Manchester (CL 83) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 55 text:

BY NIGHT When darkness fell, radar-eyes became our nighttime guide to the target area. The night harassing missions often made our sleep restless as the big Manchester guns fired, recoiled, and fired again and again. The agile monster of a ship knew one recourse ... a fighting ship manned with fighting men must give ever) thing. There was no time clock. The Manchester never stopped working until a job was done.

Page 54 text:

Daylight and darkness lost their usual signilioance as we continued our performance night and day. Daylight afforded added advantage by permitting us to pluck our targets visually. Our helicopter was sent, with a spotter to hover over the Korean hills and report back effects of our firing . . . Last one got the warehouse shed, 25 yards right will smother it all . . . During the day we could see the smoke of our explosives rising on the beach. 1 .l BY DAY

Page 56 text:

OPERATION WORK CO MPLETED — RESULTS: FROM: I ROK CORPS TO: MANCHESTER CL-83 THE COMMANDING GENERAL SENDS HIS DEEPEST APPRECIATION FOR YOUR GUNFIRE SUPPORT AND THE EXCELLENCE ON WHICH IT WAS CARRIED OUT WHILE ON THE BOMBLINE X YESTERDAY ' S RESULTS WERE THE BEST NAVAL GUNFIRE SUPPORT THE GENERAL HAS EVER SEEN WHILE HE HAS BEEN IN COMMAND X ONCE AGAIN HE SENDS HIS DEEPEST APPRECIATION AND REGRETS THAT YOU HAVE TO LEAVE X A WELL DONE FROM THE COMMANDING OFFICER NAVAL GUN LIAISON OFFICER 1 ROK CORPS FROM: 1ST MARINE DIVISION NAVAL GUN LIAISON OFFICER TO: MANCHESTER CL-83 YOU HAVE DONE OUTSTANDING FIRING TODAY X THIS IS THE FINEST FIRING WE HAVE HAD IN MANY MONTHS X IF YOU ONLY HAD 16 INCH WE COULD ALL GO HOME VERY SHORTLY X THANKS FROM: MANCHESTER CL-83 TO: 1ST MARINE DIVISION NAVAL GUN LIAISON OFFICER THANK YOU VERY MUCH X WE CAN BEAT THEM DOWN WITH THE LiniE ONES AS LONG AS YOU SPOT FOR US