USS Frank E. Evans (DD-754), was an in service with the United States Navy. She was named in honor of United States Marine Corps Brigadier General Frank Evans, a leader of the American Expeditionary Force in France during World War I. She served late in World War II and during the Korean War and Vietnam War before she was cut in half in a collision with the Royal Australian Navy aircraft carrier in 1969.

Construction

Frank E. Evanss keel was laid at the Bethlehem Steel Company's shipyard in Staten Island. She was launched on 3 October 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Frank E. Evans, widow of Brigadier General Evans, and commissioned on 3 February 1945.

Service history

World War II

Frank E. Evans arrived at Pearl Harbor. Territory of Hawaii, on 18 May 1945 for her final training, then crossed the Pacific Ocean to Eniwetok, Guam, Ulithi, and Okinawa on escort duty. Reaching action waters on 24 June 1945, she was assigned to radar picket and local escort duty, often firing on Japanese aircraft. After the close of hostilities in World War II on 15 August 1945, she patrolled the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea, embarked released Americans from prisoner-of-war camps near Dalian, Manchuria, and covered occupation landings at Jinsen, Korea.

1946–1949

Frank E. Evans continued to operate in East Asia until 6 March 1946, when she departed Qingdao, China, bound for San Francisco, California. Inactivated there on 31 March 1946, she was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 14 December 1949. During her tour of duty off Korea, she also bombarded targets in the Songjin-Chongjin area, rescued downed aviators, and coordinated and controlled day and night bombing missions by United Nations aircraft. She returned to San Diego on 4 September 1951.

From 1954 to 1960, Evans completed five tours of duty in the East Asia and conducted extensive training operations along the United States West Coast and in the Hawaiian Islands, occasionally with Royal Canadian Navy ships.

Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, Frank E. Evans served in the waters off Vietnam for 12 days from July to September 1965. She spent an additional 14 days in the Vietnam war zone in 1969.

The conning officer on Frank E. Evans misunderstood the formation's base course and believed Frank E. Evans was to starboard of Melbourne. Frank E. Evans therefore turned to starboard, cutting across Melbournes bow twice in the process. Melbourne struck Frank E. Evans at a point about from her bow on her port side and cut her in two at . After the collision, Frank E. Evanss bow drifted off to the port side of Melbourne and sank in less than five minutes, taking 73 of her crew with it. One body was recovered from the water, making a total of 74 dead. Her stern scraped along the starboard side of Melbourne, and Melbournes crew attached lines to it. It remained afloat. Around 60 to 100 men were rescued from the water.

Decommissioning and disposal

Frank E. Evans was decommissioned at Subic Bay and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 July 1969. The stern section was sunk as a target in Subic Bay on 10 October 1969.

Awards

Frank E. Evans received one battle star for World War II service, and five for Korean War service.

  • Vietnam Service Medal for two separate time periods totaling 12 days from 29 July 1965 to 26 September 1965.
  • Vietnam Service Medal for three separate time periods totaling 61 days from 11 August 1966 to 24 November 1966.

See also

  • , also sunk in a collision with HMAS Melbourne in 1964.

Notes

References

  • USS Frank E. Evans
  • NavSource: USS Frank E. Evans
  • hazegray.org: USS Frank E. Evans
  • USS Frank E. Evans Association – Official Website of the USS Frank E. Evans (DD 754) Association, Inc