During WWII, 175 of the 2,000 ton Fletcher-class destroyers were built for the U.S. Navy and they served as the main destroyers of both the Pacific and Atlantic fleets. One such Fletcher-class ship was the USS Cushing (DD-797) which was completed in 1944. Taking lessons learned in battle, she was a late-production ship fitted with increased anti-aircraft armament and a square-shaped bridge which offered greater visibility. In addition to five 12.7cm guns and a quintuple 533mm torpedo launcher, she was armed with five twin 40mm cannons and seven single 20mm cannons. From her deployment in 1944, she took part in actions such as the attacks on Taiwan and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and at the end of the war she entered Tokyo Bay with the USS Missouri and witnessed the signing of the surrender documents.
