#Allen M. Sumner Class

[lonestarflight]

The boilerplate capsule from the Big Joe mission on the deck of the USS STRONG (DD-758) following its recovery in the Atlantic Ocean.

"At local sunrise, the Big Joe capsule was spotted by a Navy P2V Neptune patrol plane allowing it to vector the nearest destroyer, the USS STRONG over 160 kilometers away, towards the wayward capsule for recovery. By about 10:00 AM EST, the Big Joe capsule was recovered and brought aboard STRONG. It was subsequently transferred to a cargo plane and flown to Cape Canaveral. The capsule arrived by 10 PM on launch day and was moved to Hangar S by midnight. Close inspection of the capsule showed that only 30% of the heat shield had ablated away and that the capsule was perfectly protected despite the punishing flight. While there was some buckling of the outer skin of the capsule where heating was especially intense and a couple of recovery hooks on Mercury’s cylindrical forward section were heavily eroded, there were few signs of thermal damage to the capsule."

Date: September 9, 1959

NASA ID: link

[lonestarbattleship]

USS North Carolina (BB-55) underway with USS Lindsey (DM-32) alongside, on October 8, 1944.

BuAer photo: 283556

[ashes-16-al-wallpapers]

[captain-price-unofficially]

An Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer rescues two sailors from the USS Enterprise (CV-6), which was hit by a kamikaze during a battle off the Japanese island of Kyushu. The sailors are standing on an aircraft elevator that was blown out by the kamikaze's impact on the carrier. 14 May 1945.

[judgemark45]

The U.S. Navy Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer USS Lyman K. Swenson (DD-729) underway in Manila Bay, Philippines, in 1955

[azurlaneincorrectquotes]

It looks like this next event will have two URs. Or, well, they were announced side by side

First is USS Guam, an Alaska class Large Cruiser.

Her design reminds me a lot of Laplace from NIKKE, in a few ways.

Next is Laffey 2, an Allen M Sumner class destroyer.

She has a decent enough design. Idk what else to say. I don't like type 2 riggings as a concept

[applepies-and-starlight]

Alright i've given you guys the more audience-friendly headcanons time to see how y'all will tolerate me at my worst in the kitchen

Meet the Successor Ships

Basically, they're shipgirls who have the same name as other shipgirls but belong in different classes (Essex class Lexington; Allen M. Sumner class Laffey; Enterprise CVN-65)

Sucessors normally don't have the same personality as their precursor counterpart - some are even a total opposite of their counterpart's; they do tend to share a couple of similar traits; this is often physical (i.e. similar hair color/texture or facial structure) but some preferences can overlap between both Successor and Precursor

Successors may end up getting existensial crises. They're... considerably common, on-par with the course of realizing that you only exist to replace someone...

[hrodvitnon]

I mean, both USS Laffey’s were ships that decided that death was either optional or has to be awesome. The first Laffey, a Benson-Class Destroyer, went down RIPPING AND TEARING (apologies) through a Japanese fleet solo. The second Laffey, an Allen M. Sumner-Class Destroyer? On a damage-to-ship size/displacement ratio, she is the toughest ship ever, seeing as she, among other things, shrugged off multiple kamikazes and survived two nukes. She’s currently a museum ship. 1/2

Super Tank Boat.

(Never apologize for any usage of RIP AND TEAR, it's an awesome phrase and one should feel awesome using it.)

I mean, you're welcome to share more Ship Trivia, I'm just sorry my "responses" to the trivia is on the minimalist side of things. (I don't know anything about ships beyond some nuggets about the Titanic, but these are some pretty neat factoids, so... yeah.)

[ourcrazyrvlife]

Did you miss tonight's live YouTube premiere? No worries! You can watch it now! We're excited to continue our South Carolina destination miniseries on YouTube... S4:E13 Tour USS Laffey - "The Ship That Would Not Die" Clickable link in our bio! WARNING: This video contains sights and sounds reminiscent of wartime. "USS Laffey (DD-724) is an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, which was constructed during World War II, laid down and launched in 1943, and commissioned in February 1944. The ship earned the nickname "The Ship That Would Not Die" for her exploits during the D-Day invasion and the battle of Okinawa when she successfully withstood a determined assault by conventional bombers and the most unrelenting kamikaze air attack in history. Today, Laffey is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and is preserved as a museum ship at Patriots Point, outside Charleston, South Carolina. Laffey was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Bartlett Laffey. Seaman Laffey was awarded the Medal of Honor for his stand against Confederate forces on 5 March 1864." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Laffey_(DD-724) We make these videos primarily for our own pleasure, and hope that you enjoy them as much as we do making them! Please don't forget to Subscribe, Like, Comment, and Share! ▶︎Would you like to help support our projects? Even small amounts help! We use this money to purchase new equipment and fund fun things to do that you would enjoy seeing, too! We also use this money to help bring the Gospel to those who need to hear it! Thank you for your generosity! https://www.paypal.me/ourcrazyrvlife #rv #rvlife #rvliving #believe #camping #livinginanrv #rvtravel #ourcrazyrvlife #rvfulltime #fulltimerving #Christian #blessings #lifeontheroad #rvadventures #rvlivingfulltime  #rvcamping  #traveltrailerlife #rvcouple #prayer #love #faith #rvlifestyle #dogs #dog #dogsofinstagram #youtubers #youtube (at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/ColV9J8OnE6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rockyp77mk3]

USS Moale DD-693 with other USN destroyers off of Guam in 1945.

