TB-1

(TB-1: dp. 116; l. 140'; b. 15'1"; dr. 4'10"; s. 23 k.; cpl. 22; a. 3 8-pdr., 3 tt.; cl. Cushing)
The first Cushing (TB-1) was launched 23 January 1890 by Herreshoff Manufacturing Co., Bristol, R.I.; sponsored by Miss K. B. Herreshoff; and commissioned 22 April 1890, Lieutenant C. M. Winslow in command. The first torpedo boat built for the Navy, Cushing was attached to the Squadron of Evolution and equipped for experimental work to complete the development of torpedo outfits and to gather data for the service. On 8 September 1891 she reported to Newport for duty at the Naval Torpedo Station, and except for a brief period out of commission, 11 November 1891-11 January 1892, Cushing continued her torpedo experiments in this area until 1893.

Cushing arrived at Hampton Roads 31 March 1893 for temporary duty with the Naval Review Fleet, and in April she escorted HMS Blake and HMS Caravels to New York. Cushing returned to duty at Newport 6 May, working with the Whitehead torpedo. Based on Key West from 31 December 1897, Cushing reported to the North Atlantic Fleet's Blockading Force for picket patrol in the Florida Straits and courier duty for the Force. On 11 February 1898 while making a passage to Havana, Cushing lost Ensign J. C. Breckinridge overboard in heavy seas. For their heroic efforts to save him, Gunner's Mate Third Class J. Everetts and Ship's Cook First Class D. Atkins were awarded the Medal of Honor.

Upon the declaration of war between the United States and Spain, Cushing was assigned to patrol the Cays, and on 7 August captured four small vessels and towed-them to her anchorage at Piedras Cay. Four days later armed boats from Cushing and Gwin captured and burned a 20-ton schooner. Returning north in August 1898, Cushing resumed her operations at the Newport Torpedo Station 14 September until decommissioned 8 November 1898. From 1901 to 1911 she was attached to the Reserve Torpedo Flotilla at Norfolk, and was sunk 24 September 1920 after use as a target.

DD-55

Cushing served on the neutrality patrol off Rose Bank, N.Y., until 28 December 1915. She sailed to the Caribbean for fleet maneuvers 4 January 1916 and after joining in fleet tactical exercises off Portland, Maine, and gunnery exercises off Norfolk reported to Newport 27 September to test torpedoes at the Naval Torpedo Station. She returned to the Caribbean for fleet exercises between January and March 1917.

Cushing put to sea from New York 15 May 1917 and arrived at Queenstown, Ireland, 24 May for duty in the war zone. She patrolled off the Irish coast meeting and escorting convoys of merchant ships and troop transports to British ports and the French coast. Enemy submarines menaced the area and Cushing fought them unrelentingly, as well as performing rescue work on the ships that were sunk by U-boats. On 4 June she picked up 13 men adrift in a small boat, survivors of Italian brig Luisa. She joined Perkins (DD-26) in rescuing survivors of the torpedoed and sinking British merchant ship SS Tarquah 7 July, and the next day, responding to an SOS from SS Onitsha who was being chased by an enemy submarine, picked up 64 survivors of SS Obuasi which had already been sunk. On 16 July she escorted SS Tamele to safety after the merchantman had received five hits, and the same day fired on two submarines at extremely long range following their attack on the Italian merchant vessel SS Lamia from whom she rescued 27 survivors. Five survivors from the British SS Vienna were saved 12 September after being adrift for 2 days. On 26 November, when SS Crenella was torpedoed, Cushing stood by, giving damage control assistance which kept the merchantman from sinking then escorted her into Queenstown. Cushing rejoined her convoy the next day.

Continuing her convoy escort and patrol duty, Cushing on 23 April 1918 dropped 15 depth charges on U-104, damaging her severely. HMS Jegsamine sank U-104 later the same day. Cushing operated from Brest, France, after 11 June 1918 escorting 11 troop convoys through the danger zones to French ports in which she made two depth charge attacks. She also towed Murray (DD-97), disabled when she grounded on the rocks in the Harbor of L'Abenach on 3 December, into the safety of Brest.

Cushing cleared Brest 21 December 1918 with one of the outstanding records for World War I service. Arriving in New York 6 January 1919 she was placed in reduced commission from 1 July 1919, and transferred to Philadelphia Navy Yard 6 April 1920. Cushing was decommissioned 7 August 1920, sold 30 June 1936, and scrapped in accordance with the London Treaty for the limitation of naval armaments.

DD-376

Cushing joined the search in the Hawaiian Islands and at Howland Island, for the missing aviatrix Amelia Earhart from 4 to 30 July 1937, then returned to San Diego for training exercises, tactics, and fleet problems. Except for brief periods of training at Pearl Harbor and one cruise to the Caribbean, she cruised the west coast from San Diego for exercises and training.

