Cummings Mahan-class destroyer

cummings underway in 1944

uss cummings served in pacific fleet in late 1930s, participating in numerous individual , fleet training exercises. in 1940, served on security patrols off west coast. cummings went on goodwill visit several ports in south pacific, including auckland, new zealand, , tahiti. destroyer hit fragments while docked in pearl harbor during japanese attack, , suffered few casualties. escorted convoys between pearl harbor , west coast first 6 months of world war ii. in june 1942, transferred convoy escort duties in south pacific until august, when had overhaul in san francisco, , returned role convoy escort in south pacific.

in january 1944, cummings joined screen fast carrier strike force while raided japanese positions in central pacific. in march, cummings sailed trincomalee, ceylon, rendezvoused british ships exercises. in april, ship joined british force screen during air strikes on sabang, indonesia. returned ceylon in may , moved on exmouth gulf, australia. british force, cummings sortied air strikes on soerabaja, java, before leaving pearl harbor.

by july in san francisco escort heavy cruiser baltimore, ship carried president franklin d. roosevelt pearl harbor. cummings joined 3rd fleet battle of leyte gulf in october 1944. next month, bombarded iwo jima in preparation amphibious assault on island. ship operated off okinawa during invasion. after war, cummings returned united states , decommissioned in december 1945 , sold scrap in july 1947. received 7 battle stars world war ii service.