USS Manley (DD-74)
USS Manley (DD-74) was a Caldwell-class destroyer that served in the US Navy. She was the second of three Navy ships to be named in the honor of Captain John Manley, widely regarded as a hero of the early US Navy. Manley managed to single-handedly capture 10 prizes while assisting in the seizure of five others.
Construction
Manley was laid down on August 22, 1916 in Bath, Maine by the Bath Iron Workers. Sponsored by Miss Dorothy S. Sewall, Manley was launched exactly one year and one day after she was laid down. On October 15, 1917, Commander Robert L. Berry took command of Manley.
Naval History
In November 1917, Manley joined other convoy escorts and assisted with patrolling forces based in Queenstown, Ireland. Early in the morning of March 19 of the following year, the depth charges Manley was carrying were accidentally detonated while she was escorting a convoy. Although Manley was not sunk, the explosion nearly destroyed her stern and killed her executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Richard M. Elliot, Jr., along with 33 enlisted men. Fragments from the explosion pierced two 50-gallon drums of gasoline as well as two tanks that were holding 100 gallons of alcohol. The subsequent leaks caused the ship to catch fire, which continued to burn into the night. Manley remained adrift until British tugs Cartmel and Blazer were able to tow her in the next day. When she finally reached Queenstown two days after the explosion, more than 70 feet of her hull was either completely under water or had been washed away.
Following the explosion, Manley underwent repairs in Liverpool. She then began operations along the eastern seaboard in December 1918. The following April, she joined the US Naval Forces in transporting passengers and mail across the Adriatic Sea. Two months later, she began transporting mail and members of the US Food Commission through the Black Sea. She returned to New York in August of that year and was ultimately decommissioned on June 14, 1922 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Manley was recommissioned on May 1, 1930 to serve as an experimental torpedo-firing ship. Three months later, she joined a Scouting Fleet in battle practice in the Caribbean and along the eastern seaboard. She continued to work in a similar capacity out of San Diego, California in 1932 before returning to the Atlantic in early 1933. By November 28, 1938, she was redesignated AG-28 after being reclassified a miscellaneous auxiliary. In August 1940, she was designated as the Navy’s first high-speed transport, at which time she was redesignated once more to APD-1. Manley was reclassified again as DD-74 on June 22, 1945 after undergoing a major overhaul. She was ultimately sold for scrapping to the Northern Metal Company in Philadelphia on November 26, 1946. Manley was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation as well as five battle stars for her World War II service.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Manley (DD-74)
The USS Manley used asbestos insulation heavily, especially in ship's boilers and engineering compartments, as well as to insulate pipes all over the ship. The damage done by asbestos fibers occurs when tiny fibers are inhaled or ingested; they can invade the mesothelial lining and occasionally other organs, leading to development of scar tissue in the case of asbestosis and damage at the DNA level in the case of lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Our free mesothelioma information packet can answer your questions about the disease, treatment options, and your legal rights. If you or a loved one served aboard the USS Manley, or helped build, refit, or scrap her and later suffered from mesothelioma or another asbestos illness, complete the form on this page to receive this valuable guide.
Sources
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m3/manley-ii.htm Retrieved 14 December 2010
