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| U.S.S. Allen M. Sumner DD-692 | ||||||
| Don Prigge's Journal | ||||||
The following is the chronological story of Sumner's first two years as remembered by Don Prigge. He served aboard from pre-commissioning in 1943 until his discharge in 1946.
| 12/24/43- | Joined the crew in Norfolk, VA |
| 01/26/44- | USS Allen M. Sumner DD 692 commissioned at Brooklyn Navy Yard, NY Navy band plays Hawaiian War Chant. | |
| 03/04/44- | Left New York enroute Bermuda for shakedown cruise | |
| 03/07/44- | Arrived Bermuda | |
| 04/06/44- | Arrived New York from Bermuda, shakedown completed. Alteration of bridge and superstructure. | |
| 05/03/44- | Left New York enroute Norfolk for temporary duty with U.T.C. | |
| 05/05/44- | Arrived Norfolk, VA. Unable to participate in Normandy invasion due to excessive vibration in propeller struts | |
| 07/05/44- | Returned to New York for more changes | |
| 08/10/44- | Left New York | |
| 08/18/44- | Arrived Norfolk after sound exercises in Vineyard Sound. | |
| 08/21/44- | Left Norfolk with USS Missouri BB63, USS Alaska CB1, USS Ingraham, USS Moale for Port of Spain, Trinidad | |
| 08/25/44- | Arrived Trinidad | |
| 08/26/44- | Left Trinidad with Moale and Ingraham for Panama. | |
| 08/29/44- | Passed through Panama Canal. Moored in Balboa, CZ. | |
| 08/30/44- | Left Balboa, CZ for San Diego, CA. | |
| 08/31/44- | Sighted Costa Rica, 40 miles. | |
| 09/05/44- | Changed destination to San Pedro, CA. | |
| 09/07/44- | Arrived San Pedro, CA. | |
| 09/08/44- | Left San Pedro in company with USS West Virginia, USS Ingraham for Pearl harbor, Hawaii. | |
| 09/11/44- | Dropped two full patterns (22) of depth charges on sound contact. | |
| 09/17/44- | Arrived Pearl Harbor | |
| 10/13/44- | Hit by practice torpedo during squadron maneuvers. Screw ruined. | |
| 10/23/44- | Left Hawaii for Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands. USS Barton, Walke, Laffey, Moale, Ingraham escorting USS North Carolina | |
| 10/26/44- | 2210 Crossed International Date Line. Lost a day. | |
| 10/27/44- | 1944 refueled from USS North Carolina. | |
| 10/30/44- | Arrived Eniwetok | |
| 10/31/44- | Left Eniwetok for Manus Island, Admiralty Islands. | |
| 11/02/44- | At lat 00 - 28 N, Long 154 - 16 E changed destination to
Ulithi 0925 passed Kapingamarangi Island 16 miles 318 T, Jap held. |
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| 11/05/44- | Arrived Ulithi, refueled, took on ammunition and left same day with Task Force 38 in Task Group 38.4 |
| Pennsylvania BB 38 | North Carolina BB 55 |
| Washington BB 56 | South Dakota BB 57 |
| Massachusetts BB 59 | Alabama BB 60 |
| Iowa BB 61 | New Jersey BB 62 |
| Enterprise CV 6 | Yorktown CV 5 |
| Essex CV 9 | Intrepid CV 11 |
| Hornet CV 12 | Lexington CV 16 |
| Bunker Hill CV 17 | Wasp CV 18 |
| Ticonderoga CV 19 | San Jacinto CVL 30 |
| Monterray CVL 26 | New Orleans CA 32 |
| Portland CA 33 | Minneapolis CA 36 |
| Wichita CA 45 | San Diego CL 53 |
| Santa Fe CL 60 | Oakland CL 95 |
| Gridley DD 380 | Helm DD 388 |
| Talbot DD 390 | Benham DD 397 |
| McCall DD 400 | Maury DD 401 |
| Halford DD 480 | Stephan Potter DD 538 |
| Boyd DD 544 | Brown DD 546 |
| Cowell DD 547 | Charette DD 581 |
| Corner DD 582 | Velles DD 628 |
| Thorn DD 647 | Callahan DD 658 |
| Ingersoll DD 662 | Bronson DD 668 |
| Cotton DD 669 | Moale DD 693 |
| Ingraham DD 694 | Cooper DD 695 |
| Barton DD 722 | Walke DD 723 |
| Laffey DD 724 | O'Brien DD 725 |
| Collette DD 726 | De Haven DD 727 |
| Moore DD 757 |
| 11/07/44- | Refueled from USS Enterprise. USS Cooper credited with sinking a submarine. | |
| 11/11/44- | 0900-1000 Launched planes for attack 1000 Commenced refueling from USS New Orleans 1028 Chopped fueling hoses. Under attack by Jap Planes. Driven off by CAP 1315 Went alongside to complete refueling 1500 Attacked again by Jap Planes. Laffey picked up Jap pilot. Our TG planes in attack against Japs around Leyte Sunk: 4 DD's, 2 DE's, 4 AK's Damaged: 1 DD, 1 DE Our losses: 9 planes. Pilots recovered from 2 of them. |
