USS Frank E. Evans (DD-754)

USS Frank E. Evans, 1945
History
United States
Name:	USS Frank E. Evans
Namesake:	Brigadier General Frank Evans
Builder:	Bethlehem Mariners Harbor, Staten Island, New York
Laid down:	21 April 1944
Launched:	3 October 1944
Commissioned:	3 February 1945
Struck:	1 July 1969
Nickname(s):	"Gray Ghost" "Lucky Evans"
Honors and awards:	1 battle star (World War II) 5 battle stars (Korean War)
Fate:	Bow lost in collision with Australian carrier Melbourne. Stern recovered and sunk as target.
General characteristics
Class and type:	Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Displacement:	2,200 tons standard, 3,218 tons full load
Length:	376.5 ft (114.8 m)
Beam:	41.1 ft (12.5 m)
Draft:	14.2 ft (4.3 m) mean 15.7 ft (4.8 m) maximum
Propulsion:	60,000 hp (45,000 kW) General Electric geared turbines two screws
Speed:	36.5 kn (67.6 km/h; 42.0 mph)
Range:	3,300 mi (5,300 km) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement:	336
Armament:	6 × 5 in (127 mm)/ 38 cal dual purpose guns (3x2), 12 × 40 mm guns, 11 × 20 mm guns, 10 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2x5), 6 × depth charge projectors, 2 × depth charge tracks

USS Frank E. Evans (DD-754), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was named in honor of General Frank Evans, a leader of the American Expeditionary Force in France during World War I. She served in late World War II and the Korean War, and Vietnam War before being cut in half in a collision with HMAS Melbourne in 1969.

Her keel was laid down at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard in Staten Island, New York. She was launched on 3 October 1944 sponsored by Mrs. Frank E. Evans, widow of General Evans, and commissioned on 3 February 1945, with Commander Harry Smith in command.

Frank E. Evans arrived at Pearl Harbor on 18 May 1945 for her final training, and crossed to Eniwetok, Guam, Ulithi, and Okinawa on escort duty. Reaching action waters on 24 June, she was assigned to radar picket and local escort duty, often firing on enemy aircraft. At the close of hostilities, she patrolled the Yellow Sea and the Gulf of Chihli, embarked released Americans from prisoner of war camps near Dairen, Manchuria, covered occupation landings at Jinsen, Korea, and continued to operate in the Far East until 6 March 1946 when she sailed from Tsingtao for San Francisco, California. Immobilized there on 31 March, Evans was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 14 December 1949.

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