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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSCushing (DD-797) |
| Namesake | William B. Cushing |
| Builder | Bethlehem Mariners Harbor,Staten Island |
| Laid down | 3 May 1943 |
| Launched | 30 September 1943 |
| Commissioned | 17 January 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 3 February 1947 |
| Homeport | Naval Station Bremerton |
| Honors & awards | Six (6)battle stars |
| History | |
 United States | |
| Recommissioned | 17 August 1951 |
| Decommissioned | 8 November 1960 |
| Honors & awards | Two (2)battle stars |
| Loaned to Brazil | 20 July 1961 |
| History | |
 Brazil | |
| Name | Paraná (D29) |
| Acquired | 20 July 1961 |
| Stricken | 1 August 1973 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 1982 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Fletcher-classdestroyer |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 376.5 ft (114.8 m) |
| Beam | 39.5 ft (12.0 m) |
| Draft | 12.5 ft (3.8 m) |
| Propulsion | 4Babcock & Wilcox oil-fired boilers; 2 General Electric geared steam turbines; 2 screws; =60,000shp (45 MW) |
| Speed | 36.5knots (67.6 km/h; 42.0 mph) |
| Range | 5,500nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)[1] |
| Complement | 329 officers and men |
| Armament |
|
USSCushing (DD-797) was aFletcher-classdestroyer of theUnited States Navy, the fourth Navy ship named forCommanderWilliam B. Cushing (1842–1874), who distinguished himself during theAmerican Civil War.Cushing waslaunched on 30 September 1943, byBethlehem Steel Co., inStaten Island, New York; she was sponsored by Miss Katherine A. Cushing, a daughter of Commander Cushing. The vessel'scommissioning was on 17 January 1944.
TheCushing was placed into active service twice by the United States Navy, first duringWorld War II (earning sixbattle stars) and next during theKorean War (earning two additionalbattle stars). During WW II, she participated in theMariana and Palau Islands campaign, theBattle of Angaur, thePhilippines campaign, 1944-45, theBattle for Leyte Gulf, pre-invasion strikes onIwo Jima andOkinawa, theBattle of Okinawa, and finally, strikes on theTokyo area until the end of the war. For several months after the signing of theJapanese Instrument of Surrender, she served as the harbor entrance control vessel atSagami Wan for the occupation forces before returning home. During the Korea conflict,Cushing served asplane guard and participated in bombardment ofNorth Korea. After the war, she patrolled in theTaiwan Straits, and visited various ports strengthening national ties in the PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower's "People to People" program.
Cushing was loaned toBrazil in 1961 and served in theBrazilian Navy asParaná (D29) for twelve years.
Cushing sailed fromNorfolk,Virginia on 5 May 1944, for training at Naval StationsSan Diego andPearl Harbor, then escorted aconvoy toEniwetok Atoll in theMarshall Islands, before returning toNaval Station Bremerton,Washington for an upgrade to heranti-submarine equipment. She joined the5th Fleet at Eniwetok on 24 August 1944 to sortie for theinvasion of the Palau Islands. She screened theAircraft carriers during their strikes onMindanao,Samar,Cebu, andNegros in thePhilippines, then supported the ground forces in theBattle of Angaur on 17 September 1944. She returned to the carriers' screen for raids onFormosa (nowTaiwan),Manila, and northernLuzon. These efforts neutralizedJapanese bases for the scheduledinvasion of the Philippines and resulted in the rescue of numerous downed aviators. Heranti-aircraft fire accounted for at least one Japanese plane during the heavy air attacks of 24 October in the epicBattle for Leyte Gulf. She returned to replenish atUlithi Atoll in theCaroline Islands on 22 November 1944.
Sortieing with theFast Carrier Task Force (then3rd Fleet's TF 38, later 5th Fleet's TF 58) on 10 December 1944 for air strikes on Luzon,Cushing weathered thetyphoon of 18 December 1944, and rescued survivors of less fortunate ships before returning to Ulithi on 24 December for storm repairs. She re-joined the task force on 1 January 1945 for air strikes on Formosa,Indo-China, China coast, and the Philippines until 28 January 1945.
Joining TF 58 for the strikes on the Japanese home islands,Cushing served asradar picket ship at the launching point and successfully directed the destruction of many Japanese aircraft trying to break through to attack the carriers. She screened the carriers for the pre-invasion strikes onIwo Jima andOkinawa, and participated in "softening-up" bombardment of Okinawa. Serving as radar picket ship during theBattle of Okinawa, she provided fighter direction which accounted for many Japanese aircraft. After replenishing atLeyte in June, she rejoined the carriers for strikes on theTokyo area until the end of the war. Anchoring inSagami Wan on 27 August 1945, she served as harbor entrance control vessel for the occupation forces until sailing for home.Cushing returned home to Bremerton on 20 November 1945, and was placed out of commission, in reserve, atLong Beach on 3 February 1947.
Approx 20–23 December 1944, Cushing operated independently while rescuing some downed aviators. There were two notable incidents during this period. First there was the Betty, a twin-engined Japanese bomber. The Cushing lobbed some VT rounds at her, about 20,000 yards (18,000 m) (max range) to the west. The Betty, apparently damaged, came towards her, fishtailing to avoid heavy anti-aircraft artillery, when she was downed just off the stern of theCushing, caused most likely by her 20 millimetres (0.79 in) rounds. It was possibly an early attempt at suicide attack. There was also a torpedo fired at the Cushing from a submarine, but it was detected by Sonar so that Cushing could turn and avoid.
Recommissioned on 17 August 1951,Cushing sailed from Long Beach on 15 November and arrived at Norfolk on 30 November to join theAtlantic Fleet. She conducted exercises in theNorth Atlantic and in the Caribbean, and cleared Norfolk on 7 January 1953 to join TF 77 offKorea for duty asplane guard. On 2 and 3 June she fired in the bombardment of Hodo Pando,North Korea. She visited Manila,Singapore,Colombo,Aden,Piraeus,Genoa,Cannes, andAlgiers, before returning to Norfolk on 22 August from this cruise around the world. She cruised the east coast in anti-submarine exercises and reserve training, and in 1954 sailed to theMediterranean for duty. Transferred to thePacific Fleet, she arrived at Long Beach on 26 January 1955.
In tours of duty in theFar East in 1955, 1956, 1957–58, and 1959–60Cushing served as plane guard and joined in hunter-killer exercises with TF 77, patrolled in theTaiwan Straits, and visited various ports strengthening national ties in the PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower's "People to People" program. While "stateside" she operated along the west coast inanti-submarine andanti-aircraft warfare exercises, and midshipmen and reserve training.Cushing's home port was changed toCharleston,South Carolina, in October 1960, and the destroyer sailed to the east coast.Cushing was again placed out of commission, in reserve, at Norfolk, Va., on 8 November 1960.
Cushing was loaned toBrazil 20 July 1961. She served in theBrazilian Navy asParaná (D29).Paraná was struck on 1 August 1973, and broken up for scrap in February 1982.
Cushing received sixbattle stars forWorld War II service and two forKorean War service.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
