USS Sumner (AGS-5)

USS ''Sumner'' (AG-32/AGS-5) was a survey ship in the United States Navy. She was named in honor of Thomas Sumner. She was originally commissioned as a submarine tender as USS ''Bushnell'' (AS-2/AG-32), in honor of David Bushnell, the inventor of the first American submarine.

USS ''Bushnell''

''Bushnell'' was launched on 9 February 1915 by the Seattle Construction and Dry Dock Company in Seattle, Washington, sponsored by Miss Esculine Warwick Bushnell, great-grandniece of David Bushnell. The vessel was commissioned on 24 November 1915.

She was assigned to the Submarine Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet, as tender to L-class submarines in January 1916 and arrived on the east coast in February. Early in 1917 she escorted submarines to the Azores and in December accompanied Submarine Division 5 to Ireland, arriving at Queenstown on 27 January 1918. ''Bushnell'' acted as tender for submarines operating off Queenstown until the end of World War I. She later escorted captured German submarines to Scotland, Canada, and the United States.

In September 1920 she assisted in salvage operations of the submarine that had sunk off the Delaware Capes. Up until August 1931, ''Bushnell'' cruised with various submarine divisions on the Atlantic coast, in the Caribbean, on the west coast, and in the Hawaiian Islands. ''Bushnell'' arrived at San Diego on 3 September 1931 and reported for duty with the Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, with whom she operated until 1937. She towed the sailing frigate from San Diego to the Panama Canal Zone during March and April 1934 and in February 1935 assisted in the search for survivors of the dirigible which crashed off San Diego.

In December 1937 she was transferred to duty with the hydrographic survey and carried out her operations on the coasts of Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, British Guiana, and Samoa until September 1941.

USS ''Sumner''

On 25 July 1940 the ship's designation was changed to AG-32 and on 23 August she was renamed ''Sumner''. ''Sumner'' sailed from Norfolk, Virginia on 20 October 1941; joined the Base Force, Pacific Fleet, at San Diego, and arrived 25 November at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor.

On 7 December 1941 ''Sumner'' was moored at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, and took an active part in the defense of the Islands against the Japanese attack. After the attack she assisted the stricken ships in the area. On 12 January 1942 she set sail for Tongatapu and thence to Nandi Island and Samoa for surveying. After transporting Marines to Wallis Island in May, she made a survey of local harbors. During the ensuing months she conducted surveys at Noumea, New Caledonia; Nukualofa, Tonga; Port Vila and Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides; and Tulagi, Solomon Islands.

''Sumner'' weighed anchor for Sydney, Australia, 28 January 1943. In March she sailed to the Deboyne Islands to make a survey. She subsequently surveyed Stanley, Pitts, and Milne Bays in New Guinea. On 5 August she commenced a survey of Nukufetau, Ellice Islands. These operations were hampered throughout August and September by enemy air attacks. On 1 December 1943 her classification was changed to AGS-5.

Between 5 December 1943 and 13 February 1944 ''Sumner'' participated in the occupation of Tarawa