USS Sumner

USS Sumner

USS Aylwin

USS Gearing

USS Sumner

USS Aylwin

USS Gearing

USA

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.7	4.7	4.7

Class:

Destroyer

Research:7 900

Purchase:10 000

Description

The Allen M. Sumner-class, USS Sumner (DD-692), 1944 is a rank II American destroyer with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X" as part of the fleet closed beta test.

The ship is, along with the similar names Somers (DD-381), the ultimate destroyer ship in the American tree.

General info

Survivability and armour

The USS Sumner has very little but still significant armour. Encased in 19 mm of antifragmentation hull armour and 13 mm of antifragmentation deck armour, the USS Sumner's armour won't stop any destroyer or larger calibre guns armed with AP or HE with a Base fuse. What the minor amount of armour can do is stopping machine gun fire from PT boats and near hit splash damage. However, the major weak point of this ship is the paper thin armour on the dual gun turrets. Anything from 50 calibre machine guns to what seems like a stiff breeze can and will knock out 1/3 of the ship's offensive armament. Understandably, once this ship is targeted by more than one other destroyer, the USS Sumner is quick to sink.

Armour	Bow (Slope angle)	Sides	Stern	Deck
Hull	N/A	19 mm (0-19°)	N/A	13 mm (88-89°)
Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Turrets	6 mm	6 mm	6 mm	6 mm

Notes:

• The radar atop the bridge is covered with an antifragmentation armour with 19 mm thickness.
• Gun shields around the 20 mm Oerlikon autocannons are 12.7 mm thick.

Mobility

The USS Sumner's vastly increased firepower compared to previous destroyers come at yet more cost to the max speed of the vessel. While not much, the decrease in 1 or 2 km/h in max speed is noticeable on larger maps as much faster Russian or German ships could appear to have flanked this ship with their much faster max speeds. However, the USS Sumner gains one additional rudder over previous US destroyers, greatly increasing the turn rate of the ship and allowing much greater manoeuvrability. This is especially noticeable in dodging torpedoes.

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons)
3,218
Max Speed (km/h)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	54	73
Realistic/Simulator	54	63

Armament

Primary armament

Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: {{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}.

Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.

Secondary armament

Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control Select secondary weapon. Evaluate the secondary armament and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section.

If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.

Anti-aircraft armament

An important part of the ship’s armament responsible for air raid defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control Select anti-aircraft weapons. Talk about the ship’s anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets.

If there is no anti-aircraft artillery, remove this section.

Torpedo armament

Many ships are armed with torpedo launchers, and for some vessels such as boats, torpedoes are an extremely important means of defeating an opponent. Evaluate the position of the torpedo launchers, discuss the ammunition available, firing specifics such as dead zones, features of the torpedoes themselves, etc.

If there is no torpedo armament, remove this section.

Special armament

Depth charges, mines, rocket launchers and missiles are also effective in skilled hands and can be an unexpected surprise for an opponent. Evaluate the ammunition of this type of armament and rate its performance in combat.

Usage in battles

The U.S.S. Sumner is one of the most powerful and versatile destroyers in the game. Equipped with plentiful anti-air armament, strong main guns, and belt armour, it is capable of taking on many roles in combat. The Sumner functions similarly to the Cowell (DD-547), each can perform the same roles, but the Sumner has some differences that can make it better or worse in some roles.

• 1. Gunfighter

The Sumner is equipped with one more gun than the Fletcher (DD-445) and Cowell (DD-547). While this might not seem a lot, there is a big difference: The guns are mounted in three turrets, each containing two guns. This means that your shells will have better grouping, but the most significant advantage is when you're bow on towards an enemy. While the Cowell and Fletcher can only utilize two of its guns while facing forward, the Sumner has a whopping four, allowing you to deal twice as much damage when you are bow on. The Sumner also fires faster than the Fletcher or Cowell, with a reload of 2.8 seconds aced compared to the Fletcher and Cowell's 3.7 seconds. This allows you to put out a lot more shells in a short period of time compared to the Fletcher class destroyers. Other than that, ship-to-ship combat is relatively similar to the Fletchers. You will be able to take on most destroyers in a straight-up battle with your main threats being a Somers (DD-381), which has 2 more guns than you, the Type 1936A (Mob) which has larger caliber guns, and the Tashkent (leader) which possess strong firepower. You gain increased armour protection compared to the Fletcher-class destroyers which will help you in absorbing damage. However, a tradeoff of having your guns set up as 3x2 instead of 5x1 means that when a turret is knocked out, you will lose a third of your firepower which is pretty significant. This is even more dangerous than the fact that your turrets are huge and are easy to take out. Nonetheless, Sumner is a potent ship when it comes to gunfighting.

• 2. Anti Air Ship

The Sumner, like most of the late-war USN destroyers, has extensive anti-air armament and makes a great anti-air escort ship. A group of Sumners and Cowells can easily deny a large area of enemy aircraft. The Sumner is equipped with radio fuse shells, and with the better shell groupings and faster firing rate compared to the Cowell, your long-range anti-air potential is even larger. The Sumner is equipped with 2 more Bofors than the Cowell (2x4 and 2x2 for a total of 12 compared to 5x2 for a total of 10). This means you can easily deal with aircraft at medium and close range, and also gives you the ability to rip apart smaller boats. However, these anti-air guns have worse firing arcs than that of the Cowell (The Cowell can fire four of it's Bofors directly forward, while the Sumner cannot) but nonetheless, you are a potent anti-air ship. It is also equipped with 10 x 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, which is 3 more than the Cowell. These will provide you with decent short-range protection. As always, lead your targets when commanding your anti-air and make sure to switch between your main battery for long-range (or leave them on AI) and smaller guns for short-range.

