USS ''Flatley'' (FFG-21) was the thirteenth ship of the of guided-missile

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

s. She was the first ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for Vice Admiral

James H. Flatley Vice Admiral James Henry Flatley Jr. (June 17, 1906 – July 9, 1958) was a World War II naval aviator and tactician for the United States Navy (USN). He became a fighter ace credited with shooting down six enemy aircraft in aerial combat. Early l ...

(1906–1958), a leading Naval Aviation tactician from World War II who flew the

Grumman F4F Wildcat The Grumman F4F Wildcat is an American carrier-based A carrier-based aircraft (also known as carrier-capable aircraft, carrier-borne aircraft, carrier aircraft or aeronaval aircraft) is a naval aircraft designed for operations from aircra ...

in the

Battle of Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the battle ...

and subsequently commanded the VF-10 Grim Reapers taking them into combat for the first time. Ordered from

Bath Iron Works Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a major United States shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, founded in 1884 as Bath Iron Works, Limited. Since 1995, Bath Iron Works has been a subsidiary of General Dynamics, one of the world's largest ...

on 28 February 1977 as part of the FY77 program, ''Flatley''s keel was laid down on 13 November 1979. She was launched on 15 May 1980, and commissioned on 20 June 1981. Decommissioned on 11 May 1996, she was sold to

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

on 27 August 1998.

TCG ''Gemlik'' (F 492)

The ship immediately underwent conversion into a Turkish . She serves in the

Turkish Navy The Turkish Naval Forces (), or Turkish Navy (), is the naval warfare service branch of the TAF. The modern naval traditions and customs of the Turkish Navy can be traced back to 10 July 1920, when it was established as the ''Directorate o ...

as TCG ''Gemlik'' (F 492).

References

External links

MaritimeQuest USS Flatley FFG-21 pages
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flatley (FFG-21) Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates of the United States Navy 1980 ships Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Turkish Navy Ships built in Bath, Maine Cold War frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States