I would like to thank you at first for this magnificient and very nostalgic website of USS KEPPLER / TCG TINAZTEPE (D-355).

My name is Tuncer Tirben. I am a Retired Commander from Turkish Navy. I got my retirement on my own request after completion of my Commanding Officer (CO) duty onboard TCG PIYALEPASA / USS FISKE in March 1999.
I served onboard different warships assuming different duties for almost 20 years in my Navy life but I could say that the most exciting memories of my Navy life were onboard TCG TINAZTEPE / USS KEPPLER. I am still keeping the fresh memories of our lovely ship.

YES, I am the very last Electronics Officer (EMO) of TCG TINAZTEPE.

I served between 1983-1984 onboard our lovely ship. I was having Ensign rank in the beginning, than promoted First Lieutenant rank later on. The crew was perfect, All we were brothers and were loving our ship (We still love her). I believe that each ship has her own spirit. Naturally TCG TINAZTEPE / USS KEPPLER has got her own. It makes no difference whoever the CO, XO, CPO or the crew, or whatever their nationalities are. FRIENDSHIP was the foremost. We had enormous enjoyable times onboard and accomplished all the difficult missions given to us and sailed under the heavy storms months and months having fun.

Being a member of TCG TINAZTEPE family is still one of the important priviliges in the Turkish Navy.

This is a great honour for me to become one of the crew who serve and sail onboard TCG TINAZTEPE following our American brothers served onboard the very same ship USS KEPPLER.

I carefully read the whole website. Unfortunately I found one mistake on TCG TINAZTEPE page. You wrote that TCG TINAZTEPE decommissioned in 1982. Unforunately it needs to amend, because TCG TINAZTEPE (D-355) served to Turkish Navy till May 2, 1984. This date (May 2, 1984) was disastrous date for all of us. Our lovely ship died at this date. Let me tell you this very sad long story in few sentences of my own.

DISASTER ON MAY 2, 1984
We were almost at the end of our 6 months long Overhaul period in Gölcük dockyard in the beginning of May 1984. We were performing controls of the all equipments, machinery etc. in daily sails in Izmit bay. It was planned to perform another daily sail to control all Electronic devices of the ship including Radio equipments, radars, repeaters, Weapon control systems, Sonar etc. on May 2, 1984 in accordance with the overhaul plan. As an EMO, I was responsible for all of them. This was the last sail of the ship inside the overhaul period. We were going to assume active duty again after the training period, and all the crew were very eager to take active duty again following 6 months overhaul period in the Dockyard. Overhaul was very boring for all of us.

My duty was very demanding on this sail as an EMO. I began to controls of the Radio equipment in the Radio Room together with Radio Petty Officers after having stable electricity from the ship sources at 6.30 AM. This was very time spending if you may consider all of the UHF, HF, MF Transmitters, Receivers, Transceivers, Radio Teletypes, Cyrpto devices such as KW-7, KWR-37 etc.

We were continuing our work in the Radio Room while we left the Gölcük Harbour at almost 9.00 AM, May 2, 1984. Our Commanding Officer was Cdr.Mehmet DüNDAR at this time and he ordered me to perform my controls in my own plan, since this day was very important and demanding for the Electronics people of the ship. We were going to control Radio, and CIC Equipments in the morning period, and going to check our SONAR in the afternoon period together with one of the Submarines in the Turkish Navy.

We finished our controls in the Radio Room and couldn't find any problem at 10.20 AM. All the devices in the Radio Room were operating perfectly. I said to my 3 Radio Petty Officers that CIC crew together with the Tecnicians from the Dockyard were expecting me to perform controls of the CIC devices, and I would be in CIC for almost an hour, and let me inform immediately if they observe any malfunction on the Radio Equipment.

I left the Radio Room heading CIC at almost 10.24 AM. Whenever I entered the ECM Room in CIC, There was a huge Blast, Shock.. I fell down... All lights went off, Dark and Silence. I didn't realize what it happened. I ran to the bridge but I couldn't see anything except bright light. There was enormous rush in the bridge. Our lovely ship TCG TINAZTEPE was laying on the port side nearly 10 degrees, and was surrounded by thick fog.

I returned back to Radio Room instinctively. I was standing outside the door of the Radio Room and was looking inside. But, There was something wrong inside where I left 30-40 seconds before. THERE WAS NO RADIO ROOM ! Blood in everywhere and scattered devices were broken into small pieces...

I learned later on that we collided one of the LPG tanker which name is "AYGAZ-III" at 10.25 AM because of the thick fog in the vicinity of the Dilburnu in Izmit Bay. This tanker hit our ship's starboard side, directly to her Radio Room. These three Radio Petty Officers who I worked together in the Radio Room died instantly. This collision was enormously bad. The damage of TCG TINAZTEPE below water level was also dangerous. We lost one Boiler Room, and one Engine Room. Because this tanker hit in between of these two department. We lost one of our NCOs in the Boiler Room (Suffocation).

We tried to keep our ship afloat. It was an enormous work of the crew under the command of Damage Control people. We succeded to keep our ship afloat and arrived Gölcük Harbour after performing 2,5 hours sail by using only our port engine. We headed directly to drydock without wasting time since it was very difficult to keep her afloat.

I will keep it short since I could write books and books about this disastrous day. The damage of our lovely ship was unbelievable. Four of our crew lost their life in this accident and the keel of our ship was broken. This was the death of our (All of ours) ship. I am still keeping the fresh memories of our four dead sailor and also of my lovely ship.

All of us cried days and days not only for our four dead crew but also for our lovely ship. This was the very very short story of this damned day. I could write you in detail (including how collision took place) if you are interested in.(Not only this sad day but also the enjoyable times we had onboard TCG TINAZTEPE)

After scanning the pictures I am going to E-mail you some photograps of TCG TINAZTEPE (D-355) and some sad photographs of our lovely ship taken after the collision.

I really desire to keep in touch with my shipmates who lived in the very same ship in different times. Because all we are the sailors and we shared the same ship. Before I stop, I would like to thank you again to refresh my invaluable memories in USS KEPPLER / TCG TINAZTEPE (D-355)'s magnificient website.

Thank you....
Tuncer Tirben
Cdr (R) Turkish Navy