USS Moale was the second Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, she was commissioned in 1944, and earned Five Battle Stars for her WW2 service, including participating in the Battle of Ormoc Bay where Moale had three fatalities and 25 injured.

[greatworldwar2]

• Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (櫻花, Ōka, "cherry blossom") was a purpose-built, rocket-powered human-guided kamikaze attack aircraft employed by Japan against Allied ships towards the end of the Pacific War during World War II.

The MXY-7 Navy Suicide Attacker Ohka was a manned flying bomb that was usually carried underneath a Mitsubishi G4M2e Model 24J "Betty" bomber to within range of its target. On release, the pilot would first glide towards the target and when close enough he would fire the Ohka's three solid-fuel rockets, one at a time or in unison, and fly the missile towards the ship that he intended to destroy. The design was conceived by Ensign Mitsuo Ohta of the 405th Kōkūtai, aided by students of the Aeronautical Research Institute at the University of Tokyo. Ohta submitted his plans to the Yokosuka research facility. The Imperial Japanese Navy decided the idea had merit and Yokosuka engineers of the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal created formal blueprints for what was to be the MXY7. The only variant which saw service was the Model 11, and it was powered by three Type 4 Mark 1 Model 20 rockets. 155 Ohka Model 11s were built at Yokosuka, and another 600 were built at the Kasumigaura Naval Air Arsenal.

The final approach was difficult for a defender to stop because the aircraft gained high speed (650 km/h (400 mph) in level flight and 930 km/h (580 mph) or even 1,000 km/h (620 mph) in a dive. Later versions were designed to be launched from coastal air bases and caves, and even from submarines equipped with aircraft catapults, although none were actually used in this way. The Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer USS Mannert L. Abele was the first Allied ship to be sunk by Ohka aircraft, near Okinawa on April 12th, 1945. Over the course of the war, Ohkas sank or damaged three ships beyond repair, significantly damaged three more ships, with a total of seven U.S. ships damaged or sunk by Ohkas. The only operational Ohka was the Model 11. Essentially a 1,200-kilogram (2,600 lb) bomb with wooden wings, powered by three Type 4 Model 1 Mark 20 solid-fuel rocket motors, the Model 11 achieved great speed, but with limited range. This was problematic, as it required the slow, heavily laden mother aircraft to approach within 37 km (20 nmi; 23 mi) of the target, making them very vulnerable to defending fighters. There was one experimental variant of the Model 11, the Model 21, which had thin steel wings manufactured by Nakajima. It had the engine of the Model 11 and the airframe of the Model 22.

The Ohka K-1 was an unpowered trainer version with water ballast instead of warhead and engines, that was used to provide pilots with handling experience. Unlike the combat aircraft, it was also fitted with flaps and a landing skid. The water ballast was dumped before landing but it remained a challenging aircraft to fly, with a landing speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). Forty-five were built by Dai-Ichi Kaigun Koku Gijitsusho. The Model 22 was designed to overcome the short standoff distance problem by using a Campini-type motorjet engine, the Ishikawajima Tsu-11. This engine was successfully tested, and 50 Model 22 Ohkas were built at Yokosuka to accept this engine. The Model 22 was to be launched by the more agile Yokosuka P1Y3 Ginga "Frances" bomber, necessitating a shorter wing span and much smaller 600-kilogram (1,300 lb) warhead. The first flight of a Model 22 Ohka took place in June 1945; none appear to have been used operationally, and only approximately 20 of the experimental Tsu-11 engines are known to have been produced. The Model 33 was a larger version of the Model 22 powered by an Ishikawajima Ne-20 turbojet with an 800-kilogram (1,800 lb) warhead. The mothership was to be the Nakajima G8N Renzan. The Model 33 was cancelled due to the likelihood that the Renzan would not be available.

The Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka was used mostly against U.S. ships invading Okinawa, and if launched from its mothership, could be effective because of its high speed in the dive. In the first two attempts to transport the Ohkas to Leyte Gulf using aircraft carriers, the carriers Shinano and Unryu were sunk by the U.S. submarines Archerfish and Redfish. Attacks intensified in April 1945. On April 1st, 1945, six "Bettys" attacked the U.S. fleet off Okinawa. At least one made a successful attack; its Ohka was thought to have hit one of the 406 mm (16 in) turrets on the battleship West Virginia, causing moderate damage. Postwar analysis indicated that no hits were recorded and that a near-miss took place. The transports Alpine, Achernar, and Tyrrell were also hit by kamikaze aircraft, but it is unclear whether any of these were Ohkas from the other "Bettys". None of the "Bettys" returned. The U.S. military quickly realized the danger and concentrated on extending their "defensive rings" outward to intercept the "Betty"/Ohka combination aircraft before the suicide mission could be launched.

