USS Cushing (DD-376)

USS Cushing (DD-376) was a of the United States Navy named for the famed Civil War officer William B. Cushing. Commissioned in 1937, the ship served extensively in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. It was lost in intense surface combat during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942, a pivotal engagement in the Guadalcanal campaign.

Construction and commissioning

The ship's construction was authorized under the fiscal year 1934 program, and her keel was laid down on 15 August 1935 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. She was launched on 31 December 1936, sponsored by Miss Katherine A. Cushing, a descendant of her namesake. The vessel was commissioned into active service on 28 August 1937 under the command of Commander R. E. Gadrow. Following commissioning, *Cushing* conducted shakedown exercises off the coast of California before being assigned to the Battle Force of the United States Pacific Fleet.

Service history

After initial fleet operations along the West Coast of the United States, *Cushing* was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet in 1939 for neutrality patrols as tensions rose in Europe. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, she was immediately ordered back to the Pacific Ocean and arrived at San Diego in January 1942. She joined Task Force 17, centered on the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5), and screened the carrier during the pivotal Battle of the Coral Sea in May. Following that battle, she escorted the damaged USS Lexington (CV-2) until the carrier was abandoned and scuttled. *Cushing* subsequently served as a screen for USS Enterprise (CV-6) during the Battle of Midway, where her anti-aircraft gunners assisted in defending the task force from relentless Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attacks. In August 1942, she was deployed to the South Pacific to support the ongoing Guadalcanal campaign, conducting patrols, escort missions, and bombardments of Japanese positions around Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands.

Loss

On the night of 12–13 November 1942, *Cushing* was part of a U.S. task force under Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan tasked with intercepting a powerful Japanese bombardment group headed for Henderson Field. In the ensuing close-quarters melee, known as the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal or the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, *Cushing* aggressively engaged the Japanese battleship *Hiei* and several enemy destroyers at point-blank range. She was quickly illuminated by enemy searchlights and subjected to concentrated fire from multiple capital ships, including the battleships *Hiei* and *Kirishima*. Struck repeatedly by large-caliber shells, her steering and power were disabled, and she was set ablaze. After a valiant but hopeless fight, the order to abandon ship was given. *Cushing* sank in the early morning hours of 13 November 1942 in Ironbottom Sound northwest of Savo Island. Of her crew, approximately 70 men were killed in the action or went down with the ship.

Wreck discovery

The wreck of USS *Cushing* was located in 1992 by an expedition funded by the National Geographic Society and led by Dr. Robert Ballard, the discoverer of the wreck of RMS *Titanic*. The expedition, which also located the wrecks of the sunken destroyers USS Laffey (DD-459) and USS Monssen (DD-436), found *Cushing* resting upright in approximately 2,600 feet of water. The ship's hull was largely intact, though her superstructure showed significant battle damage consistent with her final engagement. The site is considered a war grave and is protected by U.S. law.

Awards

For her World War II service, USS *Cushing* (DD-376) was awarded four battle stars, recognizing her participation in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, the Guadalcanal campaign, and specifically the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Her crew's actions during the final battle were later cited for their extraordinary heroism in confronting a vastly superior enemy force.

Category:Mahan-class destroyers Category:World War II destroyers of the United States Category:Ships sunk in the Solomon Islands