The USS Sumner (AGS-5), originally commissioned as USS Bushnell (AS-2/AG-32), was a versatile United States Navy survey ship with a notable service history spanning both World Wars and the interwar period. Launched on 9 February 1915 by the Seattle Construction and Dry Dock Company, she was commissioned on 24 November 1915. Initially serving as a submarine tender, Bushnell supported Atlantic Fleet submarines, notably during World War I, escorting submarines to the Azores and Ireland, and later assisting in salvage operations such as that of the USS S-5 in 1920. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, Bushnell operated along the Atlantic coast, Caribbean, West Coast, and Hawaiian Islands. She played roles in towing the USS Constitution in 1934 and aiding in the search for the USS Macon dirigible crash survivors in 1935. In December 1937, she transitioned to hydrographic survey duties, conducting operations along coasts of Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, British Guiana, and Samoa until 1941. Her designation changed to AG-32 on 25 July 1940, and she was renamed Sumner on 23 August 1941. She arrived at Pearl Harbor in November 1941, just before the Japanese attack, and actively participated in the defense of the islands. Afterward, she conducted survey missions across the Pacific, including Tonga, Samoa, New Caledonia, and the Solomon Islands, supporting Allied operations during World War II. In 1943, her role shifted to more active survey and harbor improvement duties in locations such as Tarawa, Kwajalein, Iwo Jima, and the Philippines. She sustained minor damage from enemy fire during the Iwo Jima campaign, with a shell killing one crew member and injuring three others, but continued her operations undeterred. After the war, she participated in surveys at Bikini Atoll in preparation for atomic tests, then transitioned to inactivation, decommissioning on 13 September 1946. Throughout her service, USS Sumner earned three battle stars for her World War II contributions, exemplifying her importance in naval survey and support operations during a critical period in maritime history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.