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USS Cushing DD-797
The fourth Cushing, a unit of the Fletcher class, was laid down at Bethlehem Steel Company in Staten Island, New York on May 3, 1943. On September 30, 1943, she was launched by Katherine A. Cushing, a daughter of Commander Cushing. Miss Cushing had also sponsored the
ship's predecessor, the DD-376. USS Cushing DD-797 was commissioned on January 17, 1944 with CDR L. F. Volk as the first Commanding Officer. After several months of training, and shakedowns, Cushing arrived at Pearl Harbor on June 6, 1944.
On June 16, she left Pearl for Eniwetok. Cushing spent the rest of June operating in that area. She returned to Pearl Harbor and left for Bremerton, WA, where she had her anti-submarine equipment changed out and modernized. On August 24, Cushing joined the Fifth Fleet at Eniwetok to sortie for the invasion of the Palau Islands. She served as carrier escort during strikes against Mindanao, Samar, Cebu, and Negros in the Philippines. She then supported the ground troops as they invaded Angaur on September 17, 1944.
On November 9, Cushing moored in Ulithi Harbor, and assumed the duties of Flagship for Destroyer Squadron 53 on November 11, 1944. She left Ulithi along with the rest of DesRon 53 on December 10, and joined TG 38.1. The TG then joined the rest of Task Force 38 for strikes against Luzon. Cushing rode out the typhoon of December 18 and rescued the survivors of less fortunate ships. On December 24, TG 38.1 returned to Ulithi for storm repairs.
On January 3, 1945 TG 38.1 resumed air strikes on Formosa. And on January 9, the TG entered the China Sea and made strikes on Indochina from Cam Rahn Bay to Saigon. On January 26, the Task Force returned to Ulithi. On February 10, Task Force 58 (Adm Spruance had relieved Adm Halsey, hence the number change) got underway for strikes against the Japanese Home Islands. At this time, Cushing was the flagship for the Fleet Battle Line. This meant that she and other destroyers of the force were assigned the responsibility of manning the picket lines, about 50 miles out from the TG, with a combat air patrol (CAP) of about 4-6 fighters above. When enemy planes were detected on radar, the CAP was sent out to intercept them.
On March 23, 1945, Cushing joined forces with the battleships for bombardment of Okinawa and on March 25, she joined TG 58.4. Cushing continued operating with TG 58.4 until May 12 when the TG left the area to return to Ulithi for maintenance and supplies. On the night of July 24-25, TG 35.3 in the company of 5 destroyers of DesRon 53, and four light cruisers, bombarded the seaplane base off Kushimoto and the airfields near Shinomisaki in southern Honshu. This was the first shelling of the Japanese mainland by surface ships of the US Navy in World War 2. On August 1, the fleet was ordered to retire from the forward area to the rear. This was a precursor to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
On August 27, 1945, Cushing entered Sagami Wan and served as the harbor entrance control vessel until August 31, when she moved into Tokyo Bay. Dropping her anchor off the starboard beam of the USS Missouri, Cushing was a witness to the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945 and on September 4, moved to dock side in Yokohama. Cushing left Japan with the rest of DesRon 53 and arrived at Pearl Harbor on November 9, 1945. After a short stay, she left for Bremerton, arriving on November 12. On February 3, 1947, USS Cushing was decommissioned at Long beach, CA.
Recommissioned on August 17, 1951 for the Korean War, Cushing left Long Beach on November 15, and arrived at Norfolk, VA where she joined the Atlantic Fleet. She left Norfolk on January 7, 1953, and joined TF 77 off Korea for duty as plane guard with the carriers. On June 2 & 3, Cushing participated in the bombardment of Hodo Pando, Korea. She next visited Manila, Singapore, Colombo, Aden, Piraeus, Genoa, Cannes, and Algiers before returning to Norfolk on August 22, after cruising around the world.
She steamed the east coast in anti-submarine exercises and reserve training and in 1954 sailed to the Mediterranean for duty. Transferring to the Pacific Fleet, she arrived at Long Beach on January 26, 1955. On tours of duty in the Far East in 1955, 1956, 1957 & 1958, and 1959 & 1960, Cushing served as plane guard and joined in hunter-killer exercises with TF 77, patrolled in the Taiwan Straits, and visited various ports. Her homeport was changed to Charleston, SC in 1960. USS Cushing was placed out of commission at Norfolk on November 8, 1960. On July 20, 1961, she was loaned to the Brazilian Navy and renamed the Paraña. Cushing was sold to the Brazilian Navy in about 1971.
Cushing/Paraña was stricken from the Brazilian Navy on April 4, 1982, and subsequently sold for scrapping. Cushing/Paraña was probably scrapped in about 1983-1984. Her final disposition will be posted here when I find out what it was.
There is currently a Destroyer named Paraná in the Brazillian Navy, This ship was formerly the USS Sample FF-1048. She was leased to Brazil in 1989, along with three other ships of the Garcia class. All four of these ships operate out of Rio de Janeiro.
Plan view of a Fletcher Class Destroyer.
Ship's Statistics
Displacement: 2050 Tons (Standard Displacement)
Dimensions: 376' 5" x 39' 7" x 13' 9"
Armament: 5-5"/38 Cal.; 5-40 mm anti-aircraft twin mount; 8-20 mm anti-aircraft; 10-21" torpedo tubes in 2 quintuple mounts
Complement: 353
Machinery: 60,000shp; 2-shaft General electric turbines; 4-Babcock/Wilcox boilers
Speed: 36 Knots
Fuel Oil: 492 tons
Range: 6500nm at 15 kts.
Sources:
Harley Arruda de Farias
Jane's Fighting Ships 1946/1947 Edition
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Vol.2, 1969 reprint
The Brazilian Navy
Information concerning the ex-USS Sample now Paraná from Jane's Fighting Ships 1997-1998 Edition
"USS Cushing Memories"--Edited by Mark and Debra Eyman-Whitehead
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Vol.2, 1969 reprint
This page launched April 1997
Last Updated 2/7/2004
This page © 1997-2006 Mark and Debra Eyman-Whitehead