ended on January 18, after which she returned to the northern Indian Ocean. From January 24 until February 2, she again operated on station in the Gulf of Oman before beginning the long transit back toward the Philippines. Between October 19, 1979, and February 13, 1980, USS FANNING had been underway for 108 of 116 days, demonstrating the demanding operational tempo imposed by the Korean contingency and Iranian hostage crisis.

USS FANNING arrived at Subic Bay on February 13 and entered dry dock for repairs and maintenance that continued until February 27. She then visited Hong Kong from March 1 to March 6, stopped briefly at Guam on March 12, and proceeded to Pearl Harbor, where she remained from March 20 to March 22. The final passage to California included a Tiger Cruise for relatives and friends of crew members. USS FANNING returned to San Diego on March 29, 1980, after steaming more than 53,000 nautical miles during the deployment. Her operations in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman contributed to the award of the Navy Expeditionary Medal.

Following maintenance and another training cycle, USS FANNING returned to the Western Pacific during 1981 and 1982. This approximately seven-month deployment coincided with the continuing movement of Vietnamese refugees across the South China Sea. In three separate incidents, the ship rescued almost 100 people from overcrowded or unseaworthy craft. The refugees received food, water, shelter, and medical attention aboard the frigate before being transferred to appropriate authorities. These rescues formed an important humanitarian element of the deployment and contributed to USS FANNING receiving a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

USS FANNING departed San Diego again on October 30, 1982, as part of a surface combatant task group bound for the Western Pacific. She conducted antisubmarine exercises, surveillance, and bilateral training with allied navies and participated in activities connected with Exercise TEAM SPIRIT, the major annual United States–South Korean military exercise. TEAM SPIRIT was intended to test reinforcement plans and combined readiness on and around the Korean Peninsula, where tensions remained high. The deployment also included routine Seventh Fleet operations and port visits in the Western Pacific. USS FANNING returned to San Diego on May 14, 1983, together with other ships of Destroyer Squadron 7.

On July 20, 1983, USS FANNING began her second regular overhaul in San Diego. The work restored her engineering plant and included modernization of weapons, sensors, communications equipment, and aviation facilities. By October 1984, she had returned to sea for trials, training, and preparations for another deployment. The modernization allowed her to operate the SH-2F Seasprite more effectively and improved her ability to defend herself against surface and air threats.

USS FANNING departed San Diego on February 21, 1985, as part of the battle group centered on the aircraft carrier USS CONSTELLATION (CV 64). During the deployment, the battle group crossed the Pacific and operated in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. USS FANNING visited Pearl Harbor, Subic Bay, Singapore, Mombasa, and Perth, Australia. At Singapore she used the Sembawang facilities alongside other members of the force, while in the Gulf of Oman she conducted towing, antisubmarine, and coordinated tactical exercises.

An SH-2F Seasprite detachment embarked aboard USS FANNING for the deployment, substantially extending the range at which the ship could detect, classify, and track submarines and surface contacts. The helicopter could deploy sonobuoys, investigate radar contacts, and carry lightweight antisubmarine torpedoes. USS FANNING returned to San Diego with the USS CONSTELLATION battle group on August 24, 1985, completing another six-month deployment.

During 1986, USS FANNING operated as part of a standing surface antisubmarine warfare force under Commander, Destroyer Squadron 31. The force emphasized coordinated submarine detection and prosecution by frigates, destroyers, maritime patrol aircraft, and embarked helicopters. These operations reflected renewed United States Navy attention to Soviet submarine activity in the Pacific during the later Cold War. USS FANNING continued local operations, fleet exercises, inspections, and maintenance periods as she prepared for further overseas service.

In 1988, USS FANNING deployed to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Gulf during the final year of the Iran-Iraq War. American naval forces were then conducting Operation EARNEST WILL, which protected reflagged Kuwaiti tankers and other merchant shipping against mines, missile attacks, and interference by Iranian forces. USS FANNING operated in the northern Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in association with ships that included the guided-missile cruiser USS VINCENNES (CG 49) and the destroyer USS ROBISON (DDG 12).