On April 12th, 1945, nine "Bettys" attacked the U.S. fleet off Okinawa. The destroyer Mannert L. Abele was hit, broke in two, and sank, witnessed by LSMR-189 CO James M. Stewart. Jeffers destroyed an Ohka with AA fire 45 m (50 yd) from the ship, but the resulting explosion was still powerful enough to cause extensive damage, forcing Jeffers to withdraw. The destroyer Stanly was attacked by two Ohkas. One struck above the waterline just behind the ship's bow, its charge passing completely through the hull and splashing into the sea, where it detonated underwater, causing little damage to the ship. On April 14th, 1945, seven "Bettys" attacked the U.S. fleet off Okinawa. None returned. None of the Ohkas appeared to have been launched. Two days later, six "Bettys" attacked the U.S. fleet off Okinawa. Two returned, but no Ohkas had hit their targets. Later, on April 28th, 1945, four "Bettys" attacked the U.S. fleet off Okinawa at night. One returned. No hits were recorded. May 1945 saw another series of attacks. On 4 May 1945, seven "Bettys" attacked the U.S. fleet off Okinawa. One Ohka hit the bridge of a destroyer, Shea, causing extensive damage and casualties. Gayety was also damaged by an Ohka's near miss. One "Betty" returned. On May 11th, 1945, four "Bettys" attacked the U.S. fleet off Okinawa. The destroyer Hugh W. Hadley was hit and suffered extensive damage and flooding. The vessel was judged beyond repair. On May 25th, 1945, 11 "Bettys" attacked the fleet off Okinawa. Bad weather forced most of the aircraft to turn back, and none of the others hit targets. On June 22nd, 1945, six "Bettys" attacked the fleet. Two returned, but no hits were recorded. Postwar analysis concluded that the Ohka's impact was negligible, since no U.S. Navy capital ships had been hit during the attacks because of the effective defensive tactics that were employed.

In total, of the 300 Ohka available for the Okinawa campaign, 74 actually undertook operations, of which 56 were either destroyed with their parent aircraft or in making attacks. The Allied nickname for the aircraft was "Baka", a Japanese word meaning "foolish" or "idiotic". Several surviving examples of the Ohka still exist. A Model 11 on static display at Iruma Air Force Base in Iruma, Saitama. Model 11 on static display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, Somerset. Model 11 on static display at the Imperial War Museum in London. Model 11 on static display at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia. Model 11 on static display at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California. K-1 on static display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. K-1 on static display at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C.

[robsnavyphotos]

USS Hank DD-702

Allen M. Sumner Class destroyer

Commissioned: 28 AUG 44

Decommissioned: 01 JUL 72

Fate: Transferred to Argentina where she fought against the British during the Falkland Island War.  Eventually scrapped in 1982

[lonestarbattleship]

USS English (DD-696) steams in the China Sea with other units of the Third Fleet, circa January 1945. USS Hancock (CV-19) and another destroyer are in the distance, at right. A Grumman F6F Hellcat banks nearby, preparing to land.

Photographed from USS New Jersey (BB-62) by Lieutenant Commander Charles Fenno Jacobs, USNR.

NHHC: 80-G-470288, 80-G-470286

[lex-for-lexington]

“Crewmen washing clothing by the after superstructure of an Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) class destroyer, in August 1944. One man is accompanying them with a guitar. Note rear of quint. Torpedo tubes on the "01" level.”

(NHHC: 80-G-K-3903)

[aiiaiiiyo]

An Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer rescues sailors standing on a section of an aircraft elevator blown off the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) after the ship was hit by a kamikaze off Kyushu, Japan, 14 May 1945. [2312 x 1706] Check this blog!

[uss-edsall]

USS Laffey (DD-459), Lieutenant Commander William E. Hank commanding. Lost in action; 57 KIA, 114 WIA.

Laffey sighted both Japanese battleships shortly after Cushing came under fire. Laffey passed under the bow of Hiei at a range of 20 yards, blasting the battleship point blank with 5-inch shells and 20-mm fire (officers on the bridge of Laffey also fired their sidearms at the battleship). Rear Admiral Abe and the captain of Hiei were both wounded and Abe’s chief of staff killed by fire from Laffey. Abe did not remember the rest of the battle after being wounded. The early hits from Laffey and Cushing set Hiei’s massive superstructure aflame (described by some as like a burning high-rise apartment building) with the result that Hiei drew fire and numerous hits (over 85) from almost every U.S. ship engaged in the battle. This resulted in massive topside damage, but none that penetrated to her vitals. In the confusion, Hiei also fired on several Japanese destroyers. Laffey escaped from Hieionly to run into the large anti-aircraft destroyer Teruzuki, which scored repeated hits on Laffey and blew off her stern with a torpedo before a salvo of 14-inch shells from the battleship Kirishima hit the destroyer. Teruzukiavoided using her searchlight and, as a result, avoided drawing fire. As fires raged out of control from more hits by three other Japanese destroyers, Hank gave the order to abandon ship just before a massive explosion tore Laffey apart, killing Hank and many men.

Presidential Unit Citation. Lieutenant Commander Hank awarded posthumous Navy Cross.  Allen M. Sumner-class DD-702 named in his honor.