Undergoing overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor, Cushing sailed from San Francisco 17 December 1941 for convoy escort duty between the West Coast and Pearl Harbor until 13 January 1942. She sailed to Midway to serve on antisubmarine patrol from 18 January to 2 February, then returned to San Francisco 19 February to screen TF 1 off the California coast in training and patrol duty.

On 1 August 1942 Cushing departed San Francisco for training exercises at Pearl Harbor, then to join the operations around Guadalcanal. Constantly on the move, she escorted vital re-supply convoys to the bitterly contested island, and fought in the Battle of Santa Cruz of 26 October, when an outnumbered American force turned a Japanese flotilla back from their advance toward Guadalcanal.

Cushing screened transports safely into Guadalcanal 12 November 1942 and was in the van of the force that moved out to intercept the Japanese fleet in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 13 November. As the range closed, she suddenly sighted three enemy destroyers at 3,000 yards. In the bitter gunfire which followed, Cushing received several hits amidships, resulting in a gradual power loss, but she determinedly continued to fire her guns at the enemy, launching her torpedoes by local direction at an enemy battleship. Fires, exploding ammunition, and her inability to shoot any longer made the abandon ship order unavoidable at 0230. Her burning hulk was last seen from Guadalcanal at 1700 when she sank about 3,500 yards southeast of Savo Island. Cushing lost about 70 men killed or missing, some of them later rescued from the water, and many wounded, but with the task force she had aided in saving Henderson Field from a disastrous bombardment by a Japanese force.

Cushing received three battle stars for World War II service.

DD-797

Cushing sailed from Norfolk 6 May 1944, for training at San Diego and Pearl Harbor, and escorted a convoy to Eniwetok before returning to Bremerton, Wash., to have her antisubmarine equipment modernized. She joined the 5th Fleet at Eniwetok 24 August to sortie for the invasion of the Palau Islands. She screened the carriers during their strikes on Mindanao, Samar, Cebu, and Negros in the Philippines, then supported the ground forces as they assaulted Angaur 17 September. She returned to the carriers' screen for raids on Formosa, Manila, and northern Luzon, which neutralized Japanese bases for the scheduled invasion of the Philippines, rescuing numerous downed aviators. Her antiaircraft fire accounted for at least one Japanese plane during the heavy air attacks of 24 October in the epic Battle for Leyte Gulf. She returned to Ulithi 22 November to replenish.

Sortieing with TF 38 on 10 December 1944 for air strikes on Luzon, Cushing weathered the typhoon of 18 December and rescued survivors of less fortunate ships before returning to Ulithi 24 December for storm repairs. She sailed with the task force 1 January 1945 for air strikes on Formosa, Indo-China, China coast and the Philippines until 28 January. Joining TF 58 for the strikes on the Japanese home islands, Cushing served as radar 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 on Iwo Jima and Okinawa and fired in softening-up bombardment on Okinawa. Serving as radar picket ship during the struggle for Okinawa, she provided fighter direction, which accounted for many Japanese aircraft. After replenishing at Leyte in June, she rejoined the carriers for strikes on the Tokyo area until the end of the war. Anchoring in Sagami Wan 27 August 1945, she served as harbor entrance control vessel for the occupation forces until sailing for home. She arrived at Bremerton, Wash., 20 November 1945 and Cushing was placed out of commission in reserve at Long Beach 3 February 1947.

Recommissioned 17 August 1951, Cushing sailed from Long Beach 15 November and arrived at Norfolk 30 November to join the Atlantic Fleet. She conducted exercises in the North Atlantic and in the Caribbean, and cleared Norfolk 7 January 1953 to join TF 77 off Korea for duty as plane guard. On 2 and 3 June she fired in the bombardment of Hodo Pando. She visited Manila, Singapore, Colombo, Aden, Piraeus, Genoa, Cannes, and Algiers, before returning to Norfolk 22 August from this cruise around the world. She cruised the east coast in antisubmarine exercises and reserve training, and in 1954 sailed to the Mediterranean for duty. Transferred to the Pacific Fleet, she arrived at Long Beach 26 January 1956.

In tours of duty in the Far East in 1955, 1956, 1957-58, and 1959-60 Cushing served as plane guard and joined in hunter-killer exercises with TF 77 patrolled in the Taiwan Straits, and visited various ports strengthening national ties in the President's "People to People" program. While "stateside" she operated along the west coast in antisubmarine and antiaircraft warfare exercises, and midshipmen and reserve training. Cushing's home port was changed to Charleston, S.C., in October 1960, and the destroyer sailed to the east coast. Cushing was placed out of commission in reserve at Norfolk, Va., on 8 November 1960.

Cushing received six battle stars for World War II service and two Korean Conflict service.

© 2003-2006 Mark & Debra Eyman-Whitehead