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| U.S.S. Allen M. Sumner DD-692 | |||||
| WestPac Deployment - February to October 1947 | |||||
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Scenes from Arne's collection of Guam and Sydney |
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The Official Ship's Deck Log for 1947
ALL HANDS story of the deployment - May 1947
Arne Schumacher's Memorabilia Collection
On the morning of February 24th the Sumner weighed anchor from Coronado Roads and got underway for PACFLEET Exercise 2-47. The many ships that made up Task Force 58 during this deployment included the USS Iowa (BB-61), USS Boxer (CV-21), USS Tarawa (CV-40), USS Princeton (CV-37), USS Duluth (CL-87), USS Atlanta (CL-104), USS Tucson (CLAA-98), USS Springfield (CL-66), USS Pasadena (CL-65), the service group of the USS Kaskaskia (AO-27), USS Chikaskia (AO-54), USS Ashtabula (AO-51), USS Pollux (AKS-4), and the escort group of Sumner, USS Furse (DD-882), USS Stickell (DD-888), USS Turner (DD-834), USS Rowan (DD-782), USS Cecil (DD-835), USS Perry (DD-883), USS Ingraham (DD-694), USS Robert K. Huntington (DD-781), USS McKean (DD-784), USS Tucker (DD-875), USS Moale (DD-693), USS Gurke (DD-783), USS Duncan (DD-874), USS Rogers (DD-876), USS Bausell (DD-845), USS Perkins (DD-877), USS Lowry (DD-770), USS Laffey (DD-724), USS O'Brien (DD-725), USS Brush (DD-745), USS Maddox (DD-731), USS Walke (DD-723), USS Moore (DD-747) and USS Agerholm (DD-826) with the Task Force under the command of RADM O. B. Hardison in the Boxer.
The first days at sea consisted of many tactical exercises including simulated torpedo attacks, carrier flight operations, air defense sleeve and drone firing and battle group problems. The Force arrived in Pearl Harbor on March 11th and remained until the 24th when the Ingraham and Sumner moved to Lahaina Roads, Maui and anchored there overnight, returning to Pearl Harbor the next day. This was followed by daily operations out of Pearl Harbor with visits to Maui and Hilo Bay, Hawaii until returning to sea on May 1st with Task Force 58 and the USS Antietam (CV-36) and USS Shangri-La (CV-38). Davy Jones was received onboard on the 6th with all due honor and respect and all pollywogs were initiated into the Realm of the Deep on the 7th. On May 14th Sumner was sent to render assistance to a fishing craft in distress. She proved to be the Melanesia Suva enroute to New Caledonia. Contact was made and the vessel continued on it's journey.
The 17th of May found the Sumner moored at Woolloomooloo Bay, Sydney, Australia where she entertained over 4,000 visitors before proceeding to sea again on the 27th with Task Force 38. The 6th of June found Sumner at anchor in Moen Anchorage, Truk Atoll, Caroline Islands where she remained until the 8th when she made passage to Guam, Marianas Islands arriving there on the 10th. On the 12th she entered the ARD-31 floating drydock where she underwent inspection and repair of the rudders and hull leaving the drydock on the 17th. She then steamed to Saipan, Marianas Islands arriving there that afternoon. The next day she sailed back to Guam remaining there until the 24th of June before returning again to Saipan until the Task Force again returned to sea on the 26th.
While enroute to Manila, on June 27th, a life line turnbuckle on the port side parted and three crewman fell overboard (Lat 14-32.2N Long 139-24E). F1 Boyd C. Searle was rescued but MM2 Lymon Overstreet and S1 Phillip G. McClellan were lost. Services in their memory were held aboard ship on the 28th. She moored in Manila Bay on 1 July remaining there until again underway on the 6th.
July 11th found her stopping briefly at Saipan and and then arriving at Guam later that night. She then operated out of Saipan and Guam until rejoining the Task Force enroute to Yokosuka arriving there on 14 August for a week of well deserved rest. Underway again on the 21st she arrived in Tsingtao, China, where the situation was tense due to the Communist and Nationalist Chinese fighting, on the 28th. Sumner remained in Tsingtao until returning to sea on 9 September and returning to Guam with Task Force 38 where they arrived on the 16th.
The 21st of September found Sumner headed for home arriving in Pearl Harbor on the 30th. After a brief rest she was again steaming East and arrived in San Diego on the 8th of October.
Do you have any stories, pictures or memorabilia of
the cruise? If you do, please let us know 