USS Allen M. Sumner (DD-692), was the lead ship of her class of destroyers. The ship was named for Allen Melancthon Sumner, a United States Marine Corps captain, who was killed in action during World War I. Allen M. Sumner was laid down on 7 July 1943 at Kearny, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company; launched on 15 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Allen M. Sumner, Captain Sumner's widow; and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 26 January 1944. Service history World War II 1944 The destroyer was fitted out at the New York Navy Yard until 3 March when she got underway for shakedown training in the waters around Bermuda. Allen M. Sumner returned to New York on 8 April and commenced post-shakedown availability. Repairs were completed on 3 May, and the warship stood out of New York bound for Norfolk, Virginia. She arrived there the following day and began two months of duty as a training platform for destroyer nucleus crews. The warship headed north on 5 July and arrived back at New York the next day. Following a five-week availability at the navy yard there, Allen M. Sumner put to sea on 12 August, bound ultimately for the Pacific. Along the way, she conducted antisubmarine warfare and antiair warfare exercises, stopped briefly at Norfolk, and transited the Panama Canal on 29 August. The destroyer stayed overnight at San Diego on 7 and 8 September before continuing on to Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 14 September and began five weeks of exercises in the Hawaiian operating area. Her stay in Hawaii lasted until 23 October when she steamed out of Pearl Harbor in company with the battleship , bound for duty in the western Pacific with the Fast Carrier Task Force. Steaming via Eniwetok, the destroyer entered Ulithi lagoon on 5 November. Allen M. Sumner remained at Ulithi until 19 November at which time she departed the atoll to join Task Group (TG) 38.4 at sea. After rendezvousing with the carriers, she accompanied them to waters near Yap Island whence the aircraft carriers launched air strikes on 22 November before reentering Ulithi that same day. The destroyer remained there for 5 days and then returned to sea, bound for newly invaded Leyte in the Philippines. She arrived in San Pedro Bay on 29 November and began patrolling Leyte Gulf. That duty—punctuated