During August 1988, USS VINCENNES rescued five Iranian fishermen who had reportedly spent nine days adrift in a small dinghy. The survivors were initially transferred to USS FANNING for care. Because the frigate was experiencing a casualty affecting one of her combat systems and could not immediately enter the required operating area, the men were subsequently transferred to USS ROBISON. They were later handed over to an Omani patrol vessel for repatriation. In a separate humanitarian incident near the Strait of Hormuz, USS FANNING provided emergency medical assistance to a sailor aboard the Liberian-registered tanker INDIANA. Such incidents occurred amid continuing tension between Iran and the United States but demonstrated that assistance to mariners remained an obligation regardless of nationality.

After returning to San Diego, USS FANNING resumed maintenance and Pacific Fleet training. On September 18, 1989, she departed San Diego to participate in PACEX '89, one of the largest United States Pacific Fleet exercises conducted since the Second World War. The exercise assembled several carrier battle groups, amphibious forces, submarines, logistics ships, and land-based aircraft across a broad area of the northern Pacific. PACEX '89 tested the ability to coordinate widely dispersed naval forces, protect carrier groups against submarines and aircraft, and sustain high-tempo operations across long distances.

USS FANNING undertook another Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf deployment in 1990. The cruise coincided with the final stages of the Cold War and, from August 1990, with the international crisis caused by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on August 2. The United States responded with Operation DESERT SHIELD, rapidly deploying air, ground, and naval forces to defend Saudi Arabia and enforce United Nations sanctions against Iraq. USS FANNING's presence in the broader region formed part of the increased American maritime posture during the buildup. Her duties centered on surveillance, escort, antisubmarine protection, and support for the maritime security effort as naval forces prepared for the possibility of major combat operations.

Although increasingly challenged by the maintenance demands of an aging steam-powered ship, USS FANNING remained active in the early 1990s. She continued local training, weapons exercises, engineering certifications, and multinational operations while the Navy began reducing the size of the fleet following the collapse of the Soviet Union. KNOX-class frigates, despite their extensive modernization, required relatively large crews and were less suited to the Navy's future requirements than newer ships equipped with gas-turbine propulsion, improved missile systems, and more advanced command-and-control equipment.

USS FANNING began her final overseas deployment in 1992 and returned to the Arabian Gulf for the third time in her career. The strategic environment had changed considerably since her operations there during the Iranian hostage crisis and the Iran-Iraq War. Following the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, American and coalition forces remained in the region to enforce sanctions and monitor Iraqi compliance with United Nations resolutions. From August 1992, Operation SOUTHERN WATCH enforced a no-fly zone over southern Iraq.

During September 1992, USS FANNING participated in Exercise EAGER SENTRY 92-4 with Kuwaiti and other regional forces. USS FANNING entered Kuwait City Harbor for liberty on September 27. On September 29, she conducted small-arms and close-range maritime training with Kuwaiti patrol forces, including .50-caliber machine-gun exercises. These activities helped rebuild Kuwaiti naval capabilities and improve coordination between United States and regional forces after the Gulf War.

The deployment included exercises with five foreign navies, including the newly reorganized Russian Navy, reflecting the transition from Cold War confrontation toward limited maritime cooperation. USS FANNING also escorted USS TOPEKA (SSN 754), the first United States nuclear-powered submarine to enter the Persian Gulf. The movement required careful navigation through the confined and heavily trafficked Strait of Hormuz and demonstrated the expanding role of American submarines in regional operations. In December 1992, USS FANNING conducted a refueling-at-sea evolution with the submarine tender USS DIXON (AS 37). The operation helped evaluate methods of extending the endurance of surface combatants through support from ships not normally used as underway replenishment vessels.

USS FANNING completed her final deployment and returned to San Diego in January 1993. Over the following months, her crew prepared the ship for decommissioning and transfer. By that time she had served for almost 22 years. USS FANNING was decommissioned at Naval Station San Diego on July 31, 1993. On the same day, she was transferred to Turkey under a renewable lease and renamed TCG ADATEPE, with the hull number F 251. She was formally stricken from the United States Naval Vessel Register on January 11, 1995. The lease was renewed on August 29, 1997, and Turkey purchased the ship outright on May 18, 1999. TCG ADATEPE continued serving with the Turkish Navy until she was decommissioned in 2001.

During her United States Navy career, USS FANNING has been awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Navy Battle "E", the Navy Expeditionary Medal with bronze service star, the National Defense Service Medal with bronze service metal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze service star, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze service star, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with silver service star, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the U.S. Coast Guard Blue Pennant.

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USS FANNING Image Gallery:

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