Manley (DD 940) - Naval Cruise Book

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History Of USS Manley (DD 940) USS MANLEY (DD 940). the fifth destroyer of the Forest Sherman Class to be commissioned, is named in honor of Commodore John Manley of the Continental Navy. She is the third ship of the line to bear the name following a Destroyer Tender and a Destroyer. Her keel was laid 10 February 1955 at the Bath Iron Works in Maine and she was launched there on 12 April 1956. The ship was sponsored by Mrs. Arleigh A. Burke, wife of then Chief of Naval Operations. She was commissioned on I February 1957 at Boston Naval Shipyard with Admiral Arleigh A. Burke as principal speaker at the ceremony. Upon completion of a shakedown cruise to Northern Europe. MANLEY arrived in homeport of Norfolk, Virginia to become the Flagship of a Destroyer Squadron FOUR. In July 1959 the homeport of the squadron was changed t0 i Charleston, South Carolina. The end of 1959 an first part of I960 were spent with the U. S. SIXl Fleet in the Mediterranean. In late 1961, she becan involved in the Dominican Republic crisis, gettit} underway on short notice to patrol the -. tvaj south of Hispaniola. In October 1962 MANLEY was in Cuban waters at the onset of the Cuban Missile OrUHs and spent two months patrolling the area off Southern Cuba. From 1963 to 1965 MANLEY completed two more tours of duty in the Mediterranean, assisted in the recovery of Gemini V. and in January 1964, evacuated 91 American citizens from revolution- torn Zabzibar. In October of 1966 MANLEY departed ■ Charleston and joined Destroyer Squadron TWEN- TY for a tour of duty with the U. S. SEVENTH Fleet off Vietnam. After an eventful six months in the Pacific during which she provided extensive gunfire support to allied troops ashore, she continued on around the world, arriving home in May 1967. MANLEY was presented the Navy Unit Commendation for sustained meritorious service in connection with operations against the enemy during this deployment. After a very short stay in Charleston, she departed for the Western Pacific again in September. This second Vietnam tour was to last eight and half months before she returned to Charleston in June of 1968.

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MANLEY was decommissioned on 31 January 1970 in order to undergo extensive antisubmarine Warfare moderniiation at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Extensive improvements to sensors, weaponry, communications, facilities and crew habitlity were undertaken. On 19 April 1971, MANLEY was commissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and joined Cruiaer-Destroyer Flotilla QJLH in Norfolk. Virginia. Following her shakedown cruise to Northern Europe in the fail of 1971 and training in Cuantana o Bay, Cuba in ttie Spring of 1972, lillANL£Y% ined Destroyer Sc dron TWELVE and took part in the program to fi ward deploy ships to oversea homeports. DESROfil WEL VE was to be homeported in Athens, Greece. MANLEY entered her new homeport on I September when she anchored in Phaleron Bay. During the following thirty months, MANLEY was frequently called upon to participate in special contingency operations. Among these were the October 1973 Arab-lsrarii and the Cyprus crisis of 1974. In December 1974 MANLEY visited Izmir, Turkey, being the first U. S. warship to visit Turkey following the Cyprus crisis of 1974. MANLBY departed the Mediterranean Sea from Elefsis on 2 J July 1975 enroute to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard where she was scheduled for her next overhauL Upon completion of overhaul on December 1976. MANLEY changed homeport to Mayport. Florida. Completing re- fresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in March of 1977. MANLEY commenced operations as a unit of the Second Fleet and then the Sixth Fleet from November 1977 to July 1978 when she again deployed to the Mediterranean Sea. MANLEY continued in her operational cycle by again deploying to the Mediterranean Sea. and Northern Europe. On I October 1979 the MANLEY crossed the Arctic Circle and members of the ship s company wtrt designated official BLUE NOSES . During the first quarter of 1980, MANLE operated in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, making port visits to Curacao, Netherland Antilles. timon, Costa Rica, and Santo Tomas De Cast ilia Guatemala in support of increasing Naval presence in the Caribbean Sea. MANLEY departed Mayport, Florida on II August 1980 enroute to her new homeport of Boston, Massachusetts where she commenced regular overhaul on 15 August 1980. After conducting successful sea trails in the Narragansett operation area the MANLEY completed her overhaul in Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in Boston, MA on September 17, 1981. On September 26 the MANLEY arrived at her new homeport. Newport. Rhode Island. MANLEY conducted work-up operations in the Narragansett area in January 82 in preparation for REFTRA in Guantanamo Bay. Cuba. From April 3rd to May 3rd MANLEY conducted operation FEDEX in the Caribbean Sea. On June 8. MANLEY embarked on her last cruise which took her to many port visits in the Mediterranean and evacuation of PLO from Beirut, Lebanon. The MANLEY then transited the Indian Ocean from 16 September through 15 October. After 50 days at sea without a port visit the MANLEY arrived in Karachi, Pakistan. After a four day visit in Karachi, MANLEY departed to commence it ' s Middle East Force deployment in the Arabian Gulf from 16 October until 24 November. At last homeward bound to Newport arriving 22 December just in time for Christmas. With the decommissioning of MANLEY on 4 March the best Destroyer in the Atlantic fleet is layed to rest and it ' s fine crew departing to seek new adventures, may they have smooth sailing and following seas.