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| 11/12/44- | Refueled from tanker USS Tomahawk. Following ships joined Task Force: |
| Boston CA 69 | D. W. Taylor DD 551 |
| Healy DD 672 | Burns DD 588 |
| Dyson DD 572 | Evans DD 552 |
| Longshaw DD 559 | Laws DD 558 |
| Dewey DD 349 | Paul Hamilton DD 590 |
| Nehanta Bay CVE |
| 11/13/44- | Our planes make three strikes at Manila Bay. Sunk: 1 CA, 2 CL's, 4 DD's Damaged: 1 CA, 1 CL, several DD's. Exploded an ammunition train. Badly damaged Nicholson and Nielsen airfields. |
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| 11/14/44- | Planes made three strikes on Manila, no information. USS Enterprise held burial services for two pilots in afternoon. | |
| 11/15/44- | Transferred patient to USS Enterprise. | |
| 11/19/44- | 0200 An F6F Hellcat knocked down a Jap four motored 'Emily' patrol bomber. 0800 Lat 16-08.3 N, Long 123-09 E Launched air attack against Manila area Strike One: Clark Field - Burned one plane, knocked down three, lost one Manila Bay - AP set afire, four small ships set afire. Subic Bay - Sunk 1 DE, 1 SC, all shipping burning, beached, or sinking. Knocked down 25 planes Strike Two: Clark Field: strafed, bombed dispersal areas. Many planes in area left burning. Cabanatuan Field: Strafed planes, no fires observed. Well camouflaged. AK in Subic Bay still burning from previous attack. 1500 GQ fighters knocked down three 'Judy's' that attacked formation. 1530 Attack penetrated CAP. 3 planes knocked down by CL's and DD's. |
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| 11/22/44- | AM launched air attack against Yap Island. Heavy AA fire. South Dakota
shelled beach (reported). PM Arrived Ulithi |
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| 11/26/44- | Went on recreation party to Mog Mog. Two beers and a swim. 1600 DesDiv 120 - Cdr. J. H. Wellings relieved by Cdr. J. C. Zahm (ex Capt Walke) |
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| 11/27/44- | Left Ulithi for Leyte Gulf |
| Barton DD 722 (DesRon 60) | Allen M. Sumner DD 692 (DesDiv 120) |
| Walke DD 723 | Moale DD 693 |
| Laffey DD 724 | Cooper DD 695 |
| Ingraham (DD 694) was badly damaged in storm (typhoon between Nov 15 and 19) unable to be with us. | |
| 11/29/44- | 0300 Contacted plane. Opened fire. Plane retired quickly. Closest 5 miles. 0555 Sighted land. Suluan Island to starboard. Dinigat to Port. Passing through Surigao Straits (north). 1300 Anchored in San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf. 2100 Left anchorage. Now in Seventh Fleet. Formed TG 77.2 |
| New Mexico BB 40 | Maryland BB 46 |
| West Virginia BB 48 | Portland CA 33 |
| Minneapolis CA 36 | Columbia CL 56 |
| Montpelier CL 57 | Denver CL 58 |
| Lang DD 399 | Nicholas DD 449 |
| Plus DesRon 60 |
| 11/30/44- | Refueled from USS New Mexico. Assumed patrol duty at entrance to Surigao Straits. | |
| 12/01/44- | Patrol Duty. Homohan to Dinigat Island | |
| 12/02/44- | AM Rejoined formation 1800 Sumner, Moale and Cooper left formation to proceed to Ormoc Bay and destroy Jap force sent to reinforce Japs in Ormoc corridor. 1900 Task Force had air raid. Cruiser knocked down plane. Formation just aft of us. 2000 Sounded General Quarters 2240 In Ormoc Bay 2310 Hit forward by shrapnel from near miss. Acetylene tank and raft afire. |
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| 12/03/44- | 0010 Surface action against Jap landing craft, Sank 2. 0020 Plane attempted suicide dive at bridge. Crashed in water. 0042 Knocked down three planes. Also firing at AK with 40 mm's. 0045 Downed another plane. 0105 Received report Cooper sunk by aerial torpedo. Split in half and went down in 90 seconds with all guns firing. Moale badly strafed with phosphorous bullets. 0148 Knocked down plane. 0255 On way back to San Pedro Bay. Knocked down plane. 0500 Secured from General Quarters after seven hours. Our Total: 1 DD, 1 AP loaded, 6 planes, 2 landing craft, ammo depot, fuel depot, derrick and other shore damage. Possible another destroyer. Our damage: 5 wounded by shrapnel - legs, arms, hands and face. Heavy shrapnel damage forward, 100 holes. Missed by eight torpedoes. Later in day, received report that 8 officers and 130 men of Cooper were rescued by PT's and PBY's under cover of P 38's. |
