History
Cummings was launched 11 December 1935 by United Shipyards, Incorporated, New York; sponsored by Mrs. W. W. Mills, niece of Lieutenant Commander Cummings; and commissioned 25 November 1936, Commander C. P. Cecil in command.
Departing New York 29 September 1937, Cummings arrived at San Diego 28 October to join the Battle Force. She participated in the fleet problem in Hawaiian waters in April 1938 and a Presidential Fleet Review at San Francisco in July. In 1939 the exercises were held in the Panama Canal Zone and the Caribbean from January to April. Returning to San Diego 12 May 1939, Cummings participated in flotilla and fleet training, and served as plane guard for the carriers Yorktown (CV-5) and Lexington (CV-2). When the security patrol was begun on the west coast in 1940, Cummings served on it intermittently, while continuing to conduct exercises in antiaircraft and submarine tactics, and target practice.
Cummings was based at Pearl Harbor from 26 April 1940. Except for a west coast overhaul and a cruise to Tutuila, Samoa; Auckland, New Zealand; and Tahiti between 4 March and 3 April 1941, Cummings remained in Hawaiian waters conducting patrols and constantly exercising and drilling.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Cummings weathered bombs which fell ahead and astern, receiving only minor casualties from fragments, and sortied on patrol almost immediately. From 19 December 1941 to 4 May 1942 Cummings escorted convoys between Pearl Harbor and San Francisco, then sailed between Suva, Fiji Islands, and Auckland, New Zealand., from 9 June to 13 August on similar duty.
After overhaul at San Francisco, Cummings escorted a convoy to Noumea, and Wellington, New Zealand, in November 1942; then began patrol and escort missions for the Guadalcanal operation from bases at Espiritu Santo and Nouméa until 17 May 1943 when she sailed to Auckland, New Zealand, for brief overhaul. Returning to Nouméa 4 June, Cummings screened transports to Auckland in July, and then served at Efate from 5 August until 4 September.
Overhauled on the west coast again, Cummings joined TF 94. to patrol off Adak, Alaska, between 1 and 16 December before returning to Pearl Harbor 21 December.
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