• 3. Light Craft Hunter

The Bofors of the Sumner makes for an extremely effective weapons system to deal with enemy patrol boats and gunboats. They will allow you to shred anything smaller than a destroyer, and even some of the older destroyers will be vulnerable to the sheer volume of fire they can dish out. At longer distances, load HE or Radio Fuse shells to deal with patrol boats and gunboats. Once you close into about 3 kilometres, begin firing your Bofors cannons instead. If you have good aim, they will take out even the toughest of patrol boats and gunboats within a few seconds. You can also use your main battery to one-shot patrol boats instead if you are a good shot. Try to avoid using your 20 mm Oerlikon cannons manually though as they do not have the range to deal with ships unlike the Bofors and main guns. Note that unlike the Cowell, you cannot fire off both of your dual Bofors directly forward as part of your superstructure blocks the way. To combat this, turn slightly to one side and that will allow them to fire, however you can only fire off one of the 2 turrets on the front of the ship. Turning a bit more will allow your quad Bofors near the stern of the ship to take part. Be on the lookout for any patrol boats that might sneak up on you, however. The Sumner does not take torpedoes well and if one gets a torpedo off on you then there is not much you can do to avoid destruction. If you see a patrol boat nearby, take evasive action to dodge any torpedoes and keep an eye out on the water in the general direction to see if they have launched any torpedoes, and react accordingly.

There are some threats to the Sumner, which include:

• Somers (DD-381): This destroyer has the same guns like you, but is equipped with another turret. This means that it will most likely beat you in a one-on-one duel. Try to knock out its turrets first and keep yours alive to make it even. You also have more armour than it does and you can take more of a punch.
• BTD-1: Despite your strong AA power, these bombers can still get by and drop off a torpedo before it gets shot down. It carries two torpedoes or a 2,000 lb bomb, each of which can be lethal to you. Prioritize these bombers as they can be some of the strongest aircraft in Naval combat.
• Pe-8: These bombers often stay at high altitude and are equipped with 5,000 kg bombs. These bombs are guaranteed to kill you and it doesn't even need a near miss to cripple or even destroy your ship. Deal with these bombers with Radio-Fuse shells as they have the range to hit them at high altitudes.
• Type 1936A (Mob): This destroyer has 150 mm guns which can deal significant damage to you. You have a faster fire rate and more durability so use that to your advantage. It is also better to fight them at closer range as their larger guns give them more advantage at longer distances.
• Pr. 159 and Pr. 35: While these frigates will most likely be unable to kill you, they have fast-firing 76 mm guns which can very quickly destroy your turrets and bridge, leaving you a sitting duck for other ships. These ships lack armour protection so if you have good aim you will be able to destroy them with ease. Also, try to fight them at longer distances since you have larger guns. They also don't possess much secondary armament so you can attack them when they are distracted.
• Light Cruisers: Light Cruisers will generally have superior firepower and armour than you. Never fight a cruiser one-on-one, especially at long range. However, your guns can still deal decent damage to them should you gain the opportunity. You should only engage cruisers directly if you are in a group of ships attacking the cruiser or if the cruiser is preoccupied engaging with a friendly cruiser. Be aware of any secondary armament they might have.
• PT Boats: Fast-moving PT-Boats can catch you off-guard and fire their torpedoes. You might be able to destroy them but their torpedoes could instantly kill you if they hit. Always be on the lookout for PT boats in all directions and watch for any torpedoes. Even weaker PT-boats such as the LS 3 and G-5 can pose a threat as they move fast and are hard to hit.

Modules

Tier	Seakeeping	Unsinkability		Firepower
I	Dry-Docking	Tool Set		127 mm Common Mk.32	40 mm HE clips	Anti-Air Armament Targeting
II	Rudder Replacement	Fire Protection System	Smokescreen		40 mm AP clips	Auxiliary Armament Targeting
III	Propeller Replacement	Ventilation	Shrapnel Protection	127 mm AAVT Mk.31	Improved Rangefinder	Primary Armament Targeting
IV	Engine Maintenance	New Pumps	Ammo Wetting	Bomb mortar	Torpedo Mode

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Quick fire rate (2.8 seconds Aced)
• Powerful main armaments
• Great AA defence (12 x 40 mm cannons and 10 x 20 mm cannons)
• Large crew size
• Good armour for a destroyer
• Turrets can traverse 360 degrees

Cons:

• Dual turrets are an easy target
• Expensive repair costs

History

The Sumner class was introduced as an improvement to the previous Fletcher Class destroyers incorporating many of the lessons learned during the war. Twin 5" guns simplified the deck layout to allow for the installation of a more powerful anti-aircraft battery. Two quad 40mm Bofors mounts and two dual 40mm Bofors mounts supplied the heavy anti-aircraft fire with 11 x 20mm guns further improving the weight of fire coming from the ship.

Majority of the class would find service in the Pacific Theater from 1944 to 1945 serving as a fleet escort. Several in the class would serve as radar picket ships during and after the Battle of Okinawa.

Post War service saw many ships undergoing significant upgrades with the last of the class decommissioned from US Navy service on December 15, 1973.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the ship;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on ship;
• other literature.