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| 12/06/44- | Left anchorage in company TG 77.3 patrolling straits |
| Phoenix CL 46 | Boise CL 47 |
| Nashville CL 43 | Hopewell DD 681 (later sunk) |
| Lavalette DD 448 (sunk at Okinawa) | Fletcher DD 445 |
| Ingraham DD 694 | O'Bannon DD 450 |
| Moale DD 693 | Nicholas DD 449 (sunk at Okinawa) |
| 12/07/44- | 3rd Anniversary of Pearl Harbor | |
| 12/11/44- | Returned to San Pedro anchorage | |
| 12/12/44- | In port until 1500. Underway TG 77.3, 78.2,78.3 and several hundred landing craft to invade Mindoro. | |
| 12/13/44- | Under air attack most of afternoon. Nashville hit. | |
| 12/14/44- | 1030 GQ 115 dead, 100 wounded, several missing from Nashville 1930 Secured from GQ. Hour of attack set for 0720 |
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| 12/15/44- | 0540 GQ 0621 First forces landed. Five beaches: no opposition, no casualties, no air action, plenty of air support. Our job is to prevent and surface vessels from interfering. 1000 Under air attack. Moale damaged by shrapnel. 1215 Walke to proceed to damaged Jap destroyer and sink it. DD sank by itself. 2 LST's afire. |
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| 12/16/44- | Returned to San Pedro Bay | |
| 12/18/44- | Arrived San Pedro Bay | |
| 12/25/44- | Christmas - at anchor | |
| 12/26/44- | Left San Pedro hurriedly to intercept Jap task force. | |
| 12/27/44- | Received reports Japs bombarded Mindoro. Our group: 4 cruisers, 10 DD's | |
| 12/29/44- | Returning from Mindoro to Leyte. No action. Japs fled. | |
| 01/02/45- | Left San Pedro with TG 77.2 and units of Australian Fleet to bombard and invade Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. |
| Battleships: | California | Cruisers: | Louisville |
| Colorado | Portland | ||
| Mississippi | Columbia | ||
| New Mexico | Minneapolis | ||
| West Virginia | HMAS Australia | ||
| Pennsylvania | HMAS Shropshire | ||
| CVE: Tunga Point, Bismarck Sea, Haggatt Bay, Tulagi, Slamawa, Makin Island and 6 other CVE's | |||
| Numerous destroyers, APD's, 2 Aussie DD's,3 AO's. Proceeding in two groups; each 3 BB's, 3 cruisers and 17 ship DD screen. | |||
| 01/04/45- | 0530 CVE Omaney Bay hit by suicide plane. Heavy damage. 0550 Omaney Bay crew had to abandon ship. 93 killed or missing, 65 wounded 0600 Omaney Bay sunk by torpedoes to prevent capture |
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| 01/05/45- | 0845 GQ for security. All day session. In afternoon: One Aussie DD hit and damaged by bomb. Louisville had plane crash into her forward batteries, 1 dead, 59 wounded. Manila Bay (CVE) hit; Stafford (DE) hit. 1945 Secured from General Quarters |
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| 01/06/45- | 0639 General Quarters Into Lingayen Gulf 1215 Plane crashed into superstructure and #2 Torpedo tube, after deck house with 16" on it. Our dead: Tomlinson, Arendt, Hardison, Sullivan, Wachemeir, Chief Ph. Mate, Grubb, Rupracht, Johnson, Beris, Corring, Hays, Griffith, Nordell missing, later picked up by Walke and died, Ellington and Valley died aboard West Virginia. 13 badly injured, 20 others injured. Compartment C-203 (my quarters) flooded with oil and water. All my gear lost. 2000 Secured from GQ |
