USS Manley (DD-940)

The USS Manley (DD-940) was built at the Bath Iron Works Corporation at Bath in Maine. Her keel was laid down on 10 February 1955 and the completed vessel was commissioned just over two years later.

Initial Service Record

The Manley departed Newport, Rhode Island on 11 April for shakedown trials and systems testing in the Caribbean. Following a diplomatic tour of Europe, she returned to the Boston Naval Shipyard on July 12 for repairs and alterations. The Manley left Boston on 22 August 1957 for the NATO Fleet Exercise "Strike Back." After three months of war gaming that took her north of the Arctic Circle, she returned to Norfolk on 24 October 1957.

On 4 December 1957, Manley set sail for a tour with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. During anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercises, she was diverted to the Azores on a search and rescue mission. In the early morning hours of 12 December while attempting to navigate in 80-knot winds, Manley was broadsided by a huge wave, killing two crewmen and injuring several others. Damage to the vessel included flooding the galley, radar and radio room. She underwent emergency repairs in Lisbon and Gibraltar before heading home to Norfolk. She arrived home on 15 January 1958, then moved to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for four months of repair work.

On 6 June 1958, the Manley set sail with the squadron for an Atlantic Fleet operation that included midshipmen training as well as many port visits in keeping with the U.S. Navy's important diplomatic function. The next two years consisted primarily of routine exercises and readiness training in the Atlantic and Caribbean, including joint exercises with the naval forces of Great Britain and France.

The 1960s

After an extensive overhaul in the Charleston, South Carolina shipyard, Manley was again underway on 21 July 1960 for firing exercises off Culebra Island in the Caribbean, followed by ASW maneuvers off the coast of Europe and a Mediterranean deployment with the 6th Fleet. Early in 1962, Manley joined the Space Program, spending two weeks on Project Mercury operations. Later that year, she carried out rescue operations and was ordered to Cuba in October and November to assist in the blockade during the missile crisis.

In 1963, Manley took part in Operation Springboard 63 in the Caribbean followed by joint ASW exercises with vessels of the Royal Canadian Navy. After a Mediterranean deployment that fall, the Manley was dispatched to Zanzibar where her commanding officer Lt. Cmdr. Joseph E. Murray, Jr. successfully negotiated with armed rebels for the release of 91 American citizens held hostages by the guerrillas.

Following routine maintenance at the Charleston Navy Yard, Manley resumed operations off the Atlantic coast in May 1964. She returned to the Mediterranean for an eight-month deployment in January 1965. On 9 August 1965, Manley took her recovery station for the space flight of Gemini V. Upon successful completion of this mission, she began a year of intensive training off the coast of the Carolinas in preparation for combat duty in Vietnam.

Vietnam

On 21 November 1966, Manley took up station off Da Nang as a unit of Task Unit 70.8.9, a gunfire support group of the 7th Fleet. On 7 December, a powder case ignited in the breech of her forward gun mount. The resulting fire and explosion tore the mount apart, although damage control personnel were able to extinguish the blaze before extensive damage occurred.

After repairs at Subic Bay, the Manley returned to the Gulf of Tonkin for carrier operations. She returned to Charleston in May 1967. The Manley's second deployment to Vietnam took place between September 1967 and June 1968.

Conversion

Manley entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard at the end of January 1970 for extensive overhauls and modifications of her sensors, weaponry, communications and crew quarters. The work lasted until mid-April 1971.

Following her shakedown trials out of Guantanamo, the Manley sailed for her new home port of Athens, Greece, arriving on 1 September 1971. During the next two and a half years, she was called upon frequently to participate in speed contingency exercises. She also conducted patrols during the October 1973 Arab-Israeli conflict and the Cyprus crisis of 1974. On 22 July 1975, the destroyer headed for a scheduled upkeep and maintenance period at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In December 1976, she was moved to Mayport, Florida.

After her crew performed refresher training in March 1977, she commenced operations as a unit of the 2nd Fleet, which was followed by a 6th Fleet deployment that lasted from November 1977 until July 1978.

The Final Years

Manley spent most of the early 1980s in the Caribbean. On 8 June 1982, she got underway for her last overseas deployment, taking her to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. On June 8, 1982, the USS Manley departed for what was to be her last cruise. She visited all of the Med ports, assisted in evacuation of civilians from Beirut, Lebanon, during terrorist activities and transited the Indian Ocean, arriving after 50 days at sea in Karachi, Pakistan. She arrived home in Newport in December of that year.

On 4 March 1983, the USS Manley was struck for the Navy's active rolls. Initially, her hulk was sold to the Fore River Shipyard near Boston. However, when that company failed in the early 1990s, the bankruptcy court ordered her sold to N. R. Acquisitions Incorporated of New York City. She was ultimately scrapped by Wilmington Resources of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Asbestos Risks

The naturally occurring mineral asbestos was commonly used on Navy vessels for various reasons and in many different locations. Unfortunately, exposure to asbestos has been noted to cause the development of asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. The manufacturers that produced asbestos-containing materials knew these side effects but elected not to disclose the information or protect workers and sailors.

Because of this, many who have contracted an asbestos-related disease have received compensation to help pay for treatment options and lost income. If you would like to learn more about compensation, treatment options and asbestos exposure, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a complimentary packet.

Sources:

Destroyers Index