USS Manchester ( CL - 83 ) USS " Manchester " ( CL - 83 ) , a Cleveland class light cruiser of the United States Navy , was laid down 25 September 1944 by the Fore River Shipyard , Bethlehem Steel Corp . , Quincy , Mass . ; launched 5 March 1946 ; sponsored by Mrs . Ernest J . Gladu ; and commissioned 29 October 1946 , Capt . Peter G . Hale in command . Service history . Mediterranean , 1947 – 1949 . " Manchester " completed her shakedown cruise in the Caribbean and returned to Boston , her home port , 26 March 1947 . There she was equipped with an experimental plastic cover for her bridge to be tested on her first transatlantic crossing . On 18 April , she steamed for the Mediterranean to lend visible support to the Truman Doctrine of 12 March . Returning to the East Coast for two weeks in June , she conducted a Naval Reserve training cruise out of Newport , R . I . She resumed her Mediterranean cruise 25 June , returning to Boston 30 November . " Manchester " completed two more deployments with the 6th Fleet ( 9 February to 26 June 1948 , 3 January to 4 March 1949 ) before departing Philadelphia 18 March for assignment with the Pacific Fleet . Far East , 1949 . She arrived at Long Beach 3 April and departed two weeks later for the politically volatile Far East , entering the harbor at Tsingtao , China , 15 May . The cruiser operated in the Yellow , East China , and South China Seas until returning to Long Beach 28 November . During this time , the Nationalist Chinese forces , having suffered extreme setbacks , had begun their withdrawal to the island of Taiwan , 16 July , and the People ' s Republic of China had been proclaimed at Peiping , 1 October 1949 . The success of the Red Chinese bolstered other Asian Communist aspirations . On 25 June 1950 , North Korean leaders ordered their troops to cross the 38th parallel into South Korea . The United Nations quickly declared North Korea the aggressor and called on members of that body to repel the invasion , 26 to 27 June . Korean War , 1950 – 1953 . 1950 . At that time , " Manchester " , docked at San Francisco , was undergoing overhaul . Work was sped up and by 1 August the cruiser was on her way to the Western Pacific . She arrived at Sasebo , Japan , in early September and joined TF 77 . As part of a carrier group , she commenced operations in the Yellow Sea , supporting United Nations Forces air efforts against the elongated Communist communications lines by coastal patrol , blockade , and bombardment . On 15 September , " Manchester " provided fire support for the landings at Inchon . After the establishment of major control of the Inchon – Seoul transport complex , she moved north to bombard North Korean troop concentrations on Tungsan Got , while aircraft from her strike force hit the railhead at Ongjin , 27 September . This action effectively slowed reinforcement of Communist forces in the south by disrupting their supply lines and keeping their troops occupied in defensive action . " Manchester " then steamed with her task group around the peninsula to support the invasion at Wonsan . Arriving 10 October , she commenced shore bombardment and patrol duties in support of the minesweeping operations in the area while planes from TF 77 conducted raids against North Korean vessels , road and rail centers , warehouses , and supply depots as far north as Songjin . The U . N . Forces soon reached the Yalu River and , as the heavy fighting appeared to be over , " Manchester " was reassigned , 29 October , to TF 72 , then patrolling the Taiwan Straits . This patrol duty was ended shortly thereafter by the full scale intervention of Communist Chinese troops in Korea . On 3 December , the cruiser rejoined TF 77 and steamed to Hungnam to support the complete evacuation of that port and the demolition of its facilities . Completing this operation , the task force continued to defend U . N . units , effecting their safe withdrawal from untenable positions . 1951 . On 8 January 1951 , " Manchester " evacuated injured crewmembers from the Thai corvette HTMS " Prasae " , which had grounded the previous day behind enemy lines near Kisamon Tan on the east coast . Naval gunfire kept enemy soldiers from swarming onto the ship until , the ship having been declared unsalvageable , the remainder of the crew was taken off by the cruiser ' s helicopter . Guns from accompanying destroyers were then turned on " Prasae " . For the next month and a half , " Manchester " patrolled off the east coast of Korea . Firing at both shore and inland targets , she blasted communication and transportation centers , destroying and disrupting the enemy ' s equipment and troop concentrations . On 22 February , she steamed to Wonsan to add her guns to the siege and blockade of that port which had commenced five days earlier . She continued to conduct shore bombardment activities along the northeast coast , primarily at Wonsan and Songjin , for the remainder of her first Korean combat tour . On 1 June , " Manchester " departed Korean waters for Yokosuka en route back to Long Beach , arriving in California 15 June . Spending less than five months at home , the cruiser was underway for the Far East again 5 November . She arrived back in the combat zone 8 December and took up duties as flagship of TF 95 , the U . N . blockading and escort force . 1952 . By this time , the conflict had altered in character , from quick forceful action to perseverance in the systematic destruction of the enemy ' s personnel and equipment . To this purpose , TF 95 maintained a blockade along the entire Korean coast and bombarded the Communist ' s main supply routes , which , because of the mountainous terrain , lay on the narrow coastal plains . " Manchester " patrolled along the Korean Peninsula shelling military targets in areas such as Chinnamp ' o , Chongjin , Tong ’ Cho - Ri as well as regularly returning to Hungnam , Songjin , and Wonsan to add to the destruction of those tightly held enemy positions . While her guns blasted , " Manchester ’ s " helicopters continued her reputation as a good friend of downed pilots , performing rescues at sea and on land behind enemy lines . Her medical officers also worked overtime aiding sick and wounded members of the U . N . Forces . On 14 May 1952 , " Manchester " completed her second tour in Korea and departed the bombline on the east coast of Korea . She returned to Long Beach 29 May , departing two weeks later for voyage repairs and overhaul at San Francisco . 1953 . 1953 brought no change in the negative results of the cease - fire talks begun at Kaesong 10 July 1951 and later moved to Panmunjon . The conflict continued and " Manchester " departed on 25 January for her third deployment in Korean waters . On 4 March , she rejoined TF 77 on the bombline off the peninsula ' s east coast . On 8 March , she returned to Wonsan and again commenced shelling Wonsan . She came back to this besieged city periodically during this tour , spending the remainder of the time on patrol along the bombline , providing fire support for the U . N . Forces at the eastern end of the frontline . On 23 July , " Manchester " departed Korea for Yokosuka . On 27 July , the was signed at Panmunjon and hostilities ended . On 28 July , " Manchester " got underway for her homeport , having successfully completed three combat tours with no major battle damage . Pacific , 1954 – 1956 . During 1954 and 1955 , the cruiser was twice deployed for six month periods with the 7th Fleet in the western Pacific . On her last return voyage she participated in Operation " Glory " , the return to Hawaii of fifty unidentified American dead from the Korean War . Departing Yokosuka 20 January 1956 , she stopped at Pearl Harbor for ceremonies and continued on to Long Beach , arriving 5 February . At the end of the month , she sailed for San Francisco , where she entered the Reserve Fleet 27 February , and decommissioned 27 June 1956 . Struck from the Navy list 1 April 1960 , she was sold 31 October 1960 to the Nicolai Joffe Corp . Awards . " Manchester " received nine battle star s for Korean service . For part of her Korean deployment ( 12 July 1951 – 29 May 1952 ) , she was commanded by Laurence Hugh Frost , who would later be the director of the National Security Agency under John F . Kennedy .