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| 01/07/45- | 0635 GQ Making preparations for burial at sea. 0930 Held burial services. All were confined to the deep together. We are to remain in Gulf today and tonight. The BB's, CA's, CL's to bombard, plus DD's at night. PM Demolition squads (CB's) went ashore from LCI's. All DD's supported these teams at 1500 yards with main and machine gun batteries. Lowry (DD 770) will replace us on shore bombardment tonight. Had to put shoring back and put out fires caused by firing weakened Mount #3. 2045 Secured from GQ |
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| 01/08/45- | 0615 GQ Screening large ships as the bombard shore. If we
fire Mount #3 much more the after deck house will collapse and the torpedo tubes will fall right through the bottom of the ship. I'm averaging about five hours sleep a night. I haven't taken my clothes off since Jan 5 nor washed nor shaved. I do take my shoes off when I'm back in after steering. If we can hold out until the 10th we will probably be all right. We will refuel at 1100. Our CAP is getting better. In yesterday's bombardment we knocked out a good number of shore batteries and buildings. Food hours are irregular. Bread is low and half the time we ate at our GQ stations. The three of us back here in after steering pooled our Christmas packages, so we are holding our own. Most of the ships here have been hit. The men in the forward mounts haven't seen daylight since Jan 5. Ship's store passed out 3 packs of cigarettes per man. The ship's store storeroom is ruined but we haven't been into it to see if anything is salvageable. Cigarettes are scarce. 1200 Refueled from New Mexico. She had a bad list to port. The men on the BB told us 100 planes attacked us that day (6th) and seventy were knocked down by CAP and our AA firing. 2028 Secured from GQ |
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| 01/09/45- | 0100 Landing forces arrived. 0530 GQ 0600 BB's and heavies shelling beach 0740 Landing barges put in water and forces getting ready to land. Our duty is to screen BB's and act as AA support. 0900 We commence shore bombardment. Forces should land at 0930. Firing is particularly heavy. 0925 Small craft firing rockets 0930 Invasion of Luzon 0952 First four waves reported landing without opposition 1100 Eight waves on beach, one mile inland, still unopposed. Took one town with white flag flying. Shropshire hit again by plane. She has taken the worst beating of any. Thank God the troops are here and ashore. I pray we may soon leave here. If possible I'm going to shave and shower. I don't know where I'll get any clothes. Maybe I'll just wash. (washed). 2000 Secured from GQ. |
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| 01/10/45- | 0604 Sounded GQ. Early in the morning PT's attacked ships. LST
and AP hit. They would sneak up quietly, throw high explosives and grenades on
the deck and race away. 0900 USS Belknap (APD 34) sighted two Japs in water with explosives strapped to their backs. They wouldn't be picked up, so were killed. Later saw two other Japs in water throwing grenades at landing craft. They killed the Japs with 20 mm fire. PM More Jap swimmers with explosives and on torpedoes have been reported. Depth charges have been dropped with shallow settings, we are trying to make the aft end of the ship seaworthy for our trip back tonight. 2000 Heading out with AKA, APA and other damaged craft screened by us, PF's corvettes and minesweepers, all in damaged condition. Destination is Leyte. Just had a bomb fall 700 yards off starboard bow. 1384 rounds of 5" ammo fired since we left Leyte. 2003 Secured from General Quarters. |
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| 01/11/45- | 0615 Sounded GQ Our group TG 79.14.2 19 APA, 3 DD, 3 DE, YMS, small units of Aussie Navy. Air cover: 13 CAP and 4 TBF anti-sub patrol. Off of Manila. | |
| 01/12/45- | 0615 Sounded GQ (no CAP) 1900 Secured from GQ |
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| 01/13/45- | 0600 Sounded GQ (CAP) 1600 Anchored in Leyte Gulf. Had three beers on ship, courtesy of Zahm. |
