Manchester (CL 83) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 43 text:

On the bombline Manchester was called for close fire support of the ground forces. Neither the UN nor the enemy armies were making major movements. Influenced by the stalemate at Panmunjom, the war was limited to buffer action with scattered patrols and light contacts being made on the shell- and blood-scarred Korean hills. Although our ground forces did not advance, it was imperative they hold their ground from the Communist soldiers entrenched and awaiting, just over the hill . It was Man ' s work to see that this was done.

Page 42 text:

WORK The work of the Manchester began when she was commissioned 29 October 1946, and since that lime she has done odd-jobs from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Japan. During the winter of 1951-1952, the Manchester was called for another type of work. FM: I ROK CORPS TO: MANCHESTER CL-83 REQUEST IF AVAILABLE YOU REPORT TO FIRST MARDIV FOR WORK 0700 TOMORROW. FM: I ROK CORPS TO: MANCHESTER CL-83 REFERENCE MY LAST X BELIEVE ALL WORK YOU CAN DO IN THIS AREA OF GREAT IMPORTANCE X YOU ARE CLEARED FOR TARGETS HERE X REQUEST ANY INTERESTING RESULTS AS THEY OCCUR. FM: MANCHESTER CL-83 TO: I ROK CORPS INFO: FIRST MARINE DIVISION REFERENCE YOUR LAST AFFIRMATIVE MANCHESTER WILL REPORT TO FIRST MARDIV FOR WORK TOMORROW.

Page 44 text:

PROBLEM PROPOSAL AND COUNTER-PROPOSAL is presented by army liaison team aboard Manchester by minds of specialists — gunners, communicators, intel- via helicopter. ligence men. The cruiser Manchester performed a whole array of jobs in the Korean waters. No one could say one job was more important than the one we did yesterday or the one we would do tomorrow, for each bit of work had its individual importance. Our gunfire, supporting the US ground forces, was precision planned, con- trolled, and executed. With only a narrow strip of no man ' s land sepa- rating adversaries, it was our work to move in close to the beach and lay our explosives on the enemy before he knew how or where death was coming from. The success of our work depended basically on teamwork. Each man, from Captain to the Seaman Apprentice, had to know where to go and what to do without being told. We were playing for keeps. This was work — not a driU.