U.S.S. Allen M. Sumner DD-692
Vietnam Deployment General Quarters Log

The following table displays a record of each of the 115 combat General Quarters occurrences during the Sumner's deployment to Vietnam.  Times displayed are military time and as you will notice we spent many a night at GQ and not sleeping.  All of our food, fuel, ammunition and supplies came via underway replenishment and this too usually occurred during the night and required most if not all of the crew.  It must also be remembered that each crewman still had a regular job to do as the ship required endless maintenance and upkeep.   The Location column indicates the Latitude and Longitude where these actions took place.  The positions were taken three times per day at 0800, 1200 and 2000.  I have indicated the Location to the closest position in time taken by the Navigator.   The Target column indicates what was being taken under fire.  A Water Borne Logistic Craft was a seagoing vessel that was 50 feet or longer, headed in a Southerly direction and self-propelled.  NGFS indicates Naval Gun Fire Support, usually called for by the troops ashore.  The indication CB indicates that Sumner was taken under fire by North Vietnamese shore batteries. We were taken under fire on 12 separate occasions, receiving approximately 750 rounds of enemy fire with the closest being within 10 feet. The symbol NBC indicates the  two days an NBC camera crew came aboard and filmed a segment for the Huntley-Brinkley Evening News and the Today program.  The 5" Rounds Fired column indicates the number of rounds actually fired in the engagement.  Entries which read NL were not entered into the Ship's Log which was the basis for this table.  All of the entries for April, May and June took place off the coast of North Vietnam while those for July and August were off the South Vietnamese Coast.  The total rounds fired displayed in the table is 7,003, if the 27 GQ's indicating NL could be included, the total certainly exceeded 8,000.

