USS Kephart (DE-207)

USS ''Kephart'' (DE-207/APD-61) was a in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. After spending 20 years in reserve, she was transferred to Republic of Korea Navy and served another 18 years as ''Kyong Puk'' (PF-82) until she was struck in 1985.

Namesake

William Perry Kephart was born on 9 September 1915 in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 15 August 1937 and was appointed Aviation Cadet 3 months later. After flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. He was commissioned Ensign on 1 December 1938.

Kephart served with air groups on the and , and in May 1940 returned to Pensacola as a flight instructor. Six months later he rejoined Scouting Squadron 71 (VS-71) on board ''Wasp''. Promoted to Lieutenant (j.g.) 15 June 1942 and Lieutenant (temporary) 1 October.

His squadron was performing a scouting mission on 15 September when the Wasp was hit. Finding it ablaze upon returning, he and the remainder of his squadron landed on the . Kephart and six other pilots were sent to Guadalcanal on 4 October. In the early morning of 14 October, the dugout he was sheltering in received a direct hit during a heavy Japanese naval bombardment and he lost his life along with his Squadron Commander, Executive Officer, and a recently arrived Flight Officer of a Marine squadron.

History

''Kephart'' was launched on 6 September 1943 at the Charleston Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. A. P. Kephart, Lt. Kephart's mother, and commissioned on 7 January 1944.

Battle of the Atlantic

After shakedown off Bermuda, ''Kephart'' departed New York on 23 March for convoy escort duty in the Atlantic. During the next three months, she made three runs from New York to Gibraltar and Bizerte, Tunisia. Returning to New York on 30 June for conversion to a ''Charles Lawrence''-class high speed transport, she was reclassified APD-61 on 5 July.

Pacific War

''Kephart'' departed New York on 30 September and joined the 7th Fleet at Hollandia, New Guinea, on 10 November. As a unit of TransDiv 103, she departed in convoy on 17 November and arrived at Leyte Gulf, Philippines, on 24 November. After a run to the Palaus, she embarked troops of the 77th Infantry Division at Leyte, and steamed on 6 December with Task Group 78.3 for amphibious assault at Ormoc Bay. During landing operations on 7 December, ''Kephart''s guns splashed two Japanese planes in a fierce raid. Returning to Leyte on 8 December, she embarked soldiers of the 19th Infantry Regiment; she sailed on 12 December for Mindoro, and landed assault troops at San Jose on 15 December, again under heavy enemy air attack. Returning to Leyte on 17 December, she continued on 20 December to Hollandia to prepare for anti-submarine and amphibious operations.

Carrying men of the 158th Regimental Combat Team, ''Kephart'' departed Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, on 4 January 1945 to rejoin the fight to liberate the Philippines. Steaming to Luzon, she arrived at San Fabien, Lingayen Gulf, on 11 January, and landed reinforcements, despite constant harassment from enemy planes emerging from the heavy air attack unscathed. Returning to Leyte on 15 January for three months of anti-submarine patrol, ''Kephart'' took part in scattered landing operations in the Philippines: at Grande Island, Subic Bay (30 January); Puerto Princesa, Palawan (28 February); Zamboanga, Mindanao (10 March); Cebu City, Cebu (26 March); and Cotabato, Mindanao (17 April).

''Kephart'' departed Leyte Gulf on 4 May for escort and assault operations in the Dutch East Indies, arriving Morotai on 7 May. After escorting a convoy to Mindanao (18–20 May), she returned to Morotai on 21 May and embarked troops of the Australian Army for an amphibious assault at Brunei Bay, North Borneo. Sailing on 4 June, she landed troops on 10 June amid dwindling enemy resistance; then she patrolled the South China Sea, hunting submarines before returning Morotai on 19 June. She sailed on 26 June carrying Australian soldiers to the eastern coast of Borneo, arriving on 1 July for the final major amphibious operation of the war – the landing operations at Balikpapan, Borneo.

Continuing escort and anti-submarine duty, ''Kephart'' departed Morotai on 16 July and reached Leyte Gulf two days later. On 4 August she began amphibious training at Albay