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mansfield001.jpg  Navy Discloses Ships, Air Unit Hit by Cutback By Ernest Sandison WASHINGTON -- Names of the Navy ships and of the ASW aircraft squadron involved in the latest cutbacks now have been disclosed. The squadron is VP-7. Actually, the Jacksonville-based squadron will be put into a "stand-down" status until P-3 Orions arrive about April 1970 to replace the P-2 Neptunes. Then the unit will be rebuilt. Nineteen ships are to be laid-up. Five will become Reserve training ships. The 24, minus a diesel submarine still to be named, are : Lay-up: The Fletcher, leader of the first class of destroyers built for service in World War II, was completed June 30, 1942. She and her 175 sister ships met and mastered the gamut of missions assigned to destroyers in that war. Placed out of commission in 1947, she returned to active duty in 1949. The ship received 15 battle stars for World War II and five for the Korean War. Leaving service with the Fletcher are her sister ships Jenkins, Taylor, Walker, Black, Marshall and Waller. The last two DDs hadbeen assigned to reserve training. THE DESTROYER MADDOX made headlines around the world when she was attacked by three North Korean torpedo gunboats in the Gulf of Tonkin on August 2, 1964. Following the incident, President Johnson ordered the Navy to pursue and destroy any attacking vessels. The Maddox and her sister destroyers Robert K. Huntington, Samuel N. Moore, Harry E. Hubbard and Brush will be transferred to duty training Reserves. Which Reserve ships these four English-class and one Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers (only the Robert K. Huntington has been through Fram II) will replace has lnot been released. However, the Robert K. Huntington will be assigned to Bayonne, N.J. and the other four will replace older ships on the West Coast. Vance was the command of Lt. Comdr, Marcus A. Arnheiter. Retiring with the Vance are the DERs Whitehurst, Vammen, Falgout, Haverfield and Wilhoite. Three Reserve Training DEs, the Whitehurst, the Vammen and the Marsh will be mothballed or scrapped. FOUR OF THE SHIPS -- the two SSs, the AE, and the destroyer waller are in the Atlantic Fleet. The other 15 shipsare in the Pacific Fleet. Announcing the names of the ships to be cut, Navy Secretary John H. Chafee said that the approximately 300 officers and 4400 enlisted men would be reassigned. The retirement of the 19 ships is the Navy's biggest cutback since August 1968 when the service announced it was mothballing 50 ships and shifting 23 to the Reserves. In that force reduction, the Navy deactivated eight air squadrons. CHIEF OF Naval Operations Adm. Thomas H. Moorer said in his posture statement to Congress that the Navy still had 40 Atlantic Fleet ships in a "reduced operational status." He said that this was because of manning problems caused by the Vietnam War and budget cuts. The CNO said, "We expect the Atlantic Fleet to begin recovery from these personnel problems in early spring 1969. When hostilities end in Vietnam, we plan to readjust personnel and other assets between the fleets so as to provide a more balanced two-fleet capability." The cut last August took 32 ships from the Atlantic Fleet and 18 from the Pacific Fleet. The new cut takes 15 from the Pacific Fleet; four from the Atlantic Fleet. In his statement announcing the economy move. Laird said that the number of DDs, DEs and DERs "can now be reduced since Naval combat operations against North Vietnam have been Terminated." Laird had listed 18 ships by type that were to be taken from active service. The Navy announcement lists 19. There are two more DDs or DEs than the Defense Secretary had indicated and one less barracks ship. Return to Photos Bridge mansfield002.jpg  Mansfield at the main control switchboard Return to Photos Bridge mansfield003.jpg  ?, Monty Mansfield Return to Photos Bridge mansfield004.jpg  Mansfield with hat Return to Photos Bridge mansfield005.jpg  Mansfield on foreward gun tub Return to Photos Bridge |
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