Date Time Location Target 5" Rounds Fired
07 Apr 67 0440-0652 19° 30'N x 106° 09'E Water Borne Logistic Craft 39
1529-1741 19° 40'N x 106° 04'E Coastal Defense Sites CB NL
1841-1931 18° 11'N x 106° 04'E Water Borne Logistic Craft NL
2122-2258 18° 11'N x 106° 04'E Water Borne Logistic Craft NL
08 Apr 67 0203-0235 18° 57'N x 106° 03'E Water Borne Logistic Craft 23
0855-1109 19° 13'N x 105° 56'E Shore Targets NL
1212-1236 19° 13'N x 105° 56'E Water Borne Logistic Craft 15
1405-1558 19° 13'N x 105° 56'E Coastal Defense Sites CB 72
2123-2302 19° 11'N x 106° 07'E Water Borne Logistic Craft 48
09 Apr 67 1010-1129 19° 42'N x 106° 02'E Coastal Defense Sites & Railroad Yard 71
10 Apr 67 2246-2356 17° 32'N x 106° 47'E Shore Targets 37
08 May 67 1340-1648 17° 37'N x 106° 51'E Water Borne Logistics Craft NL
2307-2345 17° 42'N x 106° 44'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 30
09 May 67 0340-0445 17° 26'N x 106° 51'E Ferry Approaches & Buildings 30
0946-1307 17° 14'N x 107° 10'E Coastal Defense & Water Craft NL
10 May 67 2210-2320 18° 01'N x 106° 29'E Water Borne Logistics Craft NL
11 May 67 0754-0946 17° 30'N x 106° 47'E Missile Site & Water Borne Logistics Craft NL
1134-1228 17° 32'N x 106° 45'E Coastal Defense Sites CB 50
1341-1622 17° 32'N x 106° 45'E Coastal Defense Sites 142
12 May 67 0231-0239 17° 20'N x 106° 52'N Water Borne Logistics Craft 6
0751-1102 17° 28'N x 106° 52'E Water Craft & Radar Site 140
1250-1405 17° 28'N x 106° 52'E Shotgun for HMAS Hobart 0
2220-2344 17° 43'N x 107° 40'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 11
13 May 67 0237-0255 18° 46'N x 106° 53'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 12
2150-2209 17° 17'N x 107° 03'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 8
2324-0029 17° 17'N x 107° 03'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 35
14 May 67 0521-0648 17° 21'N x 106° 56'E Vehicle & Water Borne Logistics Craft 47
0759-0928 17° 21'N x 106° 56'E Coastal Defense Sites NL
1114-1159 17° 15'N x 107° 05'E Water Borne Logistics Craft NL
1303-1524 17° 15'N x 107° 05'E Coastal Defense Sites 273
15 May 67 0954-1208 17° 16'N x 107° 01'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 249
1430-1611 17° 16'N x 107° 01'E Water Borne Logistics Craft NL
1711-1813 18° 14'N x 106° 30'E Coastal Defense Sites & Water Craft CB 28
16 May 67 0333-0431 18° 41'N x 106° 52'E Bridge Approaches & Choke Point 63
2332-0044 17° 17'N x 107° 02'E NL NL
17 May 67 0804-1142 17° 27'N x 106° 50'E Coastal Defense Sites & Water Craft CB NL
18 May 67 0525-1113 17° 07'N x 107° 08'E Operation Beau Charger CB 775
1739-1904 17° 06'N x 107° 08'E Operation Beau Charger 21
2259-0551 17° 34'N x 107° 09'E Operation Beau Charger 330
19 May 67 2142-2318 17° 20'N x 107° 09'E Coastal Defense Sites NL
20 May 67 0247-0310 17° 27'N x 106° 51'E Waterborne Logistics Craft 14
1055-1312 17° 25'N x 106° 51'E Coastal Defense Sites 24
1620-1737 17° 25'N x 107° 06'E Causeway 45
21 May 67 0245-0330 17° 39'N x 106° 44'E Coastal Defense Sites 11
0815-0940 17° 39'N x 106° 44'E Counterbattery Fire CB 43
1009-1047 17° 33'N x 106° 48'E Coastal Defense Sites 25
1235-1320 17° 33'N x 106° 48'E Counterbattery Fire CB 21
22 May 67 0159-0228 17° 35'N x 106° 45'E Coastal Defense Sites 7
0333-0411 17° 35'N x 106° 45'E Coastal Defense Sites 30
0914-1024 17° 37'N x 106° 49'E Counterbattery Fire NL
1554-1641 17° 37'N x 106° 49'E NL NL
1940-2210 17° 21'N x 106° 57'E Coastal Defense Sites 66
24 May 67 0021-0115 17° 23'N x 106° 53'E Supply Area 50
0509-0553 17° 23'N x 106° 53'E Coastal Defense Sites 32
1824-1835 17° 35'N x 106° 45'E Coastal Defense Sites 7
2140-2225 17° 35'N x 106° 45'E Coastal Defense Sites 14
25 May 67 0929-1015 17° 32'N x 106° 46'E Coastal Defense Sites CB 147
2050-2132 17° 31'N x 106° 47'E Coastal Defense Sites 58
10 Jun 67 1122-1423 17° 40'N x 106° 41'E Water Craft & Coastal Defense Sites NL
11 Jun 67 0509-0549 17° 30'N x 106° 52'E NL NL
1540-1610 17° 19'N x 107° 04'E Coastal Defense Sites 14
2140-2203 17° 50'N x 106° 55'E NL NL
12 Jun 67 0334-0341 18° 31'N x 106° 55'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 14
1454-1712 18° 02'N x 106° 53'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 361
2115-2140 17° 31'N x 106° 53'E Coastal Defense Sites 29
13 Jun 67 1005-1136 17° 38'N x 106° 47'E Coastal Defense Sites 11
1345-1445 17° 38'N x 106° 47'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 62
2345-0012 17° 38'N x 106° 52'E Military Installation 25
14 Jun 67 0232-0314 17° 38'N x 106° 52'E VC/NVA Positions 2
1249-1426 17° 41'N x 106° 45'E Coastal Defense Sites 18
2346-0124 17° 41'N x 106° 45'E Coastal Defense Sites CB 80
15 Jun 67 0306-0405 17° 41'N x 106° 45'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 50
1301-1415 17° 38'N x 106° 47'E Ammunition Storage & Bridge Approaches 35
1717-1835 17° 58'N x 106° 46'E Shotgun-USS Chandler(DD-717) 0
16 Jun 67 0005-0059 19° 12'N x 106° 05'E Coastal Defense Sites 39
0116-0159 19° 12'N x 106° 05'E Coastal Defense Sites NL
1528-1631 18° 33'N x 106° 07'E Coastal Defense Sites NL
1722-1817 18° 33'N x 106° 07'E Counterbattery Fire CB 50
17 Jun 67 0247-0338 18° 46'N x 106° 52'E VC/NVA Positions 29
18 Jun 67 1518-1611 19° 08'N x 106° 00'E Coastal Defense Sites 2
2130-2219 19° 10'N x 106° 03'E Coastal Defense Sites 30
19 Jun 67 1255-1350 19° 30'N x 106° 06'E Coastal Defense Sites 30
1849-1951 19° 29'N x 106° 05'E Coastal Defense Sites NBC 55
20 Jun 67 0001-0046 19° 02'N x 107° 01'E Harassment & Interdiction Fire NBC 60
1900-1937 18° 23'N x 106° 23'E Coastal Defense Sites 53
21 Jun 67 0445-0534 17° 39'N x 106° 46'E Coastal Defense Sites NL
1635-1702 17° 22'N x 106° 51'E Water Borne Logistics Craft 39
1845-1855 17° 22'N x 106° 51'E NL NL
22 Jun 67 0257-0330 17° 35'N x 106° 45'E Bridge Approaches & Choke Point 60
1446-1529 17° 29'N x 106° 51'E Counterbattery Fire CB NL
1621-1634 17° 29'N x 106° 51'E Coastal Defense & Radar Sites NL
23 Jun 67 0019-0055 17° 57'N x 106° 21'E Highway Bridge 20
12 Jul 67 0845-1028 12° 25'N x 109° 27'E VC/NVA Positions 101
13 Jul 67 1339-1547 14° 26'N x 109° 14'E VC/NVA Positions and Base Camp 205
14 Jul 67 0112-0339 14° 23'N x 109° 15'E Harassment & Interdiction Fire 154
1320-1536 14° 25'N x 109° 15'E VC/NVA Positions and Base Camps 157
2200-0107 14° 20'N x 109° 15'E Harassment & Interdiction Fire 255
15 Jul 67 1255-1304 14° 27'N x 109° 15'E VC/NVA Positions NL
1655-1759 14° 27'N x 109° 15'E VC/NVA Positions NL
2220-2308 14° 24'N x 109° 14'E Harassment & Interdiction Fire 30
2348-0022 14° 24'N x 109° 14'E Harassment & Interdiction Fire 30
16 Jul 67 1255-1537 14° 31'N x 109° 14'E VC/NVA Positions, Base Camps & Command Posts 177
17 Jul 67 0928-1047 14° 17'N x 109° 12'E II Corps NGFS 70
1444-1550 14° 23'N x 109° 15'E Vietcong Positions 88
18 Jul 67 0427-0505 14° 20'N x 109° 16'E Harassment & Interdiction Fire 100
1350-1532 14° 29'N x 109° 11'E Infiltration Points & Assembly Area 107
2133-2253 14° 57'N x 109° 13'E Harassment & Interdiction Fire 109
19 Jul 67 0938-1120 14° 22'N x 109° 16'E Assembly Areas 129
1632-1819 14° 23'N x 109° 15'E VC/NVA Positions 222
2231-0046 14° 20'N x 109° 20'E Harassment & Interdiction Fire 231
20 Jul 67 0950-1124 14° 25'N x 109° 13'E VC/NVA Positions & Raod Segments 205
21 Jul 67 0001-0100 14° 28'N x 109° 42'E VC/NVA Positions 150
30 Jul 67 2350-0139 16° 36'N x 107° 42'E I Corps NGFS 48
31 Jul 67 1120-1258 16° 40'N x 107° 31'E VC/NVA Positions, Supply Areas and Bunkers 48
1 Aug 67 0345-0448 17° 08'N x 108° 01'E Supply Areas 70

