Unique in being the last World War II building program destroyer laid down by the U.S. Navy, the Robert A. Owens (DD-827) (right) and her slightly older sister, the Carpenter (DD-825) (center), were completed in 1949 to a special configuration emphasizing antisubmarine warfare to counter the then-emerging Soviet submarine threat. Seen here in 1952, the Owens mounts two Weapon ALFA ASW rocket launchers and a single, trainable Mk-15 Hedgehog ASW spiggot mortar, as well as a depth-charge rack at the stem; the muzzles for the starboard pair of homing torpedo launch tubes are half-hidden behind an open door below the after gun director. Air- defense was limited to two twin 3-inch/50-caliber gun mounts and four single 20-mm. antiaircraft guns.
The two destroyers, the Carpenter and the Owens, in the late 1950s had exchanged their 3-inch open gun mounts for the enclosed, automatic 3-inch/70-caliber, which was an unsuccessful weapon installed on only two other ships: the antisubmarine cruiser Norfolk (CLK-1) and the command cruiser Northampton (CLC-1). Gone were the Carpenter’s Hedgehog and the 20-mm. guns, and only the one Mk-56 radar director remained to control the new guns.
Seen here in 1976, (middle) the Carpenter, along with the Owens, received the most elaborate of the FRAM-I modernizations given numerous Gearing (DD-710)- and Allan M. Sumner (DD-692)-class destroyers during the 1960s. Two tripod masts were erected, the bridge was enclosed, a huge combined drone helicopter hangar and ASW missile magazine deckhouse was built on aft, along with a large flight deck, and armament was limited to a newly-installed twin 5-inch/38-caliber gun mount forward, an octuple ASROC missile launcher amidships, and two triple homing torpedo tube mounts.
The Carpenter was leased to Turkey in February 1982 as the Anitepe, and the Robert A. Owens became the Alcitepe a year later (above); both were purchased outright in August 1987. The Alcitepe is seen here in 1983 with the twin 3-inch/50-caliber gunmount added by the Turks on the fantail largely obscured by the helicopter deck; also added was a depth- charge rack. Both destroyers are still active—and effective—in 1993, nearly a half-century after their keels were laid.