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| U.S.S. Allen M. Sumner DD-692 | |||||
| Flag Officers | |||||

For most of the first half of the Sumner's career she was a Flagship. Being a Flagship implied that either a Division or Squadron Commanding Officer was permanently aboard. A Division during this period of Naval history was comprised of four destroyers while a Squadron was composed of two Divisions or eight destroyers. During the second half of her career, Flag Officers rode the Sumner on a temporary basis from time to time but not as their permanent home. The following chart reflects the Division/Squadron Commanders who flew their Flags on Sumner as their Flagship.
| Reported aboard | Departed | Commander | |
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| July 25, 1944 | November 26, 1944 | ![]() |
CDR Joseph Harold Wellings |
| November 26, 1944 | January 25, 1945 | ![]() |
CDR John Crawford Zahm |
| November 17, 1945 | December 1945 | ![]() |
CAPT Phillip Daly Gallery |
| Commander Destroyer Division 72 |
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| December 1945 | July 26, 1946 |
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CAPT Phillip Daly Gallery |
| July 26, 1946 | July 27, 1947 |
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CAPT Frank P. Luongo, Jr |
| July 27, 1947 | April 12, 1948 |
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CAPT Donald Temple Eller |
| April 12, 1948 | April 1949 |
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CDR William Henry Sanders, Jr |
| Commander Destroyer Division 202 |
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| April 1949 | April 26, 1949 |
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CDR William Henry Sanders, Jr |
| April 26, 1949 | July 30, 1950 |
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CDR Frederick Julian Becton |
| July 30, 1950 | January 1951 |
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CAPT Jacob W. Waterhouse |
| Commander Destroyer Division 22 |
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| January 1951 | June 2, 1951 |
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CAPT Jacob W. Waterhouse |
| June 2, 1951 | July 1951 |
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CAPT Lawrence W. Smythe |
| Commander Destroyer Division 161 |
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| July 1951 | July 13, 1951 |
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CAPT Lawrence W. Smythe |
| Commander Destroyer Squadron 16 |
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| July 14, 1951 | Probably July 1952 |
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CAPT Upton S. Brady, Jr. |
| Probably July 1952 | July 2, 1953 |
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CAPT E. J. Sullivan |
| July 2, 1953 | ? |
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CAPT Eugene B. McKinney |
| ? | ? |
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? |
| ? | April 24, 1956 |
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CAPT Elonzo Bowden Grantham, Jr. |
| April 24, 1956 | June 17, 1957 |
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CAPT Paul L. deVos |
| June 17, 1957 | August 29, 1958 |
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CAPT Benjamin B. Cheatham |
| August 29, 1958 | November 1958 ? |
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CAPT Michael Joseph Luosey |
| November 8, 1958 ? | September 1959 ? |
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CAPT Charles W. Travis |
| Entries in the Deck Logs concerning the Squadron/Division Staffs were modified in the early 1950's making it extremely difficult to track the "who and when" of the Commanders. The Sumner continued as the Squadron 16 Flagship until the USS Bigelow (DD-942) joined the Squadron in the Fall of 1959. If you have any information or photographs that would help fill in the missing gaps it would be most appreciated. | |||