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.
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.
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.
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.
11/22/44- AM launched air attack against Yap Island. Heavy AA fire. South Dakota shelled beach (reported).
PM Arrived Ulithi
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)
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
01/13/45- 0600 Sounded GQ (CAP)
1600 Anchored in Leyte Gulf.  Had three beers on ship, courtesy of Zahm.
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