Confirmed Target Damage
107 waterborne logistics craft destroyed or damaged
10 coastal defense sites destroyed or damaged
16 buildings destroyed or damaged
2 bunkers destroyed
10 trucks destroyed

The National Archives has online Record Group 218: Records of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff;  Series: Combat Naval Gunfire Support (CONGA) File, 3/1966 - 1/1973. This file is presented as a listing of all missions during the period Sumner was in Vietnam. The file does not agree with the Official Deck Logs and contains errors and gaps. An example would be the gunfire support provided during Operation Beau Charger, May 18-19 1967, is not included for the Sumner while it is for other ships in support. It is almost impossible to tie this file with actual targets, times, rounds fired or results. While the Deck Logs are incomplete they more accurately depict the actual combat missions encountered by Sumner.

Also online is the Hostile Fire File (HOSTA) 10/25/1966 - 4/5/1970 from Record Group 38: Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; Naval Bombardment File.  This file compiles a listing of the ships taken under enemy fire and the extract presented below indicates those Counter-Battery incidents for the Sumner.  As with the CONGA File described above there are omissions from this report including Counter-Battery occurring on May 11, May 18 and a second occasion on May 21st.  Many of these online files, which provide the basis for what Sumner is officially credited with, contain not only omissions but outright errors.  This is the case with the Navy Online Unit Awards which lists the Sumner as credited with the Vietnam Service Medal for the period February 17 to February 19, 1967.  At that time the Sumner was sailing from the Panama Canal enroute to Pearl Harbor many thousands of miles from the Vietnam Combat Zone. The following pages are from the HOSTA Report with the first displaying the column headings and the subsequent pages showing the entries for the Sumner.