USS Manley DD940 on my unusual road of life - Part 1 of 2
** This was the third destroyer I
served on... Had several new adventures and experienced things that
impacted the rest of my life... **Date: 12/10/2013 17:13: ... viewed 2842 times
USS Manley (DD-940)
* General characteristics
Class: Forrest Sherman class destroyer
Displacement:
2,800 tons standard empty.
4,050 tons full load.
Length: 407 ft (124 m) waterline, 418 ft (127 m) overall.
Beam: 45 ft (14 m)
Draft: 22 ft (6.7 m)
Propulsion: 4 x 1,200 psi (8.3 MPa) Babcock and Wilcox boilers, Westinghouse steam turbines; 70,000 shaft-hp
(52 MW); w. 2 shafts.
Speed: 38.5 knots (70 km/h)
Range: 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km)
at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement: 15 officers, 218 enlisted.
Armament:
- 3 x 5 in 54 Cal(127 mm)dual purpose{ Rapid Fire} Mk 42 - main battery guns;
- 4 x 3 in (76 mm) 50 caliber Mark 33 anti-aircraft guns;
2 x mark 10/11 Hedgehogs;
6 x 12.75 in (324 mm) Mark 32 torpedo tubes.
================================
SS Manley (DD-940):
named for Captain John Manley (c.1733–1793), was a Forrest Sherman class destroyer built by the Bath Iron Works Corporation at Bath in Maine. The keel was laid down on 10 February 1955.
Manley was commissioned on 1 February 1957 and sponsored by Mrs. Arleigh A. Burke, wife of then Chief of Naval Operations, the principal speaker at the commissioning ceremonies, and with Commander William H. Rowen in command.
Some history:
- June 1958, Manley set sail with the squadron for an Atlantic Fleet operation that included midshipmen training, implementation of the President's people-to-people programs, and visits to foreign ports of call. She visited among other ports, Kiel, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark, and Antwerp, Belgium while escorting the aircraft carrier - USS Lake Champlain (CV-39).
- Returning to Norfolk in October, she was soon underway with the USS Intrepid (CVA-11) to join the Second Fleet in maneuvers off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Following those operations, she took her position as plane guard for the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) during operations up the eastern seaboard to the Virginia Capes.
** Plane Guard was Frequent duty for Destroyers operation in a Carrier Task Force!
{One or more destroyers take station 1000 Yards astern of the Carrier as a plane guard; some times it is positioned to the port side and clear of the carrier, or at a point intersecting the carrier's final approach line.
- Destroyers positioned in the latter position provide the advantage of providing an additional point of reference to landing approach of the aircraft.
One of the ship's boats was prepared for launch and recovery. If an aircraft ditches or crashes, either while approaching the carrier to land or following a failed landing, or a cold Cat launch - the ship is in the approximate position of the aircraft, and the prepared boat is deployed to rescue the aircrew.}
* The plane guard role is dangerous for ships, as aircraft carriers must often change speed and direction to preserve optimum take-off and landing conditions for their aircraft, therefore any lack of awareness or any incorrect maneuvers on the part of either ship can place a plane guard ship in extreme collision danger under the bows of a carrier traveling at full speed.
** Note: Two destroyers - HMAS Voyager (in 1964) and USS Frank E. Evans
(in 1969) were lost in collisions with Australian aircraft carrier
HMAS Melbourne while incorrectly maneuvering during plane guard duties @ Dixie Station in the South China Sea, off Vietnam.
- After an extensive overhaul in the Charleston shipyard, Manley was again underway on 21st July 1960 for firing exercises off Culebra Island in the Caribbean. Then on 27th July she took her position at station #5 on the North Atlantic Missile Recovery Range for the test firing of a Mercury space capsule.
Afterward, she headed eastward to Cardiff, Wales and participated in experimental antisubmarine warfare patrols and attack team exercises en route to stateside.
After completing a short stint of operations off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, Manley proceed to Pollensa Bay, Majorca, Spain in the Med. Then joining the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) task force at Beirut, Lebanon, she joined in Sixth Fleet maneuvers.
- In November '61, she rendezvoused with the Franklin D. Roosevelt to take part in patrols south of Hispaniola. Part of a task force which monitored riots and political troubles in Haiti...
- Early in 1962, the destroyer spent a fortnight on Project Mercury NASA recovery operations followed up a week later underway in support of the Carrier Independence CVA 62 in night operations in the North Atlantic. Then twice within three days her crew rescued 3 downed pilots at night.
One of those pilots, now retired Captain Bill Brandel of Fairfax, Virginia, appeared at the Capitol 2001 Reunion on Sunday, 28 October 2001, nearly thirty years later, to extend his gratitude to several of those who participated in his rescue.
- On 28 September 1962, Manley headed for Guantanamo Bay for refresher training and rescued a downed helicopter pilot. She spent most of October and November operating in the waters of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Then while skirting a Hurricane - upon returning toward home port, the destroyer came to the sea rescue of three men from Jamaica (NYC) NY; on the yacht, Avian, adrift in the Atlantic.
{They had left NYC harbor even though there was a hurricane forecast (a very stupid idea), headed for Puerto Rico; but then lost all sails except a storm jib, and had used all diesel fuel then were dead in the water when Manley came to their aid..
