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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

USS Damon M. Cummings (DE 643)

Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - T - K - V

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: China Service Medal - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 1 star
Second Row: World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal - Philippine Liberation Ribbon

Specifications:
Class: Buckley
Type: TE (turbine-electric drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1400 tons (light), 1740 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 9" (extreme)
Draft: 10' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 "D" Express boilers, G.E. turbines with electric drive, 12000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 kts
Range: 6,000 nm @ 12 knots
Armament: 3 x 3"/50 Mk22 (1x3), 1 twin 40mm Mk1 AA, 8 x 20mm Mk 4 AA, 3 x 21" Mk15 TT (3x1), 1 Hedgehog Projector Mk10 (144 rounds), 8 Mk6 depth charge projectors, 2 Mk9 depth charge tracks
Complement: 15 / 198

Damon M. Cummings (DE 643) Building and Operational Data:

17 October 1943: Keel laid at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard Corp., San Francisco, Cal.

18 April 1944: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. D. M. Cummings

29 June 1944: Commissioned, Lcdr. C. R. Millett, USNR, in command

03 February 1947: Decommissioned at Long Beach, Cal. after 2 years and 7 months of service

01 March 1972: Struck from the NVR

18 May 1973: Sold for scrapping

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By And/Or Copyright
	60k	Damon M. Cummings was born on 30 January 1910 in Belvidere, I11., and graduated from the Naval Academy 04 June 1931. He served in *Northampton* (CA 26) and *Monaghan* (DD 354) and had staff duty at Submarine Base, New London, and with Destroyer Squadron 3. Serving on the staff of Commander, South Pacific Force, Lieutenant Commander Cummings was killed in action while on board San Francisco (CA 38) on the night of 12-13 November 1942. For his heroism and determination during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart. USS *Damon M. Cummings* (DE 643) (1944-1947) was the first ship to be named in his honor. (Photo from the U.S. Naval Academy Yearbook; The Lucky Bag, Class of 1931.)		Bill Gonyo Downey, Cal. Assoc. Researcher Navsource
	16k	undated wartime image		Jerry Church

Damon M. Cummings History
View the USS Damon M. Cummings (DE 643) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
View the official War History of USS Damon M. Cummings as submitted by the ship at war's end.

Damon M. Cummings' Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler

Dates of Command	Commanding Officers
1.) 29 Jun. 1944 – 26 Aug. 1945	Lcdr. Charles Rea Millett, USNR (Comm. CO) (USNA ‘22) (Beverly, Mass.)
2.) 26 Aug. 1945 - .. Dec. 1945	Lcdr. William Clinton French Jr., USNR
3.) .. Dec. 1945 - .. Mar. 1946	Lt. Norman C. Smith, USN (USNA ‘42) (Waitsfield, Vt.)
4.) .. Mar. 1946 – 03 Feb. 1947	Lcdr. Emory P. Boynton, USNR (Fairfax, Okla.)

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

None

Note About Contacts

Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has
been made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list
only a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists, rosters, or deck logs available. Please see the
Frequently Asked Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.

Additional Resources

Tin Can Sailors
The U.S. Navy Memorial
Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
The Destroyer History Foundation

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