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| 01/14/45- | 1600 Underway with Portland, Columbia, Walke and O'Brien for Manus Island, Admiralty Group. All damaged. Still no bunk, no clothes. | |
| 01/18/45- | Anchored in Seeadler Harbor, Manus Island. | |
| 01/19/45- | Went on working party. Very hot, clean island. Columbia had 130 dead, some trapped in holds that were flooded. Louisville had 150 dead. Walke had 15 burned to death. | |
| 01/27/45- | 1700 Left Manus with CVE Kadashan Bay enroute Pearl harbor. | |
| 02/01/45- | Stopped at Majuro Atoll to refuel. | |
| 02/06/45- | Arrived Pearl Harbor. Got a set of dress blues. | |
| 02/07/45- | Left Pearl Harbor with USS Taylor DD 551 enroute San Francisco, California | |
| 02/13/45- | Arrived San Francisco. Unloaded ammo at Mare Island, proceeded Hunter's Point Navy Yard for repairs. | |
| 03/21/45- | Flew home on 15 day leave -- extended by illness. | |
| 05/08/45- | Returned to ship. Ship takes training crews from Treasure Island out to San Clemente and return. | |
| 07/17/45- | My 21st birthday. Left San Francisco enroute Pearl harbor | |
| 07/23/45- | Arrived Pearl Harbor | |
| 08/06/45- | Entered Loran school. News of atom bomb. | |
| 08/10/45- | Completed Loran school. | |
| 08/11/45- | Japs cry for peace. | |
| 08/12/45- | Left Pearl Harbor in company with |
| Santa Fe CL 60 | Hawkins DD 873 |
| Birmingham CL 62 | Fox DD 829 |
| Antietam CVL 36 | Coghlan DD 606 |
| O'Brien DD 725 | Huntington DD 871 |
| Pierce DD 753 | Rowan DD 782 |
| Enroute to Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Is. with a stopover to attack Wake. | |
| 08/14/45- | 1208 at Lat 19 - 40 N, Long 172 - 00 W received word that Japan has surrendered, the war is over. Admiral Deyo made a speech. | |
| 08/19/45- | Arrived Eniwetok | |
| 08/20/45- | Left Eniwetok enroute Tokyo to rendezvous with Third Fleet 250 SE miles SE Tokyo. TG 13.3.3 |
| Intrepid CV 11 | Kimberly DD 521 |
| Antietam CV 36 | Halsey Powell DD 696 |
| Cabot CVL 28 | R K Huntington DD 871 |
| Fox DD 829 |
| 08/23/45- | Refueled from Intrepid | |
| 08/25/45- | Detached from group to join TG 38.3 | |
| 08/26/45- | Fleet starts to enter Sagami south of Tokyo Bay. We are still looking for TG 38.3. Weather is miserable. Can't stand up. Half holiday gave me chance to sleep in afternoon. | |
| 08/27/45- | Rendezvoused with TG 38.3. Refueled from Randolph. |
| Wasp CV 18 | Chauncy DD 667 |
| Randolph CV 15 | O'Brien DD 725 |
| Cabot CVL 28 | Lowry DD 770 |
| Duluth CA 87 | Benner DD 807 |
| Topeka CA 67 | HMS Indefatigible |
| Ross DD 563 | Trowbridge D49 |
| Erben DD 631 | Tersichore D48 |
| Habe DD 642 | Termagent D47 |
| Stembel DD 644 | Teazer D45 |
| 08/28/45- | Steaming around in a circle with USS Benner 25 miles off Honshu in Enshu Nada | |
| 09/09/45- | Still going around in circle. Sighted mine floating. Destroyed it. | |
| 09/11/45- | Rendezvoused with TG 38.1 |
| Shangri La CV 38 | Cowpens CVL 25 |
| Yorktown CV 10 | Topeka CA 67 |
| Bon Homme Richard CV 31 | Duluth CA 87 |
| Independence CVL 22 | Oakland CL 95 |
| Barton DD 722 | Lowry DD 770 |
| Brush DD 745 | Collett DD 730 |
| Dortch DD 670 | Erben DD 631 |
| Fox DD 829 | Cotton DD 669 |
| Heermann DD 532 | Franks DD 554 |
| Taussig DD 746 |
| 09/16/45- | Anchored in Tokyo Bay, just off Yokohama. | |
| 09/19/45- | Many left ship to go to states, among them QM 1/c Davis | |
| 09/22/45- | Anchored in Saipan Harbor, Saipan. Performed plane guard duties for new planes for carrier. | |
| 10/05/45- | Left Guam with others enroute Seattle, Washington | |
| 10/09/45- | Rendezvoused off Tokyo with 4 CV, 3 Ca, 14 DD's enroute states. | |
| 10/19/45- | Arrived Astoria, Oregon. Proceeded up Columbia River to Longview, Wash. in PM, graciously received. | |
| 10/26/45- | Left Longview, WA for San Pedro, Los Angeles port | |
| 11/02/45- | Arrived San Pedro | |
| 02/08/46- | Left ship in San Diego to go to Lido Beach, NY | |
| 02/15/46- | 1030 Discharged |