After rescue of the men; they requested that their Yacht be taken in tow by Manley - While the Capt. recommended they wait for Coast Guard Tow and recovery... They adamantly requested Manley take their vessel in tow - (another stupid idea ) Which resulted in the sinking of the Yacht!
** This is when I transferred aboard Manley!
- Late in January 1963, she sailed to the Caribbean for operation "Springboard '63." After ASW exercises with the USS Essex (CVS-9) -
While in the Caribbean there was a request for Manley and 2 other destroyers to stand by off Haiti moving back and forth in a line at 3 knots, for rescue operations - take part in patrols south of Hispaniola. Part of a Task force which monitored riots and political troubles in Haiti...
We encountered a Haiti Naval patrol boat - Which came out and addressed our reasons for being off shore Ile de La Gonave - off Port au Prince! We replied that we were just fishing - They ask how long we would be fishing"? The Commodore told the Haitian Navy vessel -
" we will be here as long as the fishing holds out! " - with that the Patrol Boat departed!
April'63 Manley then joined HMCS Bonaventure {CVL-22}
in joint US - Canadian ASW exercises took her to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Career (Canada)
It was interesting to see the Northern lights and mid-nite softball for a Florida boy!
First of October '63, Manley again departed Charleston Navel Base for a Mediterranean deployment. First port was Gibraltar @ Royal Naval Dock along side the Canadian Carrier
" HMCS Bonaventure CVL-22 "
- Manley then proceed to Cagliaria, Sardinia, Italy.
* She was honored to be selected as SIXTH Fleet's flagship - taking The Fleet Admiral into Tunis, Tunisia for a trade Fair. - Manley rendezvoused with 6th Fleet Flagship at sea.
USS Little Rock Guided Missile Cruiser CLG-4
CLG-4's specifications are:
Length: 610 feet 1 inch
Beam: 66 feet 4 inches
Draught: 25 feet
Crew: 1,400
Displacement: 10,670 tons
Max Speed: 33 knots (38mph)
Fuel Capacity: 492 tons of fuel oil
Range: 6,500 nautical miles
Current Armament:
Three 6 inch guns in one Mk 16 turret
Power Plant: 4 oil fired boilers powering 4 G.E. steam turbines driving 4 screws with 100,000 Shaft HP
The Guided Missile cruiser USS Little Rock was originally launched as a Cleveland Class Light Cruiser in 1944. In May of 1957 the Cruiser was converted to the Galveston Light Guided Missile Cruiser configuration it has today.
CLG-4 the Little Rock did serve as the flagship of the US Navy sixth and second fleets in both the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
In 1957 it was converted to Light Guided Missile Cruiser configuration with a dual stern launcher for the Talos missile system. The Talos missiles could either have a conventional high explosive warhead or a nuclear warhead dial-able from a 2kton to 5kton yield.
In comparison the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of about 15kton. The missiles could be used in either a surface to air role against enemy aircraft or surface to surface against warships or land targets. This was a bad Mama....
=======================================
We came along the port side of Little Rock and Hi-lined the Vice Admiral - Com6th Fleet aboard for the
three-day Trade-fair visit to Tunis. Where I acted a a French Translator for the US Navy Shore Patrol at the Tunis Central police station.. Was able to see the city.. Had diner at the home of an American Diplomat in Tunis, saw my first Camels and got a up close of the Arab - Islamic people!
We returned the Admiral to the Little Rock in August Bay Sicily, Italy.. where I saw the entire 6th Fleet at anchor - {just like in the old WWII pictures in the Pacific.}
------------------
Manley then proceed to Naples Italy; where I became a Duty Driver every third day - Driving our Flag Officer - it was liberating since I had use of an American Automobile and could drive around Italy after dropping the Commodore off at the NATO Base just out of Naples.
Toured Mt Vacuous and Pompeii very interesting....
We then went up to Genoa on the Italian Riviera. Beautiful part of Italy...
-------------
Manly then proceeded to Athens Greece to operate with the Greek Navy -
Got to see the Parthenon and spent a night in Athens - Greece is a clean and beautiful country.
Then on to Egypt and transited the Suez canal ! This canal is just a big ditch between the Med and the Red sea. You go through the desert most of the way - not much to see, had to spent much of the day in the great Bitter lake ; where the southbound ship waits as the North bound ships pass in the lake.
(the canal is not wide enough for ships to pass each other.)
Transiting the Red Sea we stopped at Jidda Saudi Arabia sea port for Mecca HQ of Islam.
While there we entangled a piece of water pipe in our anchor chain when bringing the anchor up - which made the Locals were mad... {Have a pic of this } Oh well did not like Arabia - we visited the Persian Gulf side of Saudi a little later.
Islam is a very controlling religious system - bent on taking over the world!.
---
Then we stopped to refuel in Aden, Yemen - nice since the British were still there until '73.
Had nice beaches - just they had fences out into the bay because of the shark danger.
There were a lot of British people and some Asian Indianan People. We stop here again on the way back to the Med in 1964 - had a very interesting meeting with a smuggler -
details later.
Proceeded up into the Persian Gulf.
In December, we saw operations with the Middle East Force.
Under the Admiral in Bahrain ...
Operated with British Forces - in the area.
Operating in the Persian Gulf;
visited: ARAMCO compound for Christmas in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia
And then on to Kuwait, this was one of the best of the Arab countries - next Lebanon where we visited later in 1964.
*** more details later...
No comments:
Post a Comment