Synopsis
June 2009 marked the fortieth anniversary of the sinking of the United States Ship Frank E. Evans (DD-754), a Navy destroyer that suffered catastrophic damage and horrendous loss of life on 3 June 1969 when an aircraft carrier, the Australian HMAS Melbourne, collided with Evans during a naval training exercise at sea. Operating as part of a combined force with the Royal Australian Navy and other allied naval ships, the Evans executed a starboard turn into the path of Melbourne at 0315 on that fateful morning, and was cut in half by the heavier and larger war ship. Evans’ severed bow sank almost immediately taking 73 unfortunate crewmembers with it. Only one body was recovered in the aftermath of the collision, bringing the total lost to 74. Out of the 273 crewmembers on board, 199 survived. The broken off stern section remained afloat. Before the collision, Evans served in World War II, in the Korean War and briefly in Viet Nam. Commissioned in 1945 near the end of WWII, she was assigned escort and radar picket duty in the Pacific Theatre. After the war, Evans patrolled the Yellow Sea, assisted with the embarkation of American POWs from Manchuria and helped to provide cover for the occupation landings in Korea. In March of 1946, she arrived in San Francisco, California and on 14 December 1949, she was decommissioned and assigned into the reserve fleet. Re-commissioned on 15 September in 1950 for the Korean War, Evans then joined the 7th Fleet and began the siege of Wonsan, engaging enemy shore batteries. She also participated in rescuing downed pilots and coordinated bombing missions by United Nations aircraft all across Korea. On her second Korean tour, she served on both patrol and bombardment duty. After the Korean War, from 1954 through 1960, Evans completed five tours of duty to the Far East as well as joining training exercises along the west coast of the United States and the Hawaiian Islands, often combined with the Canadian Navy.
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