USS Frank E . Evans ( DD - 754 ) 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 the Australian aircraft carrier in 1969 . Construction . 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 H . Smith in command . Service history . World War II . " 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 . Korean War . Recommissioned on 15 September 1950 for duty in the Korean War , " Evans " sailed from San Diego , California on 2 January 1951 for duty with the 7th Fleet . On 26 February , she began her part in the lengthy siege of Wonsan , during which she engaged enemy shore batteries eleven times . On 18 June , she was struck by 30 shrapnel hits , which caused minor wounds to four crewmembers before the destroyer silenced the enemy battery . During this tour of duty , " Evans " 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 . " Evans " sailed on 22 March 1952 for her second Korean tour , serving on patrol and bombardment duty along the coast of Korea and on the Taiwan Patrol before returning to her new home port , Long Beach , California , on 6 November 1952 . Her tour in the Far East from 13 June to 20 December 1953 coincided with the Korean armistice , and was devoted primarily to patrol duty . From 1954 to 1960 , " Evans " completed five tours of duty in the Far East , as well as joining extensive training operations along the west coast and in the Hawaiian Islands , occasionally with Canadian naval ships . From 1962 to 1963 , the ship was the fictitious " Appleby " used in the NBC military comedy series " Ensign O ' Toole " starring Dean Jones in the title role . Vietnam . Collision with HMAS Melbourne . At around 3 a . m . on 3 June 1969 , between Vietnam and Spratly Island , " Evans " was operating with the Royal Australian Navy in company with which was at flying stations . " Melbourne " signalled " Evans " , then to port of the carrier , to take up the rescue destroyer position . The logical movement would be to turn to port and describe a circle taking up station on the carrier ' s port quarter . Inexplicably , instead of turning to port , " Evans " turned to starboard , cutting across " Melbourne " s bow , and was cut in half in the ensuing collision . She crossed the bow of the " Melbourne " twice as she was hit on the port side . Her bow drifted off to the Melbourne ' s port side and sank after about ten to twenty minutes taking 74 of her crew with it . The stern scraped along the starboard side of the Melbourne and lines were able to be attached by the Melbourne ' s crew . Around another 60 - 100 men were rescued from the water . At the time of the collision " Evans " s captain was asleep . The officer of the deck ( a junior officer who was not qualified to stand watch , having failed at his previous board ) failed to notify him when he executed the station change , as required by the Commanding Officer ' s standing orders . " Evans " was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 July 1969 . The stern section was sunk as a target in Subic Bay on 10 October 1969 .